Deployment Guide

Using the FC-FC Routing Service
● Fibre Channel Routing overview................................................................................... 167
● Supported switches for Fibre Channel Routing.............................................................168
● Setting up FC-FC routing.............................................................................................. 168
● FC-FC routing management......................................................................................... 169
● Viewing EX_Ports......................................................................................................... 170
● Configuring an EX_Port................................................................................................ 171
● Configuring FCR router port cost.................................................................................. 172
● Viewing LSAN zones.....................................................................................................172
● Configuring the backbone fabric ID...............................................................................173
Fibre Channel Routing overview
Fibre Channel Routing (FCR) provides connectivity to devices in different fabrics without merging the
fabrics.
For example, Fibre Channel Routing allows you to share tape drives across multiple fabrics without the
administrative problems, such as change management, network management, scalability, reliability,
availability, and serviceability that might result from merging the fabrics.
Fibre Channel Routing lets you create logical storage area networks (LSANs) that can span fabrics.
These LSANs allow Fibre Channel zones to cross physical SAN boundaries without merging the fabrics
while maintaining the access controls of zones.
Note the following terminology for Fibre Channel Routing:
backbone
fabric
An FC Router can connect two edge fabrics; a backbone fabric connects
FC Routers. The FC Router fabric is the backbone fabric. A backbone
fabric consists of at least one FC Router and possibly a number of Fabric
OS-based Fibre Channel switches. Initiators and targets in the edge fabric
can communicate with devices in the backbone fabric through the FC
Router.
edge fabric A standard Fibre Channel fabric with targets and initiators connected
through an FC Router to another Fibre Channel fabric.
EX_Port A type of port that functions somewhat like an E_Port, but does not
propagate fabric services or routing topology information from one fabric to
another.
FC Router A switch running FC-FC Routing Service.
interfabric link
(IFL)
The link between an E_Port and an EX_Port, or a VE_Port and a
VEX_Port.
metaSAN The collection of all SANs interconnected with FC Routers.
VEX_Port A virtual port that enables routing functionality through an FCIP tunnel. A
VEX_Port is similar to an EX_Port.
A device is shared between:
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