Deployment Guide

9 Dell Networking FC Flex IOM: Deployment of FCoE with Dell FC Flex IOM, Brocade FC switches,
and Dell Compellent Storage Array
Deployment/Configuration Guide
3 Dell FC Flex IOM and Convergence on Dell MXL/IOA
Overview
The Dell FC Flex IO module provides the additional functionality
to a Dell MXL/IOA blade switch to enable it to act as a NPIV
Proxy Gateway (NPG) capable of bridging between Ethernet and
FC. FC Flex IOM takes the convergence from the ToR down to
the blade level consolidating infrastructure while still providing
the benefits of network convergence and leveraging the backend
FC SAN.
In NPG mode, the Dell MXL/IOA w/ FC Flex IOM does not consume a fabric Domain ID or become part
of the switched fabric but instead simply acts as a gateway to the fabric by de-encapsulating FC from
FCoE and forwarding the frames to the existing backend FC SAN.
NPG technology in the FC FlexIO module transparently performs a proxy fabric login (FLOGI) on behalf
of the CNAs in the M1000e blade servers. With NPIV (N_Port ID Virtualization) support on the Fibre
Channel switch connected to the FC Flex IOM, the respective FC Flex IOM port acts as a N_Port and is
able to obtain multiple fabric addresses (FC_IDs) per request by end nodes. A FLOGi is done initially by
the FC Flex IOM to the FC switch providing fabric services and then the FC Flex IOM is able to obtain
additional addresses over the same link by converting FLOGis from the server to FDISCs (Fabric
Discoveries). The FC Flex IOM initially performs a FLOGi and then it obtains additional addresses for
server nodes via FDISC (Fabric Discoveries).
Fibre Channel fabric services are maintained by the FC switch that the FC FlexIO module is connected
to. The features that the FC FlexIO module provides are:
1. Manages the FLOGI and FDISC conversion process
2. Manages PFC (Priority Flow Control)
3. Manages ETS (Enhanced Transmission Selection)
4. Manages FIP keep alives