IBM TotalStorage SAN256B for System Storage

Highlights of IBM TotalStorage SAN256B  for System Storage

• High availability with built-in redundancy designed to avoid single points of failure
• Highly scalable director with 16, 32 or 48 Fibre Channel (FC) ports per port switch blade and from 16 to 384 ports in a single domain
• Multiprotocol router blade with sixteen FC ports and two Internet Protocol (IP) ports for SAN routing and distance extension over IP
• iSCSI blade enables servers to access storage over IP (Ethernet)
• 10 Gbps Fibre Channel blade provides extended distance ISL connectivity between directors over dark fibre or DWDM
• Fibre Channel switch blades support either 4, 2 and 1 Gbps link speeds or 8, 4 and 2 Gbps link speeds
• Sixteen and thirty-two port switch blades support IBM FICON®
• Interoperable with other IBM TotalStorage SAN b-type and m-type switches and directors
• Offers advanced security with comprehensive policy-based security capabilities
• Offers advanced fabric services such as end-to-end performance monitoring and fabric-wide health monitoring

The IBM TotalStorage® SAN256B is designed to provide outstanding performance, enhanced scalability and a design ready for high-performance 4 Gbps, 8 Gbps and 10 Gbps capable hardware and expanded capability features. The SAN256B is well suited to address enterprise SAN customer requirements for infrastructure simplification and improved business continuity.

The SAN256B director interoperates with other members of the IBM TotalStorage SAN b-type and m-type families. It can be configured with a wide range of highly scalable solutions that address demands for integrated IBM System z™ and open system server enterprise SANs.

Common features of IBM TotalStorage SAN256B  for System Storage

• Designed for mid-range to enterprise-class SANs
• Ideal as core-component in a core-to-edge SAN fabric
• 4 Gbps industry-standard Fibre Channel (FC) switch (requires storage system hardware that supports 4 Gbps throughput)
• 8, 4, 2 and 1 Gbps server and device interfaces with auto-sensing capability
• Brocade® Fabric OS® is common across all members of the IBM TotalStorage SAN b-type family
• Advanced Inter-Switch Link (ISL) Trunking, Load Balancing and Advanced Zoning
• Web Tools, Fabric Watch, Hot Code Activation and Performance Monitor
• Optional Adaptive Networking Services, Extended Fabric Activation, Remote Switch Activation, FICON Accelerator, FICON with CUP Activation, Advanced Security Activation, FCIP Activation

Hardware summary

• Chassis includes two control processor blades plus space for one to eight port blades, dual power supplies and fans in a 14U rack height
• Available 8 or 4 Gbps 16-port, 32-port and 48-port switch blades, 16-port FC/2-port IP routing blades and 8-port FC plus 8-port iSCSI blade, 6-port 10 Gbps FC ISL blades
• Available 8 Gbps and 4 Gbps shortwave and longwave Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP) optical transceivers
• Available 10 Gbps XFPs support high-performance ISLs and distance extension requirements
• Available copper GbE SFP for connection to Ethernet fabrics
• Full Fabric Operation and Universal Port (E, F and FL port) operation
• Many non-disruptive software upgrades and hot-swappable switch blades, power supplies and fans
• Fabric Shortest Path First (FSPF) designed to reroute around failed links
• Install in IBM TotalStorage SAN Cabinet C36