HP StorageWorks Fabric OS 5.X Advanced Web Tools Administrator Guide (AA-RVHYB-TE, September 2005)

Fabric OS 5.x Advanced Web Tools administrator guide 81
9 Administering zoning
This chapter briefly describes zoning and provides the procedures for managing zoning using Advanced
Web Tools. It contains the following sections:
• Introducing zoning, page 81
• Managing zoning with Advanced Web Tools, page 81
• Managing zone aliases, page 86
• Managing zones, page 87
• Managing QuickLoops, page 88
• Managing Fabric Assist zones, page 90
• Managing zone configurations, page 91
• Managing the zoning database, page 98
• Best practices for zoning, page 102
Introducing zoning
Zoning enables you to partition your SAN into logical groups of devices that can access each other. For
example, you can partition your SAN into two zones, winzone and unixzone, so that your Windows
servers and storage do not interact with your UNIX® servers and storage.
Zones can be configured dynamically. They can vary in size, depending on the number of
fabric-connected devices, and devices can belong to more than one zone. Because zone members can
access only other members of the same zone, a device not included in a zone is not available to members
of that zone.
When using a mixed fabric—that is, a fabric containing 5.x, 4.x, 3.x, and 2.x switches—you should use
the switch with the highest Fabric OS level to perform zoning tasks. See ”Entering a zone alias in the
Define Device Alias wizard” on page 102 for more recommendations about zoning.
When zone or Fabric Assist (FA) zone members are specified by fabric location (domain, area) only, or
by device name (node name or port WWN) only, then zone boundaries can be enforced at the hardware
level, and the zone is referred to as a hard zone.
When zone elements are specified by fabric location (domain, area) and other elements of the same zone
are specified by device name (node name or port WWN), zone enforcement depends on Name Server
lookups, and the zone is referred to as a soft zone.
For more specific information about zoning concepts, see the HP StorageWorks Fabric OS 5.x
administrator guide.
Managing zoning with Advanced Web Tools
You can monitor and manage zoning through the Advanced Web Tools Zone Admin module. Click the
Zone Administration icon in the Fabric Toolbar to access the Zone Admin module, shown in Figure 26.
The Zone Admin icon is displayed in the Fabric Toolbar only if an Advanced Zoning license is installed on
the switch.