NVMe over FC settings

Provisioning Guide for VSP One Block

Version
10.2.x
Audience
anonymous
Part Number
MK-23VSP1B012-00

Storage area network configurations and settings

  • NVMe-oF requires configuration of a Fibre Channel SAN. The FC switch zoning settings and the Fibre cable connections must be the same as those for conventional Fibre Channel. The existing fabric zoning functions are available at the switch level for the NVMe-oF device.
  • Verify the appropriate configuration of the FC switch by following the instructions provided by the FC switch vendor.

Host server configurations and settings

  • The host that connects to the target storage system must be configured with an OS and a host bus adapter (HBA) that support NVMe-oF. For more information about the combination of an OS and an HBA that support the connection to the storage system, contact customer support.
  • The software required to use NVMe-oF might need to be installed on the host or the firmware, and the driver for an HBA might need to be installed. After installing the HBA, its settings might need to be changed. Follow the instructions provided by each OS and HBA vendor.
  • Verifying the device recognition on the host might differ from conventional Fibre Channel (FC-SCSI) verification. Follow the guidelines for the platforms that support connections to the storage system.
  • A host NQN containing a character that does not meet the requirements for using NVMe-oF cannot be registered on the NVM subsystem. When the host NQN is defined on the host side, make sure to meet the requirements for the host NQN that can be registered on the NVM subsystem by referring to Requirements for NVMe over FC.

NVMe-oF settings

  • Provisioning operations on NVMe-oF (NVM subsystem, NVM subsystem port, namespace, host NQN settings, etc.) must be performed using CCI or REST API.
  • A Fibre Channel port for NVMe-oF cannot be used for some SCSI host settings and some Fibre Channel operations.

Operations available through CCI or REST API

Operation Availability
Management software API CCI
Setting the operation mode of a port to NVMe mode No Yes Yes
Creating, modifying, or deleting a host group No Yes Yes
Setting an HBA WWN No Yes Yes
Setting a host mode and a host mode option No Yes Yes
Setting a port security switch, data transfer speed, a topology, and a fabric switch Yes Yes Yes
Viewing the operation mode setting for a port Yes Yes Yes
Viewing a namespace ID assigned to LDEV No Yes Yes
Viewing the attribute that indicates whether a volume is used as namespace Yes* Yes No
Deleting a resource available in a host group from a resource group No Yes Yes
Deleting a resource group containing a host group No Yes Yes
Viewing a host group in a resource group No Yes Yes
* To check whether a volume is used as a namespace, check the volume type in management software. If the volume is used as a namespace, “Namespace” is displayed for the volume type.

Additional restrictions

  • Before performing the following operation, verify that the host is not running the I/O operations and that no volumes are mounted. Performing the operation while an I/O operation is running or a volume is mounted disconnects the storage system and the host:
    • Enabling the namespace security.
  • Before performing the following operations, verify that the host is not running the I/O operations and that no volumes are mounted:
    • Removing a namespace
    • Deleting an access path (host-namespace path) between a host NQN and a namespace
    • Removing an NVM subsystem port
    • Changing the data transfer speed for a Fibre Channel port
    • Changing the fabric switch setting
    • Changing a topology
    • Changing a host mode
    • Deleting a host group
  • Before changing the mode of a port, verify that the following operations are not performed on the channel port:
    • Adding a remote path
    • Adding an external path
    • Connection settings between the storage system and the server registered in VSP One Block Administrator
  • Set the host queue depth so that the number of command multiple executions is 1024 or less for each channel port. A value higher than 1024 might cause a significant performance degradation on the host and then a failure such as job abend.