Addendum

require an efficient and scalable bridging feature in order to access FC storage arrays, which an NPG
provides.
NPIV Proxy Gateway Operation
Consider a sample scenario of NPG operation. An M1000e chassis configured as an NPG does not join a
SAN fabric, but functions as an FCoE-FC bridge that forwards storage traffic between servers and core
SAN switches. The core switches forward SAN traffic to and from FC storage arrays.
An M1000e chassis FC port is configured as an N (node) port that logs in to an F (fabric) port on the
upstream FC core switch and creates a channel for N-port identifier virtualization. NPIV allows multiple
N-port fabric logins at the same time on a single, physical Fibre Channel link.
Converged Network Adapter (CNA) ports on servers connect to the M1000e chassis Ten-Gigabit Ethernet
ports and log in to an upstream FC core switch through the FC Flex IO module N port. Server fabric login
(FLOGI) requests are converted into fabric discovery (FDISC) requests before being forwarded by the FC
Flex IO module to the FC core switch.
Servers use CNA ports to connect over FCoE to an Ethernet port in ENode mode on the NPIV proxy
gateway. FCoE transit with FIP snooping is automatically enabled and configured on the M1000e gateway
to prevent unauthorized access and data transmission to the SAN network (see FCoE Transit). FIP is used
by server CNAs to discover an FCoE switch operating as an FCoE forwarder (FCF).
The NPIV proxy gateway aggregates multiple locally connected server CNA ports into one or more
upstream N port links, conserving the number of ports required on an upstream FC core switch while
providing an FCoE-to-FC bridging functionality. The upstream N ports on an M1000e can connect to the
same or multiple fabrics.
Using an FCoE map applied to downstream (server-facing) Ethernet ports and upstream (fabric-facing)
FC ports, you can configure the association between a SAN fabric and the FCoE VLAN that connects
servers over the NPIV proxy gateway to FC switches in the fabric. An FCoE map virtualizes the upstream
SAN fabric as an FCF to downstream CNA ports on FCoE-enabled servers as follows:
• As soon as an FC N port comes online (no shutdown command), the NPG starts sending FIP multicast
advertisements, which contain the fabric name derived from the 64-bit worldwide name (WWN) of
the principal SAN switch. (The principal switch in a fabric is the FC switch with the lowest domain ID.)
• When you apply the FCoE map to a server-facing Ethernet port in ENode mode, ACLs are
automatically configured to allow only FCoE traffic from servers that perform a successful FLOGI on
the FC switch. All other traffic on the VLAN is denied.
You can specify one or more upstream N ports in an FCoE map. The FCoE map also contains the VLAN
ID of the dedicated VLAN used to transmit FCoE traffic between the SAN fabric and servers.
NPIV Proxy Gateway: Protocol Services
An MXL 10/40GbE Switch and M I/O Aggregator with the FC Flex IO module NPG provides the following
protocol services:
• Fibre Channel service to create N ports and log in to an upstream FC switch.
• FCOE service to perform:
• Virtualization of FC N ports on an NPG so that they appear as FCOE FCFs to downstream servers.
• NPIV service to perform the association and aggregation of FCoE servers to upstream F ports on core
switches (through N ports on the NPG). Conversion of server FLOGIs and FDISCs, which are received
NPIV Proxy Gateway for FC Flex IO Modules
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