Best Practice - Flexpod Design

[Sean VanHandel]

I am working thru a 5548, UCS, and Netapp design. We are using FC, not FCoE. I have followed the FlexPod deployment standard to a "T" but have a couple of questions. First, as we are following our physical layout, EoR, we are placing a pair (two 5548's) at the end of each row to handle FC within that row (client request). We have various FC devices throughout each row, with UCS in one row, Netapp in another, and so forth. The question I have is in regards to "best practice" with the FlexPod standard. No where have I found an FlexPod design document which shows a cascade/aggregation design using an EoR switch connected to another EoR switch with a target/initiator seperated by two 5548s (NPIV/NPV). Is such a design NOT recommended? Can it be done within the standard? The second question is in regards to actual configuration. In this mode, TARGET ---- 5548(row1)-----5548(row2)---- Initiator, I assume the first 5548 is NPV mode, the second NPIV mode. Correct?

We have not implemented in this fashion before so I am looking for some standards document/configurations,etc related to this. Your help is greatly appreciated...

[calopez2 · Accepted solution]

Hi Sean,

The 5548 NPV is acting like a gateway/concentrator for downstream Initiators:

INIATOR-- 5548-1(NPV)--5548-2(NPIV CORE)----TARGET

5548-1(NPV) will receive FLOGI from INITATOR side and proxi FLOGI to 5548-2(NPIV CORE) for processing.

Please note that NPIV configuration is non-disruptive. NPIV provides multiple FCID's over a single physical wire.

NPV switch needs an NPIV CORE switch to provide all Fibre Channel services, i.e. zoning, FCNS, etc.

I hope this helps you.

Regards,

Carlos

[Sean VanHandel]

Carlos:

Thanks much for your reply.  Yes. That is pretty much how I invisioned it, but I listed it reversed.  I imagine the link to be an ISL between the NPV/NPIV as well.  Do you know if this is a FlexPod approved design?  I couldn't find it anywhere in the docs...

Thanks again Carlos.

Sean.

[calopez2]

The link between the NPV-NPIV Core is not an ISL.

The link between the NPV-NPIV Core is  F-port type. NPV Switch does not run Fibre Channel services, therefore has NO Fibre Channel Domain ID. 

NP - Node Proxy port type is introduced on the NPV Switch since it sends requests to the NPIV Core for processing and then relays any applicable information to the downstream hosts.

As far as FLEXPOD this Doc talks about 5548 in NPIV with UCS in NPV mode.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/solutions/collateral/ns340/ns517/ns224/ns944/whitepaper__c07-727095.html

This might not a full match but it touches the features you are discussing.

I hope this helps.

Regards,

Carlos