LTO3 SAN configuration

[ChrisRees]

Hi all

I have a TS3500 library with 6 fibre attached LTO3 tape drives. The SAN switches are IBM(Brocade) 32 port 4Gb switches.

Everything is currently as default so on the library the drive ports are set to Auto link speed and Topology Auto (L-Port)

AutoAuto (L Port)4 Gb/sL Port

Thus on the switch the drives show as below


29 29 id N4 Online L-Port 1 public
30 30 id N4 Online L-Port 1 public
31 31 id N4 Online L-Port 1 public

At a previous place where i worked we set all the drives to F-Port devices and hardcoded the speed.

With a LTO3 drive does it matter whether its set to L-Port or F-Port?
What are the implications of each?

Personally I'd like to set them to F-port devices so at least I can see the WWN of the drives logged into the switch with switchshow rather than having to do a portshow on each L-Port port.

Cheers

 

[Mikey D]

Set the switch ports to straight (F) fabric mode, we do the same on our Cisco and Brocade gear. Speeds can be left to auto, no reason to hard code that.