FCIP over dark Fiber

[madhusudhan.rao.gope]

Friends.

Need your comments on the below architecture 

FC Fabric -> FC Entity -> FCIP @ DC (CPE )-> Dark Fiber from DC-DR from Telco -> FCIP@ DR (CPE) -> FC Entity -> FC Fabric 

Below is the actual deployment :

FC end hosts -> Brocade 7800 (FCIP Router )  -> Device X  @ DC-> Dark Fiber -> Device X @ DR  -> Brocade 7800(FCIP Router ) -> FC end hosts 

As device X @ DC and DR is receiving IP traffic/packet from Brocade 7800( FCIP Router ) , what kind of interface/type /media Device X should have. ?  Any standard layer2/Layer3 IP Switch will work here or we should have FCIP compatible  switch to connect to brocade 7800.? 

Brocade 7800( FC IP Router ) is using 8 GB SFP at both sides. 

Thank you in advance.

Madhusudhan

[balaji.bandi]

Is the Darkfibre your own, if it is from a provider? if this is not FC, then its Ethernet Delivery, you should get 10G SFP depending on the requirement.

[madhusudhan.rao.gope]

Hi Balaji. 

Thank you for your comments

Dark fiber is from the provider. 

Fiber Channel was the requirement . 

I m interested to know the Telco Demarcation device functionality  ( MUX/IP Switch /FC Switch ) when end customer have FCIP Router as termination device ( customer end ),

Thank you .

[balaji.bandi]

Then you need to get in touch with Provider see what is the deliver, to make easy, you should provider to offer FC so you can directly connect to Brocade.

I have deployed same setup with FC directly brocade, which intern connect to netapp solution.

or you looking to deploy something different, then explain more please.

[madhusudhan.rao.gope]

Dear Balaji.

The query precisely is " What kind of switches ( IP/FC ) Provider need place to carry FCIP traffic coming from brocade 7800 ? The switch should support  IP Protocol  or FCIP Protocol or both protocols ?"  

As per the definition of FCIP , Fiber Channel frames are riding over IP (FCIP )   i see any IP routed switch shall do here ! 

I m from provider side and want to see best suited switch to fit into the design( I don't want to use traditional Mux in the solution.) 

Thank you 

[balaji.bandi]

The query precisely is " What kind of switches ( IP/FC ) Provider need place to carry FCIP traffic coming from brocade 7800 ? The switch should support  IP Protocol  or FCIP Protocol or both protocols ?"  

You can use nexus 5K has support unified ports (or may be latest Look for nexus 9K)  - this is only switch point of view, you need to plan SFP what distance, if you do not have any NTU between sites.

Other side  or you looking Provider side network design. then you need to look for DWDM infrastructure, worth contact any partner to understand your detailed requirement and suggest best, this is not a small investment like any access switches or ap (we buy normally) - this soltution need to be planned.

[dlt113]

The Brocade 7800's FCIP output is simply an IP packet with fibre channel frame encapsulated.  If your question is what type of network equipment can attached to the Brocade 7800 when using FCIP then my experience is customers typically have IP network gear (such as Cisco Catalyst ) in the data center which then hands-off to the WAN provider's network. The network provider WAN is typically responsible for ensuring the 7800's IP packets long-haul distance and that IP packets arrive intact and in-order at the distant end to hand off to your remote data center's local IP network equipment which passes IP packet to remote 7800 which unencapsulate the fc frame from IP packet.  (Just curious, why ask a Brocade 7800 question on a Cisco forum ?  )

[madhusudhan.rao.gope]

Thank you.

I m looking for Cisco switches 

[Bhavin Yadav]

Hello,
So, I am not sure what exactly you are looking for. You have BRCD 78xx FCIP switches that you want to connect to Cisco switches? Using what? FC ports or FCIP ports?
For FCIP ports, you can use any N9K switch that supports 10GE speed. But there could be interop issues as you are trying to mix two different vendors in your fabric.
For FC ports, there is limited connectivity using Interop mode on Cisco MDS FC switches.
Please share more details on your ask, if you can.

[madhusudhan.rao.gope]

Hi Bhavin.

End customer preferred FC over FCIP here.

Brocade 7800 and required switch connect over FC ports. ( I should rename the thread as " FC over dark Fiber " ) .

Do you see any inter-op issues between Brocade and Cisco over FC ( if i look for Cisco Switches here ).

I m very much interested to know , what would happen if customer choose to connect over FCIP ? Which switch you suggest in this case. 

Thank you 

[Bhavin Yadav · Accepted solution]

Hi madhusudhan
There are interop limitations between Cisco MDS FC switches and BRCD FC switches, over FCIP / FC.
For BRCD, you can not even connect 7810 to 7840 (their own platform). Cisco is better in that respect (its own interoperability). But BRCD to Cisco over FCIP is noit possible.
About FC connection between BRCD and Cisco, it is possible but with lot of limitations. Please refer to this white paper for interoperability mode details: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/dcn/whitepapers/non-disruptive-san-migration-from-brocade-to-cisco.html#Migrationstrategies

I would suggest, replacing BRCD 7810 with Cisco MDS 9220i and having Cisco MDS on both sides for FC / FCIP. 9220i has a large number of buffer credits so customers can use it over dark fiber or FCIP.