Converged network adapter configuration details

SAN fabric function is available only if a Fibre Channel option is installed. Otherwise, this information does not apply.

The system must be configured to export volumes only to host CNAs that are on the list of supported CNAs. See the support website for specific firmware levels and supported hardware. On the website, search for the product name and then search for CNA.

https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/

Operation with other CNAs is not supported.

Hosts that use a CNA adapter can connect to the system by using a Fibre Channel forwarder (FCF) switch that has both 10 GbE ports and Fibre Channel (FC) ports. The host can then connect to the system's Fibre Channel ports.

The system does not specify the number of host CNA ports or CNAs that a host or a partition of a host can have. The number of host CNA ports or CNAs are specified by the host multipathing device driver. The system supports this number. However, it is subject to the configuration rules for the system. To obtain optimal performance and to prevent overloading, the workload to each system port must be equal. You can achieve an even workload by zoning approximately the same number of host CNA ports to each Fibre Channel port or FCoE port.

The system supports configurations that use N-port virtualization in the converged network adapter, host bus adapter, or SAN switch(FC/FCF).

10 GB CNAs create extra Virtual MAC addresses to start FCoE Initialization Protocol (FIP) on Converged Enhanced Networks. The security settings on the switch must allow for these extra MAC addresses or the ports might fail to register.