Brocade 300 SAN Switch + Dell Tape Library (ML6000), Zoning Help ?

[exxoid]

Hello,

We are moving over from our current SAN Array to a Dell Compellent which includes the Brocade 300 switches, two of them for redudency to our VMWare ESX Hosts. I have very little experiance doing the zoning and wanted to get feedback from the community on understanding and proprely zoning my tape library.

The Dell ML6000 has two HBAs.

Our SAN is configured as following:

• ESX_HOST_1 > BROCADE_SWITCH_1 > Compellent_Array_HBA_1
  
• ESX_HOST_1 > BROCADE_SWITCH_2 > Compellent_Array_HBA_2
  
• 
  
• ESX_HOST_2 > BROCADE_SWITCH_1 > Compellent_Array_HBA_1
  
• ESX_HOST_2 > BROCADE_SWITCH_2 > Compellent_Array_HBA_2
  
• 
  
• ESX_HOST_3 > BROCADE_SWITCH_1 > Compellent_Array_HBA_1
  
• ESX_HOST_3 > BROCADE_SWITCH_2 > Compellent_Array_HBA_2
  

On one of the ESX Hosts, is the backup virtual machine, to which I want to introduce the ML6000.

How do I zone the Brocade switches proprely so that the backup system has access to the tape library, we have VMWare vMotion so the backup host can be on any of the 3 ESX Hosts at any given time.

Below is the "print" taken from the Brocade management tool..

The Effective Configuration is:  Fabric_A

The Member(s) of the Effective Configuration is (are):

Zone:                 CML_Physical_A(2 Members)        50:00:d3:10:00:2e:42:05
                                            50:00:d3:10:00:2e:42:1b
                                           
Zone:                 CML_Virtual_A(2 Members)        50:00:d3:10:00:2e:42:33
                                           50:00:d3:10:00:2e:42:35
                                          
Zone:                 van_vm03_HBA1_van_san01_zone(3 Members)        50:00:d3:10:00:2e:42:33
                                                          50:00:d3:10:00:2e:42:35
                                                          21:00:00:1b:32:82:cf:f8
                                                         
Zone:                 van_vm04_HBA1_van_san01_zone(3 Members)        50:00:d3:10:00:2e:42:33
                                                          50:00:d3:10:00:2e:42:35
                                                          21:00:00:24:ff:01:1e:0e
                                                         
Zone:                 van_vm05_HBA1_van_san01_zone(3 Members)        50:00:d3:10:00:2e:42:33
                                                          50:00:d3:10:00:2e:42:35

                                                          20:00:00:24:ff:01:df:b0

So, my thinking here is.. I need to add the tape library to the Fabric_A.. Inside the Zoning Administration GUI...

1) On the Alias tab, create a new Alias for my Tape Library and add the WWN.

2) On the Zone tab, this is where I am a little confused.. I create a new zone for my Tape Library.. then do I add my vm03-05 (ESX HOSTS) and the SAN HBAs along with the Tape Library Alias ?

3) On Zone Config, I then add the new Zone to the Fabric_A?

Any feedback would be appreciated, thank you !!

[exxoid]

After fighting with this some more today, it looks like my zoning is correct (confirmed with Dell who support our Brocade switches), below is my configuration.

# This was pre-made by CML/Dell Deployment Personnel

Zone: CML_Physical_A(2 Members)

• 50:00:d3:10:00:2e:42:05 - van-san01 (CML)
• 50:00:d3:10:00:2e:42:1b - van-san01 (CML)

# This was pre-made by CML/Dell Deployment Personnel

Zone: CML_Virtual_A(2 Members)

• 50:00:d3:10:00:2e:42:33 - van-san01 (CML)
• 50:00:d3:10:00:2e:42:35 - van-san01 (CML)

# Created by me, to try and present the two heads and library to VMWare.

Zone: van_tape01_HBA_zone(5 Members)      

• 50:03:08:c0:9f:80:60:05 - Dell ML6000 (IBM ULtirum-TD4 Head #1 connected via FC to Brocade Switch)
• 50:03:08:c0:9f:80:60:01 - Dell ML6000 (IBM ULtirum-TD4 Head #2 connected via FC to Brocade Switch)
• 21:00:00:1b:32:82:cf:f8 - ESX_HOST_1
• 21:00:00:24:ff:01:1e:0e - ESX_HOST_2
• 20:00:00:24:ff:01:df:b0 - ESX_HOST_3

# This was pre-made by CML/Dell Deployment Personnel

Zone: van_vm03_HBA1_van_san01_zone(3 Members)

• 50:00:d3:10:00:2e:42:33 - van-san01 (CML)
• 50:00:d3:10:00:2e:42:35 - van-san01 (CML)
• 21:00:00:1b:32:82:cf:f8 - ESX_HOST_1

# This was pre-made by CML/Dell Deployment Personnel

Zone: van_vm04_HBA1_van_san01_zone(3 Members)

• 50:00:d3:10:00:2e:42:33 - van-san01 (CML)
• 50:00:d3:10:00:2e:42:35 - van-san01 (CML)
• 21:00:00:24:ff:01:1e:0e - ESX_HOST_2

# This was pre-made by CML/Dell Deployment Personnel

Zone: van_vm05_HBA1_van_san01_zone(3 Members)

• 50:00:d3:10:00:2e:42:33 - van-san01 (CML)
• 50:00:d3:10:00:2e:42:35 - van-san01 (CML)
• 20:00:00:24:ff:01:df:b0 - ESX_HOST_3

However I can only see one of my Tape Heads and the Tape LIbrary, not sure why this is happening.

[Anonymous]

I would split your tape zone into something like

1. Zone1
   
   
   1. 50:03:08:c0:9f:80:60:05 - Dell ML6000 (IBM ULtirum-TD4 Head #1 connected via FC to Brocade Switch)
      
   2. 50:03:08:c0:9f:80:60:01 - Dell ML6000 (IBM ULtirum-TD4 Head #2 connected via FC to Brocade Switch)
      
   3. 21:00:00:1b:32:82:cf:f8 - ESX_HOST_1
      
2. Zone2
   
   1. 50:03:08:c0:9f:80:60:05 - Dell ML6000 (IBM ULtirum-TD4 Head #1 connected via FC to Brocade Switch)
      
   2. 50:03:08:c0:9f:80:60:01 - Dell ML6000 (IBM ULtirum-TD4 Head #2 connected via FC to Brocade Switch)
      
   3. 21:00:00:24:ff:01:1e:0e - ESX_HOST_2
      
3. Zone3
   
   1. 50:03:08:c0:9f:80:60:05 - Dell ML6000 (IBM ULtirum-TD4 Head #1 connected via FC to Brocade Switch)
      
   2. 50:03:08:c0:9f:80:60:01 - Dell ML6000 (IBM ULtirum-TD4 Head #2 connected via FC to Brocade Switch)
      
   3. 20:00:00:24:ff:01:df:b0 - ESX_HOST_3
      

Because it resembles the disk zones you already have AND is according to "single initiator single target" best practice. In this case target is defined as the complete library and not the drives separetly.

Try to fcping an esx host and the tapelibrary.

fcping 20:00:00:24:ff:01:df:b0 50:03:08:c0:9f:80:60:05 and

fcping 20:00:00:24:ff:01:df:b0 50:03:08:c0:9f:80:60:01

If you get the remark "Zoned" you're zoning should be fine and look the either the ESX host or tapelibrary to resolve the issue

It is possible you'll see request timed out, but that could be because some devices don't support the echo els commands.