EMC FC4500 Network Hardware User Manual


 
EMC Fibre Channel Storage Systems Configuration Planning Guide
iii
Preface..............................................................................................................................xi
Chapter 1 About Fibre Channel Storage Systems and Networks
(SANs)
Introducing EMC Fibre Channel Storage Systems.......................1-2
Fibre Channel Background..............................................................1-3
Fibre Channel Storage Components ..............................................1-4
Server Component (Host-Bus Adapter Driver Package with
Software).....................................................................................1-4
Interconnect Components ........................................................1-4
Storage Component (Storage Systems, Storage Processors
(SPs), and Other Hardware).....................................................1-9
Types of Storage System Installations..........................................1-10
About Switched Shared Storage and SANs (Storage Area
Networks) ........................................................................................1-11
Storage Groups.........................................................................1-12
Storage System Hardware for Shared Storage ....................1-15
About Unshared Storage ...............................................................1-16
Storage System Hardware for Unshared Storage ...............1-16
Chapter 2 RAID Types and Tradeoffs
Introducing RAID.............................................................................2-2
Disk Striping...............................................................................2-2
Mirroring.....................................................................................2-2
RAID Groups and LUNs ..........................................................2-3
RAID Types........................................................................................2-4
RAID 5 Group (Individual Access Array) .............................2-4
RAID 3 Group (Parallel Access Array)...................................2-5
Contents