SAN Switches facilitate resource sharing.

IBM Sep 12, 2005

Press Release Summary:

TotalStorageÃ‚Â® SAN32M-1 switch and IBM TotalStorage SAN140M director support N_Port ID Virtualization, which provides IBM System z9 109 Linux server support for up to 256 virtual device addresses on single physical switch port. Virtual addresses can be allocated without impacting existing hardware implementation. Users activating NPIV on TotalStorage SAN32M-1 or SAN140M can optimize I/O performance through resource sharing and simplify administration and management.

Original Press Release:

N_Port ID Virtualization for IBM TotalStorage SAN32M-1 and TotalStorage SAN140M

At a glance N_Port ID Virtualization is now available for the IBM TotalStorage SAN32M-1 switch and the IBM TotalStorage SAN140M director. For ordering, contact: Your IBM representative, an IBM Business Partner, or IBM Americas Call Centers at 800-IBM-CALL (Reference: LE001). Overview The IBM TotalStorageÂ® SAN32M-1 switch and IBM TotalStorage SAN140M director now support N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV). NPIV provides IBM System z9 109 Linux server support for up to 256 virtual device addresses on a single physical switch port (excluding Inter-Switch Links). Virtual addresses can be allocated without impacting the existing hardware implementation. The virtual port (called the NV_port) has the same properties as an N_port, and is therefore capable of registering with all of the services in the fabric. Loop devices and NPIV are not supported on the same port simultaneously. If you activate NPIV on the IBM TotalStorage SAN32M-1 or TotalStorage SAN140M, you can utilize the Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP) Virtualization for Linux on z9-109 servers to help: - Improve I/O performance through improved resource sharing - Reduce hardware, simplify administration and management: Multiple Linux images can access the same device via a single shared FCP channel - Compliment the on demand environment and utilize existing industry standards to ensure interoperability among IBM products and the products of other vendors For additional details regarding NPIV on z9-109, refer to Hardware Announcement 105-241, dated July 26, 2005. Activation of this feature requires E/OS V8.0, or higher. This feature can also be managed via Enterprise Fabric Connectivity Manager (EFCM) V8.7, or higher. Key prerequisites The IBM TotalStorage SAN m-type family supports Fibre Channel and FICON connectivity for servers and storage. For a complete list, refer to the Supported servers and storage systems topic in the Description section. For availability dates, configuration options, server models, operating systems levels, and attachment capabilities, refer to www.ibm.com/totalstorage/SAN/m-type Planned availability date September 9, 2005