Setting up fiber zones

Question

Hello Everyone -

I am somewhat new to the zoning. I have a very basic issue and I need to understand the best way to tackle it. I have 3 devices connected to EMC brocade switch: Tape Library, Backup Exec 12.5 Media Server and EMC Celerra. I am running NDMP backup by my server and currently there are no zones setup. I started having issues with my backup exec software and have been referred that the issue could be that I dont have any zone setup. I was wondering if someone could guide me the best way to setup zone? There are 4 connections: 1 HBA from media server, 1 HBA from Celerra, 1 connection to Tape LIbrary Robot and 1 connection for Tape LIbrary Tape Drive. Please let me know how I can configure this best?

dynamox · Answer

is the tape library dedicated for NDMP backups only ?

Rickyrak · Answer

The tape library is also supporting network backups on my LAN, so no it will be a mixed mode.

dynamox · Answer

you will need to create 2 zones: zone1 - Celerra aux port and tape drive zone2 - BE server and tape drive / robot

Rickyrak · Answer

Ok understood. Just to clarify, zone 2 would contain 3 connections: HBA of media serever+tape drive + tape robot? Sorry I'm just learning this stuff

dynamox · Answer

Yes Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4GLTE Phone

Rickyrak · Answer

At the moment, here is my configuration:  1 Create new Alias containing HBA from celerra and tape drive only.   2. Create alias containing BE server, tape drive, and tape library.   Now there are 2 alias 1 for zone 1 and 1 for zone 2.    Next I create the zone from the alias.  So alias 1= zone 1. alias 2=zone 2.    Zone config is 1 zone config applied to the switch that contains zones 1 and 2.   However now I recieved an error on my Celerra that said the HBA failed.    Did I not configure it properly?

dynamox · Answer

your zone should contain two or more members: zone 1 - alias for AUX port on Celerra , alias for tape drive zone2 -  alias for BE server , alias for tape drive(s) and alias for robot

dynamox · Answer

it would probably faster if i could see what you had setup. Do you have skype ? Message me privately

Rickyrak · Answer

I have done that configuration.  My zones are setup properly.   Now.... My question is how do I setup the zone config and apply to the switch?   I assume there will be 1 zone config containing both zones and then I apply that zone config to the switch?   I had done that and had communications errors so I was not sure that was correct.

RRR · Answer

I standardized on SIST: Single Initiator, Single Target. This way you'll NEVER end up in discussions about having just 2 or more than 2 wwpns in a zone. I always have 2 wwpns in a zone.

Why just 2 ? Some storage ports can act as an initiator (Mirrorview / SRDF / SANCopy) and you wouldn't want storage ports trying to log into other storage ports if this is not the intention.

For a replication zone, you'd have both SRDF of MirrorView ports in a single zone.

For an host HBA - storage zone, you'd have the HBA and a single storage port in the zone.

If you have an HBA as well as (Clariion) SPA0 and SPB1 in the same zone, SPB1 will be able to try to log on to SPA0 and there's no need for this, so don't put them in the same zone.

Avoid problems and stick to SIST.

Allen Ward · Answer

I'll second that RRR. Although we relaxed the standard for Symmetrix zones (one initiator and multiple targets if required on a single array). For CLARiiON/VNX it is ALWAYS two WWPNs per zone (one initiator and one target).

Safer :-)

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Setting up fiber zones

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