Connecting to your storage subsystem

About connecting to your storage subsystem

You connect your gateway to your storage subsystem when you want to allocate space on the storage subsystem for the gateway. This space is segmented into Logical Unit Numbers (LUNs). For more information, see your Getting Started guide.

Guidelines for cabling

Review the following list of guidelines, which apply for all configurations, before you cable your system:

The ports on the gateway HBAs are labeled 1 and 2. However, the software refers to them as a and b. You see these labels in the user interface and system messages displayed on the console.
Use a loopback plug for any unused Fibre Channel ports.
All configurations should be cabled for redundancy. Redundant connections are needed for maximum performance.
Each connection in a redundant pair must be attached to a different HBA on your gateway and to a port on a different channel adapter on the storage subsystem.

Connection process

The connection process occurs before you create LUNs on your storage subsystem. This process requires the following stages:

Planning a configuration for your storage subsystem.
Devising the port-to-port connectivity scheme between your gateway and storage subsystem for the configuration you have chosen.
Verifying that you have the correct number and types of cables you need for your configuration.
Using the following process tables with your port-to-port connectivity schemes to connect your storage system to your gateway.
Caution
You must plan your configuration before you allocate space on your storage subsystem. See your Getting Started guide for more information.

Direct-attached stand-alone configuration

If you are connecting your storage subsystem in a direct-attached stand-alone configuration, complete the following connections.

Stage	Process
1	Cable the gateway to the storage subsystem through your gateway HBAs, as described in Connecting your gateway HBAs.
2	When you complete cabling your gateway to your storage subsystem, go to the Getting Started guide for rules about configuring LUNs and ports on your storage subsystem.

Direct-attached cluster configuration

If you are connecting your storage subsystem in a direct-attached cluster configuration, complete the following connections.

Stage

Process

Cable the gateway to the storage subsystem through your gateway HBAs, as described in Connecting your gateway HBAs.

Cable gateway 1 to gateway 2 using the cluster interconnect cables, as described in Connecting your gateway to another gateway in a cluster.

For redundancy, you must cable both ports on your cluster adapters.

When you finish connecting your gateway to your storage subsystem, go to the Getting Started guide for rules about configuring LUNs and ports on your storage subsystem.

Switch-attached stand-alone configuration

If you are connecting your storage subsystem in a switch-attached stand-alone configuration, complete the following connections.

Stage	Process
1	Cable the gateway to the storage subsystem through your gateway HBAs, as described in Connecting your gateway HBAs.
2	Cable your storage subsystem to your switch.
3	Cable your gateway to your switch, as described in Connecting to a switch.
4	When you finish connecting your gateway to your storage subsystem, go to the Getting Started guide for rules about configuring LUNs and ports on your storage subsystem.

Switch-attached cluster

If you are connecting your storage subsystem in a switch-attached cluster configuration, complete the following connections.

Stage	Process
1	Cable gateway 1 to gateway 2 using the cluster interconnect cables, as described in Connecting your gateway to another gateway in a cluster. For redundancy, you must cable the cluster adapters so that port 1 is cabled to port 1 and port 2 is cabled to port 2.
2	Cable your storage subsystem to your switch.
3	Cable your gateway to your switch, as described in Connecting to a switch.
4	When you finish connecting your gateway to your storage subsystem, go to the Getting Started guide for rules about configuring LUNs and ports on your storage subsystem.

MetroCluster cluster

If you are connecting your storage subsystem in a MetroCluster configuration, complete the following connections.

Note
The MetroCluster configuration requires switch port zoning. For more details, see your Getting Started guide.

Stage	Process
1	Cable the storage subsystem to your gateway, as described in Connecting your gateway HBAs.
2	Cable gateway 1 to switch 1 and switch 2 using the Virtual Interface-MetroCluster (VI-MC) cluster interconnect cables, as described in Connecting your gateway MetroCluster interconnects.
3	Cable gateway 2 to switch 3 and switch 4 using the cluster interconnect cables, as described in Connecting your gateway MetroCluster interconnects.
4	If applicable, cable gateway 3 to switch 1 and switch 2, as described in Connecting your gateway MetroCluster interconnects.
5	If applicable, cable gateway 4 to switch 3 and switch 4, as described in Connecting your gateway MetroCluster interconnects.
6	Cable storage subsystem 1 to switch 1 and switch 2.
7	Cable storage subsystem 2 to switch 3 and switch 4.
8	Using Inter Switch Links, cable switch 1 to switch 3, then cable switch 2 to switch 4.
9	When you finish connecting your gateway to your storage subsystem, go to the Getting Started guide for rules about configuring LUNs and ports on your storage subsystem.