Re: iFCP fabric attachments

["Robert B. Harmon" <bharmon@entradanet.com>]

So the iFCP Gateway >>Must<< be the mast switch?

Joshua Tseng wrote:
> 
> Robert,
> 
> >
> > I think this is a very interesting proposal, storage gateways are
> > possible
> > at several different levels, great work.
> >
> >  Section 3.3 says:
> >     The gateway builds the store of N_PORT network addresses for
> >     external devices in the IP fabric by:
> >
> >     a) Intercepting name service requests issued by directly-attached
> >        N_PORTs and redirecting them to the iSNS name server or,
> >
> >     b) Intercepting incoming N_PORT login requests from external Fibre
> >        Channel devices.
> >
> > Could you explain how this would work in the presence of existing
> > Fibre Channel SNS and master switch?
> >
> > I noticed on your comparison of FCIP and iFCP that the SAN islands
> > contain no Switches or Hubs, N_PORTS are connected directly to iFCP
> > devices. Is is possible under to have iFCP gateways and FC switches?
> >
> 
> Yes, it is possible for iFCP gateways to interoperate with FC switches
> if the iFCP gateway implements FC-SW-2.  Essentially, all the N_PORTS
> on the IP network would have to be represented to the FC fabric through
> mechanisms described in FC-SW-2.  Similarly, the iFCP gateway would
> learn about FC devices in the FC fabric through the FC name server
> mechanisms described in FC-GS-2 and FC-GS-3.  These devices would then
> be registered in the iSNS in the IP fabric.
> 
> Josh