CHAPTER
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19-1
Cisco MDS 9000 Family Fabric Manager Configuration Guide
OL-6965-03, Cisco MDS SAN-OS Release 2.x
19
FCIP Configuration
Cisco MDS 9000 Family IP storage services (IPS) modules extend the reach of Fibre Channel SANs by
using open standard, IP-based technology. The switch connects separated SAN islands using Fibre
Channel over IP (FCIP).
Note FCIP features are specific to the IPS modules running Cisco MDS SAN-OS Release 1.1(x) or later and
the Gigabit Ethernet ports on the MPS-14/2 module running Cisco MDS SAN-OS Release 2.0(x) or later.
This chapter includes the following sections:
•About Gigabit Ethernet Interfaces, page 19-1
•FCIP Configuration, page 19-2
•FCIP Write Acceleration, page 19-4
•FCIP Compression, page 19-5
•Using the FCIP Wizard, page 19-5
•Modifying FCIP Links, page 19-8
•FCIP Tape Acceleration, page 19-11
•Configuring Advanced FCIP Interfaces, page 19-13
•FCIP High Availability, page 19-18
About Gigabit Ethernet Interfaces
Both FCIP and iSCSI rely on TCP/IP for network connectivity. On each IPS module, connectivity is
provided in the form of Gigabit Ethernet interfaces that are appropriately configured. This section covers
the steps required to configure IP for subsequent use by FCIP and iSCSI.
A new port mode, called IPS, is defined for Gigabit Ethernet ports on each IPS module. IP storage ports
are implicitly set to IPS mode, so it can only be used to perform iSCSI and FCIP storage functions. IP
storage ports do not bridge Ethernet frames or route other IP packets.
Tip Gigabit Ethernet ports on any IP storage services module should not be configured in the same Ethernet
broadcast domain as the management Ethernet port—they should be configured in a different broadcast
domain, either by using separate standalone hubs or switches or by using separate VLANs.