N_Port ID Virtualization or NPIV is a Fibre Channel facility allowing multiple N_Port IDs to share a single physical N_Port. This allows multiple Fibre Channel initiators to occupy a single physical port, easing hardware requirements in Storage Area Network design. An NPIV-capable fibre channel HBA can have multiple N_Port IDs, each with a unique identity and world wide port name.
In Simple words we virtualize Physical fibre card similarly like we do for network card in VIOS. A Single Fibre channel port can be share across multiple Vio client with unique WWN numbers means you can connect each Vio Client to independent physical storage on a SAN.
On System p the Virtual I/O Server (VIOS) allows sharing of physical resources between LPARs including virtual SCSI, virtual Fibre Channel (NPIV) and virtual networking. NPIV allows System p logical partitions (LPARs) to have dedicated N_Port IDs, giving the OS a unique identity to the SAN, just as if it had a dedicated physical HBA(s).
For availing maximum redundancy for the SAN paths of the LPARs, the paths has to go through two different HBAs and those HBAs should be assigned to two different VIO Servers.
Pre-requisites/Basic Requirements
• IBM POWER6 or above processor based hardware
• Firmware level: EM340_039
• 8Gb PCIe Dual-port FC Adapter (Feature Code #5735)
• SAN switch supporting the NPIV feature
• Virtual I/O Server version 2.1.0.10-FP-20.1 or later
• AIX 5.3 Technology Level 09 or above (required filesets devices.vdevice.vfc-client and devices.vdevice.IBM.vfc-client)
• AIX 6.1 Technology Level 02 or above (required filesets devices.vdevice.vfc-client and devices.vdevice.IBM.vfc-client)
• SDD 1.7.2.0 + PTF 1.7.2.2
• SDDPCM 2.2.0.0 + PTF v2.2.0.6 or 2.4.0.0 + PTF v2.4.0.1
• For HMC managed systems HMC release 7.3.4.0 with MH01152 or later is required
NPIV Model:
To enable NPIV on the managed system, you must create a Virtual I/O Server logical partition (version 2.1 or later) that provides virtual resources to client logical partitions. You assign the physical fibre channel adapters (that support NPIV) to the Virtual I/O Server logical partition. Then, you connect virtual fibre channel adapters on the client logical partitions to virtual fibre channel adapters on the Virtual I/O Server logical partition. A virtual fibre channel adapter is a virtual adapter that provides client logical partitions with a fibre channel connection to a storage area network through the Virtual I/O Server logical partition. The Virtual I/O Server logical partition provides the connection between the virtual fibre channel adapters on the Virtual I/O Server logical partition and the physical fibre channel adapters on the managed system.
There is always a one-to-one relationship between virtual fibre channel adapters on the client logical partitions and the virtual fibre channel adapters on the Virtual I/O Server logical partition. That is, each virtual fibre channel adapter on a client logical partition must connect to only one virtual fibre channel adapter on the Virtual I/O Server logical partition, and each virtual fibre channel on the Virtual I/O Server logical partition must connect to only one virtual fibre channel adapter on a client logical partition.
On systems that are managed by the Hardware Management Console (HMC), you can dynamically add and remove virtual fibre channel adapters to and from the Virtual I/O Server logical partition and each client logical partition. You can also view information about the virtual and physical fibre channel adapters and the worldwide port names (WWPNs) by using Virtual I/O Server commands.
To enable N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) on the managed system, you create the required virtual fibre channel adapters and connections as follows:
---You use the HMC to create virtual fibre channel adapters on the Virtual I/O Server logical partition and associate them with virtual fibre channel adapters on the client logical partitions.
---You use the HMC to create virtual fibre channel adapters on each client logical partition and associate them with virtual fibre channel adapters on the Virtual I/O Server logical partition. When you create a virtual fibre channel adapter on a client logical partition, the HMC generates a pair of unique WWPNs for the client virtual fibre channel adapter.
---You connect the virtual fibre channel adapters on the Virtual I/O Server to the physical ports of the physical fibre channel adapter by running the vfcmap command on the Virtual I/O Server.
The HMC generates WWPNs based on the range of names available for use with the prefix in the vital product data on the managed system. This six digit prefix comes with the purchase of the managed system and includes 32,000 pairs of WWPNs. When you remove a virtual fibre channel adapter from a client logical partition, the hypervisor deletes the WWPNs that are assigned to the virtual fibre channel adapter on the client logical partition. The HMC does not reuse the deleted WWPNs when generating WWPNs for virtual fibre channel adapters in the future. If you run out of WWPNs, you must obtain an activation code that includes another prefix with another 32,000 pairs of WWPNs. To avoid configuring the physical fibre channel adapter to be a single point of failure for the connection between the client logical partition and its physical storage on the SAN, do not connect two virtual fibre channel adapters from the same client logical partition to the same physical fibre channel adapter. Instead, connect virtual fibre channel adapters from multiple client logical partitions to one physical fibre channel adapter.
Check the Next Article: How to configure NPIV .
In Simple words we virtualize Physical fibre card similarly like we do for network card in VIOS. A Single Fibre channel port can be share across multiple Vio client with unique WWN numbers means you can connect each Vio Client to independent physical storage on a SAN.
On System p the Virtual I/O Server (VIOS) allows sharing of physical resources between LPARs including virtual SCSI, virtual Fibre Channel (NPIV) and virtual networking. NPIV allows System p logical partitions (LPARs) to have dedicated N_Port IDs, giving the OS a unique identity to the SAN, just as if it had a dedicated physical HBA(s).
For availing maximum redundancy for the SAN paths of the LPARs, the paths has to go through two different HBAs and those HBAs should be assigned to two different VIO Servers.
Pre-requisites/Basic Requirements
• IBM POWER6 or above processor based hardware
• Firmware level: EM340_039
• 8Gb PCIe Dual-port FC Adapter (Feature Code #5735)
• SAN switch supporting the NPIV feature
• Virtual I/O Server version 2.1.0.10-FP-20.1 or later
• AIX 5.3 Technology Level 09 or above (required filesets devices.vdevice.vfc-client and devices.vdevice.IBM.vfc-client)
• AIX 6.1 Technology Level 02 or above (required filesets devices.vdevice.vfc-client and devices.vdevice.IBM.vfc-client)
• SDD 1.7.2.0 + PTF 1.7.2.2
• SDDPCM 2.2.0.0 + PTF v2.2.0.6 or 2.4.0.0 + PTF v2.4.0.1
• For HMC managed systems HMC release 7.3.4.0 with MH01152 or later is required
NPIV Model:
To enable NPIV on the managed system, you must create a Virtual I/O Server logical partition (version 2.1 or later) that provides virtual resources to client logical partitions. You assign the physical fibre channel adapters (that support NPIV) to the Virtual I/O Server logical partition. Then, you connect virtual fibre channel adapters on the client logical partitions to virtual fibre channel adapters on the Virtual I/O Server logical partition. A virtual fibre channel adapter is a virtual adapter that provides client logical partitions with a fibre channel connection to a storage area network through the Virtual I/O Server logical partition. The Virtual I/O Server logical partition provides the connection between the virtual fibre channel adapters on the Virtual I/O Server logical partition and the physical fibre channel adapters on the managed system.
There is always a one-to-one relationship between virtual fibre channel adapters on the client logical partitions and the virtual fibre channel adapters on the Virtual I/O Server logical partition. That is, each virtual fibre channel adapter on a client logical partition must connect to only one virtual fibre channel adapter on the Virtual I/O Server logical partition, and each virtual fibre channel on the Virtual I/O Server logical partition must connect to only one virtual fibre channel adapter on a client logical partition.
On systems that are managed by the Hardware Management Console (HMC), you can dynamically add and remove virtual fibre channel adapters to and from the Virtual I/O Server logical partition and each client logical partition. You can also view information about the virtual and physical fibre channel adapters and the worldwide port names (WWPNs) by using Virtual I/O Server commands.
To enable N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) on the managed system, you create the required virtual fibre channel adapters and connections as follows:
---You use the HMC to create virtual fibre channel adapters on the Virtual I/O Server logical partition and associate them with virtual fibre channel adapters on the client logical partitions.
---You use the HMC to create virtual fibre channel adapters on each client logical partition and associate them with virtual fibre channel adapters on the Virtual I/O Server logical partition. When you create a virtual fibre channel adapter on a client logical partition, the HMC generates a pair of unique WWPNs for the client virtual fibre channel adapter.
---You connect the virtual fibre channel adapters on the Virtual I/O Server to the physical ports of the physical fibre channel adapter by running the vfcmap command on the Virtual I/O Server.
The HMC generates WWPNs based on the range of names available for use with the prefix in the vital product data on the managed system. This six digit prefix comes with the purchase of the managed system and includes 32,000 pairs of WWPNs. When you remove a virtual fibre channel adapter from a client logical partition, the hypervisor deletes the WWPNs that are assigned to the virtual fibre channel adapter on the client logical partition. The HMC does not reuse the deleted WWPNs when generating WWPNs for virtual fibre channel adapters in the future. If you run out of WWPNs, you must obtain an activation code that includes another prefix with another 32,000 pairs of WWPNs. To avoid configuring the physical fibre channel adapter to be a single point of failure for the connection between the client logical partition and its physical storage on the SAN, do not connect two virtual fibre channel adapters from the same client logical partition to the same physical fibre channel adapter. Instead, connect virtual fibre channel adapters from multiple client logical partitions to one physical fibre channel adapter.
Check the Next Article: How to configure NPIV .
Good info....
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