## Guidelines for Fibre Channel Port Connections

When you add new hardware, such as a storage resouce card (SRC) set, a high-availability (HA) storage tray configuration, a data host, or an external switch, verify the Fibre Channel (FC) port connections on the Service Processor panel and check how the ports are distributed between data hosts and storage. In addition, consider the following:

- In general, use the four leftmost ports to connect to data hosts and the four rightmost ports to connect to the arrays in the storage system.
- In a direct-attached storage (DAS) configuration, the total number of hosts that can be connected to each SRC set is limited by the number of initiators each host has and by the number of arrays. For example, if fewer than four arrays in a single-cabinet system are connected to an SRC, the unused storage ports can be used for connecting more than four initiators.
- No front-end switches are needed, unless you want to connect more than the maximum number of initiators that are supported by the number of SRCs installed. To connect more than the maximum supported initiators, connect the ports to FC switches outside the system for fan-out/fan-in.
- The number and configuration of arrays that can be installed in expansion cabinets is limited by the number of FC ports dedicated to hosts as well as by the number and configuration of arrays in the base cabinet.

### Related Topics

- About Allocating Ports
- About SRC Sets
- Connecting an External Switch