| Q1. |
I don’t need a high port count switch at this time. Are lower port count switches cheaper? |
| A1. |
SAN sizes have grown over the years. High port count switches with high availability can reduce management complexity and increase the number of usable ports as compared to multiple low port count switches. |
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| Q2. |
Will the HP StorageWorks 4/256 SAN Director work with the existing Fabric OS versions in my current fabrics? |
| A2. |
The new director is compatible with installed B-series switches as well as installed Core Switch 2/64 and SAN 2/128 Directors. Most customers will not need to upgrade the Fabric OS version on the installed switches. |
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| Q3. |
Will the HP StorageWorks 4/256 SAN Director work with the HP StorageWorks B-series Multi-Protocol Router? |
| A3. |
Yes. The 4Gb/s director works seamlessly with the HP StorageWorks Multi-Protocol Router Blade and the HP StorageWorks 400 Multi-Protocol Router. |
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| Q4. |
How will I use 4Gb/sec Fibre Channel performance? |
| A4. |
Most customers will first utilize 4Gb/s Fibre Channel as Inter-Switch Links (ISLs) to increase fabric bandwidth or increase the number of usable ports by reducing the number of ports needed for ISLs. 4Gb/s targets and initiators (HBAs, tape devices, RAID systems) will become broadly available in the near future. Customers will utilize 4Gb/sec to reduce the time required to perform backups, and to provide a storage infrastructure for high-performance applications (databases, OLTP, and so on). |
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| Q5. |
Does the HP StorageWorks 4/256 SAN Director block? |
| A5. |
No, the Director architecture does not block. The backplane of the director is provisioned so that all 128 ports can operate at full speed. At 4Gb/sec, all 128 ports of a single switch built with 16-port 4Gb/sec blades can operate at their 400 MB/sec, full-duplex rate. The same non-blocking environment exists for 256 ports at 2Gb/sec. |
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| Q6. |
What connectivity options does the 4/256 SAN Director Support? |
| A6. |
The 4/256 SAN Director offers Fibre Channel, FCIP SAN Services, and iSCSI intermix support for a wide range of connectivity options. |
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