MetroCluster configurations

About MetroCluster configurations

This section discusses how to configure gFiler gateways in a MetroCluster configuration. The MetroCluster configuration expands on the switch-attached cluster configuration.

Note
The GF270c does not support the MetroCluster configuration.

Also included in this section are rules for zoning switch ports, which is required for MetroCluster configurations.

Required adapters and hardware for connectivity

You need the following adapters for a MetroCluster:

Fibre Channel HBAs
Virtual Interface MetroCluster adapter (VI-MC) if the cluster interconnect adapter is wired through a Fibre Channel switch
IB card if the cluster is directly connected to the storage subsystem
Inter Switch Link (ISL)

Connectivity overview

The following table describes the number of ports and cable connections needed for a MetroCluster configuration.

Number of gFiler gateways	Number of storage subsystems	Number of switches	Number of ISL connections (maximum supported)	Number of cables from gFiler to switch
2	2	4	2	8
4	2	4	2	16

Maximum LUN configuration for lower-end gFiler gateways

Connectivity overview

The following illustration provides an example of a MetroCluster configuration composed of two gFiler gateways. The maximum number of LUNs depends on the gFiler model and the LUN limitation of LUNs per port or per host group imposed by the storage subsystem.

Notes to the illustration:

The XP12000 supports 1,024 LUNs per port. Therefore, this configuration supports the maximum number of LUNs supported by all gFiler models.
For storage subsystem models that support 256 LUNs per port or 256 LUNs per port per host group, this configuration supports 256 LUNs on each storage subsystem, for a total of 512 LUNs.

See the gFiler Software Setup, Installation, and Management Guide for information about how to plan and configure a MetroCluster configuration.

Port-to-port connectivity

The following port-to-port connectivity scheme allows for the number of maximum LUNS on the lower-end gFiler models.

Port-to-port connectivity scheme
gFiler 1		Switch	Zone
FC HBA	1A	Any port on switch 2	Optional
FC HBA	2B	Any port on switch 1	Optional
VI-MC	A	Any port on switch 2	1
VI-MC	B	Any port on switch 1	2
Storage subsystem 1		Switch	Zone
1A		Any port on switch 1	Optional
2A		Any port on switch 2	Optional
gFiler 2		Switch	Zone
FC HBA	1A	Any port on switch 4	Optional
FC HBA	2B	Any port on switch 3	Optional
VI-MC	A	Any port on switch 4	1*
VI-MC	B	Any port on switch 3	2*
Storage subsystem 2		Switch	Zone
1A		Any port on switch 3	Optional
2A		Any port on switch 4	Optional
ISL connection			Zone
Any port on switch 1		Any port on switch 3	None
Any port on switch 2		Any port on switch 4	None

* These zones are separate from those indicated for gFiler 1 but are identical to those zones.

Maximum LUN configuration for higher-end gFiler gateways

Connectivity overview

The following illustration provides an example of a MetroCluster configuration, for a total of four gFiler gateways. This configuration is needed to support the maximum number of LUNs on the higher-end gFiler models.

Note
HBA connections must never share the same zone as VI-MC connections. However, zoning individual HBA connections is not required.

The following illustration shows a MetroCluster configuration with two cluster nodes. gFiler gateways 1 and 3 are partner nodes and gFiler gateways 2 and 4 are partner nodes.

Note
The following illustration shows one gFiler neighborhood.

Notes to the illustration:

This configuration illustrates storage subsystem models that cannot support more than 256 LUNs per port or 256 LUNs per host group per port.
For the XP12000, one port pair per gFiler node is sufficient to achieve maximum configuration for any gFiler model.
Unlike previous illustrations, the lines between the switches and the storage subsystems represent switch zoning only; they do not represent how LUN redundancy is achieved. LUN redundancy is achieved as follows:
- On Storage subsystem 1: 1A and 2A are redundant, and 1B and 2B are redundant
- On Storage subsystem 2: 1A and 2A are redundant, and 1B and 2B are redundant

Port-to-port connectivity

The following port-to-port scheme supports a maximum number of LUNs.

Port-to-port scheme
First MetroCluster pair		Fabric 1
gFiler 1		Switch	Zone
FC HBA	1A	Any port on switch 2	Optional
FC HBA	2B	Any port on switch 1	Optional
VI-MC	A	Any port on switch 2	1
VI-MC	B	Any port on switch 1	2
gFiler 2		Switch	Zone
FC HBA	1A	Any port on switch 1	Optional
FC HBA	2B	Any port on switch 2	Optional
VI-MC	A	Any port on switch 1	3
VI-MC	B	Any port on switch 2	4
Storage subsystem 1		Switch	Zone
1A		Any port on switch 1	Optional
1B		Any port on switch 1
2A		Any port on switch 2
2B		Any port on switch 2
Second MetroCluster pair		Fabric 2
gFiler 3		Switch	Zone
FC HBA	1A	Any port on switch 4	Optional
FC HBA	2B	Any port on switch 3	Optional
VI-MC	A	Any port on switch 4	1*
VI-MC	B	Any port on switch 3	2*
gFiler 4		Switch	Zone
FC HBA	1A	Any port on switch 3	Optional
FC HBA	2B	Any port on switch 4	Optional
VI-MC	A	Any port on switch 3	3*
VI-MC	B	Any port on switch 4	4*
Storage subsystem 2		Switch	Zone
1A		Any port on switch 3	Optional
1B		Any port on switch 3
2A		Any port on switch 4
2B		Any port on switch 4
ISL connection			Zone
Any port on switch 1		Any port on switch 3	None
Any port on switch 2		Any port on switch 4	None

* These zones are separate from those indicated for gFiler gateways 1 and 2, but are identical to those zones.