Deployment Guide

● WWN port zoning is recommended. While hard zoning is supported, LUN masking uses the WWN identifier. You can mix
WWN and hard-zoned ports in the same zone.
● Multiport HBAs are supported. Each port in a multiple-port HBA represents one initiator. Each initiator must be connected to
a single logical switch zone.
● No more than four paths (port-to-port segments) can be established from a single, physical host server(s) to a single RAID
controller.
● A zone can contain multiple targets and span multiple storage arrays—single initiator can point to multiple targets.
NOTE: To simplify troubleshooting, you can assign a single initiator and single target to a zone.
● If the Remote Replication premium feature is activated, a separate zone for each replication port is required. Only
data traffic related to Remote Replication can move through that zone. For more details and requirements regarding
Remote Replication, see the Dell EMC PowerVault MD Series Storage Arrays Administrator's Guide at Dell.com/
powervaultmanuals.
Setting up zoning on the Fibre Channel switch hardware
Setting up zoning on Fibre Channel switches varies greatly between manufacturers. For detailed information on how to set up
zoning on your switch, see the manufacturer’s product documentation or technical support website.
Cabling storage array
Cabling the storage array depends on several factors such as:
● Required level of redundancy or throughput
● Number of host servers connected to the storage array
● Type of HBAs (dual- or single-port) used in one or more host servers
● Remote Replication premium feature (if applicable)
Redundant and non-redundant cabling
Non-redundant cabling configurations provide a single data path from host server(s) to the storage array. This type of
configuration is only recommended for non-critical data storage. A path failure from a failed or removed cable, failed HBA,
or failed or removed RAID controller module results in loss of host access to the storage array.
Redundant configurations establish separate data paths between the host server(s) and storage array. Each path is connected
to separate RAID controller modules in the storage array. Redundancy protects the host server(s) from losing access to data
in the event of a path failure since both RAID controller modules can independently access all the physical disks in the storage
array.
SAN-attached cabling
SAN-attached cabling configurations provide the highest level of redundancy and alternate-path connectivity between the host
server and storage array. A SAN configuration using a Fibre Channel compatible switch fabric allows you to establish multiple
redundant paths to data on the storage array.
NOTE:
A SAN configuration using a supported Fibre Channel switch hardware is required if the Remote Replication
premium feature is activated on the storage array. For specific cabling requirements for Remote Replication, see Remote
Replication Cabling Example.
SAN-attached cabling example
The following figure shows a three-server, mixed HBA cabling configuration that uses two separate switch fabrics to establish
multiple paths to the storage array. Port-to-port connections in each switch fabric or zone are detailed in the text boxes.
Hardware installation
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