FCIP
You can enable and modify FCIP storage optimization module settings. For details, see the SteelHead Management Console User’s Guide for SteelHead CX.
Fibre Channel over TCP/IP (FCIP) is a transparent Fibre Channel (FC) tunneling protocol that transmits FC information between FC storage facilities over IP networks. FCIP is designed to overcome the distance limitations of FC.
FCIP storage optimization provides support for environments using storage technology that originates traffic as FC and then uses either a Cisco MDS or a Brocade 7500 FCIP gateway to convert the FC traffic to TCP for WAN transport.
To increase the data reduction LAN-to-WAN ratio with either equal or greater data throughput in environments with FCIP traffic, RiOS separates the FCIP headers from the application data workload written to storage. The FCIP headers contain changing protocol state information, such as sequence numbers. These headers interrupt the network stream and reduce the ability of SDR to match large, contiguous data patterns. After isolating the header data, the SCC performs SDR network deduplication on the larger, uninterrupted storage data workload and LZ compression on the headers. RiOS then optimizes, reassembles, and delivers the data to the TCP consumer without compromising data integrity.
Note: Environments with Symmetrix Remote Data Facility (SRDF) traffic originated through Symmetrix FC ports (RF ports) only require configuration of the RiOS FCIP storage optimization module. Traffic originated through Symmetrix GigE ports (RE ports) requires configuration of the RiOS SRDF storage optimization module. Complete the configuration as described in this table.
For details about storage technologies that originate traffic through FC, see the SteelHead Management Console User’s Guide for SteelHead CX.
FCIP Settings
Complete the configuration as described in this table.
Control | Description |
Enable FCIP | Enables FCIP protocol. By default, FCIP is disabled. |
FCIP Ports | Specify the FCIP ports. Optionally, you can add FCIP port numbers separated by commas or remove a port number. Do not specify a port range. Note: The FCIP ports field must always contain at least one FCIP port. |
Apply | Applies your settings. |
Rules | |
Add a New Rule | Displays the controls for adding a new rule. Displays the controls for adding a manual rule. Use this control when the R1 Symmetrix array is running Enginuity microcode version 5874 or earlier. |
Source IP | Specify the connection source IP address of the FCIP gateway tunnel endpoints. Note: The source IP address cannot be the same as the destination IP address. |
Destination IP | Specify the connection destination IP address of the FCIP gateway tunnel endpoints. |
Enable DIF | Isolates and optimizes the DIFs embedded within the FCIP data workload. |
DIF Data Block Size | Specify the size of a standard block of storage data, in bytes, after which a DIF header begins. The valid range is from 1 to 2048 bytes. The default value is 512, which is a standard block size for Open System environments. When you enable DIF, RiOS FCIP optimization looks for a DIF header after every 512 bytes of storage data unless you change the default setting. Open System environments (such as Windows, UNIX, and Linux) inject the DIF header into the data stream after every 512 bytes of storage data. IBM iSeries AS/400 host environments inject the DIF header into the data stream after every 520 bytes. This field is required when you enable DIF. |
Add | Adds the manual rule to the list. The Management Console redisplays the Rules table and applies your modifications to the running configuration, which is stored in memory. |
Remove Selected | Select the check box next to the name and click Remove Selected. |