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Another page on the Configuration – Fibre Channel page of the Web Management interface shows the status for
all the FC devices that are configured on the D2D appliance. It lists the connection state, port ID, Port type and
number of logins for each virtual library and drive connection. This page is mainly for information and is useful in
troubleshooting.
Best practices for network and Fibre Channel configuration
The following table shows which network and fibre channel ports are present on each model of D2D appliance.
Correct configuration of these interfaces is important for optimal data transfer.
Key factors when considering performance.
It is important to consider the whole network when considering backup performance. Any server acting as a
backup server should be configured where possible with multiple network ports that are bonded in order to
provide a fast connection to the LAN. Client servers (those that backup via a backup server) may be connected
with only a single port if backups are to be aggregated through the backup server.
Ensure that no sub-1Gbit network components are in the backup path as this will significantly restrict backup
performance.
Configure “High availability mode (link Aggregate)” network ports to achieve maximum available network
bandwidth.
Virtual library devices are assigned to an individual interface. Therefore, for best performance, configure both
FC ports and balance the virtual devices across both interfaces to ensure that one link is not saturated whilst
the other is idle.
Switched fabric mode is preferred for optimal performance on medium to large SANs since zoning can be
used.
When using switched fabric mode, Fibre Channel devices should be zoned on the switch to be only accessible
from a single backup server device. This ensures that other SAN events, such as the addition and removal of
other FC devices, do not cause unnecessary traffic to be sent to devices. It also ensures that SAN polling
applications cannot reduce the performance of individual devices.
