Network, cabling, and connectivity

Controller connections

The controllers provide the ports that are required to connect to the SVP, external drive trays, systems, and other devices.

A controller contains Fibre Channel ports, iSCSI ports, or both. The number and type of ports available for host connections vary based on the controller model.

Fibre Channel SFP adapters are used to connect to the customer Fibre Channel switch and hosts.
iSCSI ports come in optical and copper (RJ-45) interfaces, and are used to connect to the customer's Ethernet switch and hosts.

Each controller also has:

A SAS port for connection to am external drive tray.
An RJ-45 10/100/1000 bps user LAN port for performing management activities.
An RJ-45 10/100/1000 bps maintenance LAN port for diagnostics.

Required cables

The quantities and lengths of the cables required for storage system installation vary according to the specific storage system and network configuration. Fibre Channel and iSCSI cables are used to connect the controllers to a customer switch or host. Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) cables are used to connect drive trays to controllers and other drive trays.

The following table describes the cables required to perform storage system connections at the time of installation.

Interface type	Connector type	Cable requirements
Fibre Channel	LC-LC	Use a Fibre Channel cable to connect the Fibre Channel ports on each controller to a host computer (direct connection), or to or several host computers via a Fibre Channel switch. See the note and table below.
iSCSI (optical)	LC-LC	Use an optical Ethernet cable to connect the iSCSI 10 Gb SFP ports on each controller to a host computer (direct connection), or to several host computers via an Ethernet switch.
iSCSI (copper)	RJ-45	Use a shielded Category 5e or 6a Ethernet cable to connect the iSCSI 10 Gb RJ-45 ports on each controller to a host computer (direct connection), or to several host computers via an Ethernet switch.
SAS	SAS optical	Connects the controller to a drive tray or a drive tray to another drive tray. Two SAS cables are provided with each drive tray. SAS cables are also used to connect NAS modules to switches.
Ethernet	RJ-45	Four shielded Category 5e or 6a Ethernet cables are required for connecting the SVP to the controllers, management console PC, and network switch.

Note The maximum distances in a typical Fibre Channel SAN depend on the kind of optical fiber used and its diameter. The following table lists the maximum supported Fibre Channel cable length based on cable size and port speed.

Cable size	Speed	Maximum cable length
9 micron	1 Gbps	3281 feet (1 km)
9 micron	2 Gbps	6562 feet (2 km)
50 micron	2 Gbps	984.2 feet (300 meters)
	4 Gbps	492.1 feet (150 meters)
	8 Gbps	164 feet (50 meters)
	16 Gbps	115 feet (35 meters)
62.5 micron	2 Gbps	328.1 feet (100 meters)
	4 Gbps	230 feet (70 meters)
	8 Gbps	69 feet (21 meters)

Managing cables

Organize cables to protect the integrity of your connections and allow proper airflow around your storage system.

Observing bend radius values

Never bend cables beyond their recommended bend radius. The following table provides general guidelines for minimum bend radius values, but you should consult the recommendation of your cable manufacturer.

Cable type		Minimum bend radius values
Fibre Channel		1.73 inch (40 mm)
iSCSI optical		1.73 inch (40 mm)
Category 5 Ethernet		Four times the outside diameter of the cable
SAS		1.73 inch (40 mm)

Protecting cables

Damage to your Fibre Channel and Ethernet cables can affect the performance of your storage system. Observe the following guidelines to protect cables

Keep cables away from sharp edges or metal corners.
When bundling cables, do not pinch or constrict the cables.
Do not use zip ties to bundle cables. Instead, use velcro hook-and-loop ties that do not have hard edges and which you can remove without cutting.
Never bundle network cables with power cables. If network and power cables are not bundled separately, electromagnetic interference (EMI) can affect your data stream.
If you run cables from overhead supports or from below a raised floor, include vertical distances when calculating necessary cable lengths.
If you use overhead cable supports:
- Verify that your supports are anchored adequately to withstand the weight of bundled cables.
- Gravity can stretch and damage cables over time. Therefore, do not allow cables to sag through gaps in your supports.
- Place drop points in your supports that permit cables to reach racks without bending or pulling.

Cabling full-width modules

When cabling full-width modules, such as NAS modules as shown in the following figure, route the cables horizontally, so that they do not interfere when replacing a module.

Ensuring adequate airflow

Bundled cables can obstruct the movement of conditioned air around your storage system.

Secure cables away from fans.
Keep cables away from the intake holes at the front of the storage system.
Use flooring seals or grommets to keep conditioned air from escaping through cable holes.

Preparing for future maintenance

Design your cable infrastructure to accommodate future work on the storage system. Give thought to future tasks that will be performed on the storage system, such as locating specific pathways or connections, isolating a fault, or adding or removing components.

Purchase colored cables or apply colored tags.
Label both ends of every cable to denote the port to which it connects.

Cable retention

Unintentional unplugging or unseating of a power cable can have a serious impact on the operation of an enterprise storage system. Unlike data cables, power connectors do not have built-in retention mechanisms to prevent this from happening.

To prevent accidental unplugging or unseating of power cables, the storage system includes a rubber cable-retention strap near the AC receptacle on each controller. These straps, shown in the following image, loop around the neck of a power cable connector, and the notched tail is slipped over the hook of the restraining bar fixed to the storage system.

Using the BECK tool

The Backend Configuration Kit (BECK) tool is a graphical application for checking the cabling paths between controllers and drive trays. The BECK tool is available as a download from Hitachi.

Physical service processor connections

The SVP is available as a physical device provided by Hitachi, or as a virtual guest host running on customer-supplied ESX servers and VM/OS licenses and media. The SVP provides error detection and reporting, and supports diagnostic and maintenance activities involving the storage system.

In a Hitachi VSP configuration, both the storage system and the SVP reside on the same private network segment of the customer's local-area network. The management console PC used to administer the system must also reside on the same private network segment.

Physical SVP connectivity requires all of the following:

A static IP address for the SVP that is on the same network segment as the storage system.
One Ethernet connection from each controller to separate LAN ports on the SVP.
One Ethernet connection to the customer's network switch.
At least one management console PC on the same network segment as the SVP and storage system.

Virtual SVP connectivity requires all of the following:

ESX Server

VMware ESXi server 6.x
2 quad core processors, Intel Xeon 2.29 GHz
1-port NIC
SVP guest OS (2 DKCs)
32 GB RAM

SVP Guest OS (1 DKC)

Windows 7 Professional x64 Service Pack 1
2 x vCPU
1 virtual network adapter
4 GB RAM
120 GB disk space

Network access

External Fibre Channel, iSCSI, or Ethernet cable connections are completed at the time of installation.

These connections are required to:

Establish connections from the controllers to the host computers.
Connect the storage system to the network, enabling storage system management through Hitachi Command Suite or Hitachi Storage Advisor.
Allow communication to the storage system from the SVP.

TCP/IP port assignments

When you install your storage system, default ports must be opened to allow for incoming and outgoing requests.

Review the following ports before you install the storage system to avoid conflicts between the TCP/IP port assignments used by the storage system and those used by other devices and applications.

Note Hitachi Command Suite has additional port considerations. For more information, refer to the Hitachi Command Suite Administrator Guide.

Port number		Usage description
80		Used by the SVP, Hitachi Storage Advisor, and Device Manager - Storage Navigatorto communicate through the HTTP protocol.
161		UDP (SNMP uses this port to send traps from the storage system) .
427		Used by SMI-S.
1099		Used by Hitachi Command Suite products JAVA RMI Registry server.
2000		TCP (Device Manager - Storage Navigator: Nonsecure) Cisco Skinny Client Control Protocol (SCCP) uses port 2000 for TCP. If you use Device Manager - Storage Navigator in a network with SCCP, change the TCP port that Device Manager - Storage Navigator uses (refer to the Device Manager - Storage Navigator online help).
5989		Used by SMI-S.
10995		TCP Device Manager - Storage Navigator and Hitachi suite components)
23015		Used for Web browser communications.
23016		Used for Web browser communications via SSL.
28355		TCP (Device Manager - Storage Navigator: Secure)
31001		Used for communication by Hitachi Command Control Interface (CCI) data collection procedures.
34001		Used by RAID Manager.
51099		Used by Device Manager - Storage Navigator for communication.
51100		Used by Device Manager - Storage Navigator for communication.

Quick Links