| Q1. |
How does this embedded FC switch solution differ from a stand-alone switch? |
| A1. |
The differences are mainly in the physical size, server facing port interconnects, external facing port count, and ease of installation. In addition, the embedded FC switch leverages the intelligent power and cooling features provided by HP BladeSystem Enclosure thermal logic technologies. |
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| Q2. |
Why would a customer use this Brocade switch instead of a stand-alone version? |
| A2. |
The embedded solution offers numerous advantages including a lower cost of deployment, a smaller footprint, and a truly integrated design resulting in better rack space utilization, easy installation, lower operational costs, and simplified management. |
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| Q3. |
Does the Brocade 8Gb SAN Switch support all of the same fabric OS configuration and management tools as HP StorageWorks B-Series external switches? |
| A3. |
Yes. Web Tools, Fabric Watch, Extended Fabrics, ISL Trunking, and Advanced Performance Monitoring are all supported, as well as Fabric Manager. In addition, this model supports the new Adaptive Networking feature which is part of the Power Pack+ options. |
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| Q4. |
What is Adaptive Networking for the Brocade 8Gb SAN Switch for HP BladeSystem c-Class? |
| A4. |
Adaptive Networking provides assurance that Service Level Agreements are maintained by prioritizing bandwidth (low, medium and high) over assigned virtual channels using QoS (Quality of Service), and by rate limiting into targets of lesser bandwidth to prevent target data overflow. |
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| Q5. |
Are there additional new features available with the 8 Gbps model not available in previous generations? |
| A5. |
Yes. The Brocade 8Gb SAN Switch for HP BladeSystem c-Class supports new high performance features such as a single trunk group of eight SAN-facing ports for up to 64 Gbps of balanced throughput, as well as longer distances through additional buffer credits. |
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| Q6. |
Does HP support Brocade Access Gateway with the Brocade 8Gb SAN Switch? Is a license required to enable the Brocade Access Gateway feature? |
| A6. |
Yes, HP supports the Brocade Access Gateway feature with the Brocade 8Gb SAN Switch. The Brocade Access Gateway is a feature of the Fabric OS that is user-enabled through Brocade Web Tools or the Brocade Command Line Interface (CLI). No additional license is required. |
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| Q7. |
What products support the Brocade Access Gateway feature? What are the minimum fabric requirements for Brocade Access Gateway? |
| A7. |
The Brocade Access Gateway is a feature for Brocade blade server and entry-level SAN switches. Therefore, the Brocade SAN Switches for HP c-Class and p-Class BladeSystems are all supported. Depending on the model, it must use Brocade Fabric OS® v5.2.1b and higher.
The fabric edge switch/director to which the Brocade 8Gb SAN Switch for HP BladeSystem c-Class in Access Gateway mode is connected to must support NPIV functionality as described in version 1.4 of the FS-LS specification. If the fabric edge switch/director is a Brocade switch, it must use Brocade Fabric OS® v5.2.1b and higher depending on the model.
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| Q8. |
How is fabric management simplified by Brocade Access Gateway? |
| A8. |
The Brocade Access Gateway improves how blade servers connect to SAN fabrics. Eliminating incremental switches/domains and the associated management workload for each blade enclosure greatly simplifies overall management. |
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| Q9. |
What are the differences between Brocade Access Gateway mode and standard switch mode? |
| A9. |
When the Brocade 8Gb SAN Switch is in Brocade Access Gateway mode, most switch features are no longer applicable. These features include Admin Domains, Brocade Advanced Performance Monitoring, Brocade Advanced Zoning, direct connection to target devices, Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop support, Brocade Fabric Manager, FICON®, IP over Fibre Channel, Brocade Extended Fabrics, Management Services, Name Services (SNS), port mirroring Brocade Secure Fabric OS®, and SMI-S. These switch features are available in the default switch mode of operation. In addition, the Brocade Access Gateway can connect to switches providing these services. |
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| Q10. |
Does the Brocade Access Gateway support fault-tolerant fabric connectivity? |
| A10. |
Yes, it supports fault-tolerant external ports for mission-critical high-availability environments. |
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| Q11. |
Is the Brocade 8Gb SAN Switch for HP BladeSystem c-Class hot pluggable? |
| A11. |
Yes, the design for the embedded SAN Switch for the HP BladeSystem c-Class supports the SAN switch as a tightly integrated, hot-pluggable component. |
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| Q12. |
How many ports does the Brocade 8Gb SAN Switch have? |
| A12. |
There are two port-count options for greater flexibility, as well as the option of an upgrade license for lower cost of entry, where needed. The Brocade 8/12 SAN Switch for HP BladeSystem c-Class offers 12 active ports in any combination of internal and external connections and includes a Full Fabric license. There are two models of the Brocade 8/24 SAN Switch including a Full Fabric model and the option of a value-priced Power Pack+ model, both of which offer 16 internal facing ports and 8 fabric facing ports. The Brocade 8/12 SAN Switch 12-port upgrade license option enables an additional 12 ports on the 12-port Full Fabric model, for a total of 16 internal facing ports and 8 fabric facing ports. This option allows customers a low entry cost with a ‘pay as you grow’ model. |
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| Q13. |
Does the Brocade 8Gb SAN Switch support 4 Gbps optics? |
| A13. |
Yes. While, depending on the model, the Brocade 8Gb SAN Switch ships with up to four 8 Gbps SFP+ optics, it has been tested and is backward compatible with B-series 4 Gbps optics as needs dictate. |
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| Q14. |
Can I leverage any of the SFP's I currently have on hand with this switch? |
| A14. |
This switch is only supported with the new HP B-series FC SFP's. Please refer to the Product QuickSpecs for more detailed information and part numbers. |
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| Q15. |
What is Data Center Fabric Manager Software? |
| A15. |
HP Data Center Fabric Manager Software is a server based network management application that enables end-to-end management of B-series Storage Area Network (SAN) fabric. With unique asset tracking and reporting capabilities, Data Center Fabric Manager provides detailed visibility into performance utilization of hardware and network bandwidth. HP Offers a Professional and Enterprise version of Data Center Fabric Manager. |
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