NPIV Enhanced

Virtual Fabric Connectivity Solution

for the
IBM BladeCenter
by QLogic

Virtual FibreChannel HBA Support

Virtual FibreChannel I/O Support

Stefan Schiechl
Systems Engineer
QLogic Corporation
Agenda

NPIV – Technology Overview

NPIV-enhanced „Virtual HBAs“

Intelligent-Pass-Thru Module - Overview

Intelligent-Pass-Thru Module - Use Cases

• IPM vs. OPM
• IPM vs. FCSM

Intelligent-Pass-Thru Module - Solution

8Gb/s FibreChannel Portfolio
Virtualization Advantage –

NPIV – Technology Overview

N_Port ID Virtualization – Industry Standard

Defined by the T11 FC standards

• FC-DA and FC-LS Specifications

“NPIV provides a Fibre Channel facility for assigning
multiple N_Port_IDs to a single physical N_Port,
thereby allowing multiple distinguishable entities.”

Where is it used? -> Two Use Cases
• FC HBAs: Unique WWNs and IDs in
virtualized environments = Virtual HBAs
• Transparent HBA aggregator device to
reduce cables = Intelligent Pass Thru
Module (IPM)
N_Port ID Virtualization – HBA Overview

Standard Fabric Login Process Fabric Login Process (NPIV)

FLOGI
FLOGI
Set NPIV supported, WWNN, WWPN
WWNN, WWPN

ACC - Assign 24bit FC-ID ACC – Assign 24bit FC-ID, Set NPIV Supported
PLOGI PLOGI
Registers with SNS (FC-ID, WWNN, WWPN) Registers with SNS (FC-ID, WWNN, WWPN)

Creates virtual ports

FDisc, WWNN, WWPN

Assign 24bit FC-ID

PLOGI
NPIV allows a single physical Registers with SNS (FC-ID, WWNN, WWPN)

Fibre Channel (FC) HBA

port to function as multiple
virtual ports, each
with its own identity (WWPN)
NPIV Enhanced
“Virtual HBAs”
Security Holes in VM Environments

VM1 VM2 VM3 VM1 VM2 VM3 VM1 VM2 VM3

WWPN: 21 00 00 E0 8B 80 53 A1

Standard
HBAs

Creates security holes!

Zoning and LUN masking settings All LUNs must be “exposed” to
must be defined to allow access to FC Switch every server to ensure disk
specified targets and networks access during live migration
(static configuration) (single open zone)

Storage LUNs

All configuration parameters are based on the World

Wide Port Name (WWPN) of the physical HBA
NPIV Solution for Virtualized Environments

Management Application
(Support NPIV API, Manage WWPN namespace)

VM1 VM2 VM3 VM1 VM2 VM1

VM3 VM2 VM3

WWPN1 WWPN3 WWPN1 WWPN3 WWPN1 WWPN3

WWPN2 WWPN2 WWPN2

 NPIV HBA
QLogic 4Gb HBAs
(NPIV supported)

FC Switch
(NPIV supported)  NPIV Switch

Storage LUNs
N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) and Multi-ID

Allows a single physical Fibre Channel (FC) HBA port to

function as multiple logical ports, each with its own identity.
VM A

LUN 0
WWPN
Name Server Information

VM B

WWPN WWPN LUN 2

0

LUN 0

LUN 1
VM C3
LUN 2
LUN 3
0
LUN 3 WWPN

LUN 4
NPIV increases security and flexibility!

Zoning and LUN masking configured per

VM-specific WWPNs

Each VM can access storage LUNs with its
“own” WWPN
- Improved Security
- Dynamic Provisioning
- Finer Granular Control over SAN
 IBM BladeCenter
Connectivity Options
by QLogic
 Key dates & figures

QLogic 20-Port 8Gb QLogic 20-Port 8Gb

SAN Switch Module Intelligent Pass-Thru Module

IBM P/N: 44X1905 IBM P/N: 44X1907

Announce date = Oct 21

Ship Support = Oct 31

GA = Nov 10

12 QLogic Confidential Sep XX, 2007

 QLogic Switch Portfolio for IBM BladeCenter

New 8Gb
GA: 10 Nov

13 3/4/2009
 QLogic Expansion Card Portfolio for IBM BladeCenter

New 8Gb
GA: 22 Jan

14 3/4/2009
 IBM BladeCenter
Connectivity Configuration Options –

FCSM-based
FCSM-based BladeCenter Connectivity
FC Port Types

Figure shows an example of N_Ports, F_Ports and E_Ports in a Fibre

Channel Switch Module connection.
Interoperability issues have to be considered when connecting FC
switches to each other.
Typically vendors are charging additional license fees for ISL and trunking
capabilities.
 IBM BladeCenter
Connectivity Configuration Options –

IPM-based
(Intelligent-Pass-Thru Module)
 IPM-based BladeCenter Connectivity
FC Port Types
IPM transparently represents
HBA N_Ports to the external
fabric.

Therefore Interoperability
F
issues are eliminated.

Nothing have to be changed.

Everything is handled by the

IPM.

Figure illustrates a port mapping example of a Intelligent Pass-

thru Module that connects blade servers to the external fabric. At least at ½ the price of Full
Fabric Switch.
QLogic Intelligent Pass-Through Module
(IPM)

Features
• Utilizes N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV)
standard to present initiators to fabric as
N_Ports
• Full FC fabric switch performance without
management complexity
• Fully interoperable with all SAN vendor fabrics
20-Port 8Gb FC
and management applications
Intelligent Pass-
Through Module

Benefits
IBM Part Num:
• Cost-effective 44X1907
• Setup in minutes!
• Connectivity without increasing number of
domain ids
 Zone merges can be problematic – even in
homogeneous fabrics
 OPM help, but require large port count
switches to minimize domain id proliferation
 IBM BladeCenter
Connectivity Configuration Options –

Comparison
IPM Advantages –
IPM vs OPM
IPM Advantages –
IPM vs OPM

If you have large Fibre Channel fabrics using OPM

connections can yield a lot of cables, SFPs, and
physical ports (28 for each BladeCenter) if you
choose the use of OPMs.

IPM uses NPIV technology, which means that the

internal server ports (up to 14) are mapped to the
six external ports. Extensive cabling, large
number of SFPs, and costly switch port
licenses are no longer required.
IPM Solution
IPM Advantages –
IPM vs FCSM
IPM Advantages –
IPM vs FCSM

If you have large Fibre Channel fabrics using a

FCSM can yield to a lot of domain
administration, where each switch gets its own
domain ID with the use of Fibre Channel switch
modules.

Due to the implementing of transparent switching,
all standard management features, such as
name server table, zoning, and domain ID
administration, are fully removed from the
FCSM. This transparentness enables easy
administration by either a SAN or a server
administrator.
IPM Solution
IPM Solution

IPM uses NPIV technology, which means that the

internal server ports (up to 14) are mapped to the
six external ports. Extensive cabling, large
number of SFPs, and costly switch port
licenses are no longer required.

Due to the implementing of transparent switching,
all standard management features, such as
name server table, zoning, and domain ID
administration, are fully removed from the
FCSM. This transparentness enables easy
administration by either a SAN or a server
administrator.
Administration Responsibility

FCSM-based IPM-based
BladeCenter Connectivity BladeCenter Connectivity

Clear administration responsibilty

Default Port Mapping
Advanced Port Mapping – Example
Configure Redundancy and Load Balancing
 Market Overview and Trends
Yesterday Today Present & Future
Optical Pass-through Switched Fabric Blade “Intelligent Pass-thru
Module Module”

1. Low Cost (Perceived) 1. Lower TCO than OPM 1. Lowest TCO

2. No Interop Issues Cables, SFPs, Edge 2. Interop issues are
HBA to Fabric Switch removed
2. More flexible management as Transparent Switch
3. Use existing Fabric
Higher reliability presents N_ports rather
than E_ports to the fabric
QLogic Transparent Switch technology 3. Domain is eliminated.
provides switch speed with Smooth Fabric Scaling
Optical Pass-through interop
Intelligent Pass-thru Module benefits

Intelligent Pass-thru Module does not present a

Domain
• Only thing presented are the devices to the core
 In the IPM these are initiators.

Management of the SAN is contained in the core

 This allows the SAN administrator to have a much more
concentrated view of the management of the SAN for tasks
such as zone changes for backup and adding servers and
storage

Management considerations such as Name Server,
zone merges, and interoperability are contained in the
core thereby lessening the difficulty of management.
Seamless BladeCenter FC SAN Connectivity
FC Switches with NPIV Support
Manufacturer Switch Model Firmware Revision

Brocade1 SilkWorm 200E, 3014, 3016, 3250, 3850, 3900, 4012, Fabric OS 5.1.0 or
4100, 4900, 7500, 24000, 48000 later

Cisco2 MDS9120, MDS9140, MDS9216, MDS9506, SAN-OS 2.1(2b) or

MDS9509, MDS9513, MDS9124 later
QLogic3 SANbox 5200, 5202, 5600, 5602, SANbox 9000 6.0 FW or later

McDATA4 Sphereon 3016, 3032, 3216, 3232, 4300, 4500 E/OS 8.0 or later
Intrepid 6064, 6140, 10000

1 Brocade models 3014, 3250, 3850, 3900, and 24000 have NPIV support defaulted OFF and it must be
activated on a port by port basis.
All other models support NPIV by default
2 Cisco switches have NPIV support defaulted OFF. It is activated on a switch wide basis.
3 QLogic switches have NPIV support defaulted ON.
4 McDATA switches require an optional license to activate NPIV capabilities on the listed switches.
NPIV Support Ecosystem

HBAs All QLogic 4/8Gb FC HBAs

Switches

Platforms
2.6.23

Mgmt
Apps VI Client

Solution
Dec’07 Nov’07 2008
Availability