Detailed description of the core fiber switch from the structure to the function

The core switch (also known as the director) is usually located at the center of a large SAN and connects several edge switches to each other to form a SAN network with hundreds of ports. The core switch can also be used as a standalone switch or edge switch, but its enhanced functionality and internal architecture make it work better in the core storage environment. Other core switch features include support for protocols other than fiber (like InfiniBand), support for 2Gbps Fibre Channel, advanced fiber services (eg, security, trunking, and frame filtering).

Fiber core level switches typically provide a port number, from 64 to 128 ports to more. It uses a very wide internal connection to route data frames with maximum bandwidth. The purpose of using these switches is to establish a larger coverage network and provide greater bandwidth. They are designed to route frame signals with the shortest delay between multiple ports as fast as possible.

In addition, core fiber switches are often based on "blade" hot-swappable circuit boards: as long as the switchboard is inserted into the cabinet, new functions can be added, online maintenance can be performed, and online phase-by-phase pressing can also be achieved. Need to expand. Many core-level switches do not support arbitrated loops or other direct-connected loop devices. They only care about core switching capabilities.

Since availability is the most important in the entire environment, people are willing to spend more money to purchase redundancy. All the components of the high-redundancy switch are redundant, completely eliminating the single point of failure, and guaranteeing a very long-term Uptime. These expenses for redundancy are generally spent on high availability backplanes, power supplies, redundant circuits, and software that maintains availability. This type of switch incorporates many logic circuits to handle hardware failures inside the switch.

In addition to redundancy, core-class fabric switches support non-disruptive software upgrades, eliminating the need for system maintenance during upgrades. The Alternate Path is a level of redundancy on the network. It can be configured with a resilient dual fabric that completely eliminates single points of failure and can avoid network or software failures, fires, natural disasters, or operational errors. Serious consequences.

The core fiber switch provides the highest reliability and port density. In data centers with a large number of Fibre Channel infrastructures, these products are almost invisible, centralized storage switches. So, for most high-availability networks, you should choose a dual-channel network built with core fabric switches.