Fibre Channel Networking

Convergent Communications, Inc. - A Cisco Systems Learning Partner

FIBRE CHANNEL NETWORKING

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"CCI reedems Cisco Learning Credits as well as Hipass from Hitachi"

For more details call: (301) 565-0138 Ext 6027

Fibre Channel Networking - Powerful 5-day Hands-on Technology Course

Course Description

Storage Area Networking is making it possible for companies to database their entire customer and internal database for quick and easy access over the web. Once that data is available to your customer and partners, that data becomes mission critical and a core asset for your customer. You must protect that asset and ensure it is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Fibre Channel is the protocol that drives SANs function.

In this 5-day Fibre Channel Networking class you will learn the details of the Fibre Channel protocols and how to design, manage and troubleshoot a Fibre Channel SANs solution. You will decode Fibre Channel traffic to understand software channels to increase your troubleshooting and skills and increase overall operation of your solution. Learn the skills now don’t wait till your first outage to make the proper decision, you can’t afford waiting till that first outage, the first will most likely be your last.

Course Objectives

Design and create a switched fabric Fibre Channel network
Quickly analyze, isolate, and resolve major SAN problems
Prepare for two industry SAN certifications in a real-world, equipment-intensive environment
Create a Fibre Channel switched fabric network
Use Fibre Channel analyzers to examine live Fibre Channel traffic
Learn Fibre Channel communications protocol layered architecture
SAN vs. NAS vs. DAS - the benefits and pitfalls of each
Examine Fibre Channel layers and communications using a data analyzer
Define Processes for establishing Fibre Channel arbitrated loop and fabric networks
Create, examine, and use data analyzer traces from arbitrated loop and fabric Fibre Channel networks
Design, create, and test a Fibre Channel/SAN to meet specified customer requirements
Learn when to use switched vs. arbitrated loop vs. point-to-point in your SAN

Intended Audience

Sales Engineers, Technical Marketing, Account Managers, System Engineers, Help Desk professionals and System Engineers.

Course Outline

1. Storage Area Networking and Fibre Channel Overview

Why use Fibre Channel?
What is Fibre Channel?
Fibre Channel basics
Introduction to Fibre Channel topologies
- Point-to-point
- Arbitrated loop
- Switched fabric
What are the pieces?
- Cables
- Interfaces/adapters
- Hubs
- Switches
- Bridges, routers, and extenders
- Storage
- Storage management applications
Fibre Channel vs. SCSI
Implementing a SAN
- LAN free fabric back-up
- Homogeneous device sharing
- Heterogeneous device sharing

2. FC-0: The Physical Layer

A layered architecture
Fundamental Fibre Channel elements
Ports
- Point-to-point and arbitrated loop
- Switched fabric
- Port
- GBIC and GLM
- Cabling issues
- Open fibre control
- FC-O signal

3. FC-1 Transmission

8b/10b coding
- Benefits
- Disparity
Running disparity
- Detecting bit level errors
Transmission words
Ordered sets
- Delimiters
- Primitive signals
- Primitive sequences

4. Fibre Channel Protocol Analyzers

Analyzer brands
Common elements
- Ancot FCAccessT 1000
- Finisar GT-A Protocol Analyzer
- I-TECH Satellite
Purposes of analyzers
Setting up the analyzer
- Point-to-point
- Arbitrated loop
- Fabric

5. FC-2 Framing and Signaling

Framing
Frames - data or link control
Frame header
- Frame segmentation
- Link control frames
- Buffers
- Credit model
- Buffer-to-buffer flow control
Classes of service
- Classes and flow control
Addresses
- Worldwide name
- Port _ID
- Well known addresses
Login
- Login defines
- Login process
Error detection

6. FC-3 Common Services

Well known names
Port addressing
Defined services
- Alias server
- Quality of Service server
- Management server
- Time server
- Directory/name server
- Fabric controller
- Fabric F_Port
- Broadcast address

7. FC-4 Upper Layer Protocol (ULP) Mapping

ULPs and supported protocols
ULP mapping
Information Units (IU)
FCP write
Sending a SCSI write command
FCP_XFER_RDY
FCP Read
Fibre Channel disks
IP datagram

8. Arbitrated Loop

Loop basics
Loop cabling
- Loop ports
- Public or private loops
FC-AL hardware
- NL_Port
- FC-AL Hub
- FC-AL Storage
FC-AL
- Loop Initialization Process (LIP)
- Completion of loop initialization
Loop arbitration
- Arbitration overview
- In-depth arbitration cycle
- Arbitration process-monitoring
- LPSM states
- Fairness

9. Switched Fabric

Fabric login
- Setup
- Initial login steps
- Port logins
Process login

10. Zoning

Zoning fundamentals
- Zoning defined
- Why is zoning used?
- Zoning and the SAN fabric
- Implementing a new zone configuration
- Zoning components
Zoning GUI (Zone Administration Interface)
- General zoning guidelines
- Zone alias settings
- Zone configuration settings
- Zoning with Switch Manager
Configuring zoning with the command line interface
- Alias commands
- Zone commands
- Configuration commands
- Global configuration commands
- Command line configuration sequence
Vixel SAN InSite2000 SAN management software
- Loading
- Zoning a Vixel switch
- Zoning conclusions

11. Creating a SAN

SAN overview
- What is a SAN?
- Why use a SAN?
- SAN topology
- Switches
- Software components
- Cabling the SAN

Hands-on Course Labs

Hands-On Lab 1:		SAN and Fibre Channel Overview and Exercise

Hands-On Lab 2:		Fibre Channel Protocol Structure Review concepts and terms introduced in Fibre Channel layers.

Hands-on Lab 3:		Fibre Channel Layers Become familiar with layers in the Fibre Channel Protocol layered architecture.

Hands-On Lab 4:		Using Fibre Channel Analyzers Gain familiarity with the Ancot, Finisar, and I-TECH Satellite analyzers, and use them to examine Fibre Channel traffic captures.

Hands-On Lab 5:		Arbitrated Loop Review PC and disk storage FC-AL configuration and determine information about the loop. Use HBA software to look at the state of the SAN and the devices on it. Use trace viewer software from any of the three protocol analyzers to view a trace. Follow the sequence of events through the entire loop initialization, arbitration, and data transfer processes.

Hands-On Lab 6:		Switched Fabric Examine traces to see the differences when connecting a single device to a switch versus initializing a loop with multiple devices.

Hands-On Lab 8:		Zoning Configure and enable zoning on a Cisco switch.

Hands-On Lab 9:		Cascading Switches