Zoning Architecture

Zoning is switch function that allows devices within the fabric to be logically
segmented into groups that can communicate with each other. When a device (host)
logins into a fabric it is registered by the Name Server, it goes through a discovery
process with other devices registered as SCSI FCP in the Name Server.
A zone conists of a single HBA port and one or more storage ports. A collection of
zones is called a zoneset A zoneset can be active or inactive but only one zoneset can
be active at any one time within a switch. Remember a SAN port can be in multiple
zones as many hosts will be sharing this port. A common way to setup zoning is to use
the WWN of the attached hosts and ports but there are many ways:
The host HBA or Symmetrix port WWPN (recommended way) (WWN zoning)
The physical fabric port number that an N_Port is connected to (Port zoning)
Nicknames for all WWPN
The diagram below has a single host with two HBA cards installed connecting to two
different switches, both switches then connect to a SAN. Each HBA card has its own
zone and both zones are placed into a zoneset. If in the event one HBA card goes
down the other card can continue to have access to the data.

For detailed information on setting up zones on the M-series, B-series and MDSseries switches go to here
Hard and Soft zoning

There are two ways to zone hard and soft, hard zoning is using the physical
connection to block zone access and soft zoning uses software to block access to a
zone i.e software within a switch.
LUN Masking
There is other zoning which is called LUN masking, this is normally handled by the
SAN array and only allows specific hosts to see specific devices within the array, this
is particular import for windows, as window will try and write volume labels to a disk
devices thus corrupting any data on the disk.

Allocating, Unallocating Storage on a EMC SAN

This page details on how to add/remove and zone additional storage from a EMC
SAN
Adding Storage
1. List all the available devices (hypers) on the EMC San
# symdev -noport list
Backup the VCM database
# symmaskdb backup
2. Create a Meta volume
# cat metafile.cmd
form meta from dev 4A4 config=striped, stripe_size = 2 cyl;
add dev 4A5:4A7 to meta 4A4;
3. preview, prepare and commit the changes
# symconfigure -f metafile.cmd preview -nop
# symconfigure -f metafile.cmd prepare -nop
# symconfigure -f metafile.cmd commit -nop
Check the configuration
# symdev show 4A4
4. Map meta volume to front-end directors
# cat mapfile.cmd
map dev 4A4 to dir 4b:1 target=0, lun=5;

map dev 4A4 to dir 13a:1 target=0, lun=5;

5. preview, prepare and commit the changes
# symconfigure -f mapfile.cmd preview -nop
# symconfigure -f mapfile.cmd prepare -nop
# symconfigure -f mapfile.cmd commit -nop
Check the configuration
# symdev -sa 4b -p 1 -fibre list
# symdev -sa 13a -p 1 -fibre list
6. Mask the meta volume
# symmask -wwn <WWPN> -dir 13a -p 1 add devs 4A4
# symmask -wwn <WWPN> -dir 4a -p 1 add devs 4A4
Note: the wwn are the WWPN's of the host HBA's which you obtain from the server.
update the VCM database
# symmask refresh -nop

Removing Storage
1. Remove the LUN masking configuration
# symmask -wwn <WWPN> -dir 13a -p 1 remove devs 4A4
# symmask -wwn <WWPN> -dir 4a -p 1 remove devs 4A4
Note: the wwn are the WWPN's of the host HBA's which you obtain from the server.
update the VCM database
# symmask refresh -nop
2. offline the volume 4A4
# symdev -sid 056 not_ready 4A4 -nop
Check the configuration
# symdev show 4A4
3. Unmap the meta volume from Front-end directors
# cat unmapfile.cmd
unmap dev 4A4 from dir 4b:1;
unmap dev 4A4 from dir 13b:1;
4. Remove the volume from the VCM database
# symconfigure -f unmapfile.cmd preview -nop
# symconfigure -f unmapfile.cmd prepare -nop
# symconfigure -f unmapfile.cmd commit -nop

Check the configuration

# symdev -sa 4b -p 1 -fibre list
# symdev -sa 13a -p 1 -fibre list

Zoning a Host to use the Additional storage

1. telnet to the brocade switches and login as user admin
switch 1 - fabric A (FAB_A)
switch 2 - fabric B (FAB_B)
2. Create aliases for the hosts HBA's on each switch
switch_1> alicreate "ukwsv16_HBA_0","10:00:00:c9:2f:a1:7a"
switch_2> alicreate "ukwsv16_HBA_1","10:00:00:c9:2f:a1:7b"
3. Create the storage zones using the aliases on each switch
switch_1> zonecreate "Z_UKWSV16_A", "UKWSV16_HBA_0"
switch_2> zonecreate "Z_UKWSV16_B", "UKWSV16_HBA_1"
Check the configuration
switch_1> zoneshow Z_UKWSV16_A
switch_2> zoneshow Z_UKWSV16_B
4. Add the zones to the fabrics on each switch
switch_1>
switch_1>
switch_1>
switch_1>

cfgshow FAB_A
cfgadd "FAB_A","Z_UKWSV16_A"
cfgsave
cfgenable FAB_A

Check the configuration

switch_1> zoneshow
switch_2>
switch_2>
switch_2>
switch_2>

cfgshow FAB_B
cfgadd "FAB_B","Z_UKWSV16_B"
cfgsave
cfgenable FAB_A

Check the configuration

switch_2> zoneshow