MicroNugget: How to Build a 4 Gbps Fibre Channel Lab for Under $100

In this video, Jeremy Cioara covers how to build a Fibre Channel Lab. The basic process involves converting a couple of HP Microservers, Cisco MDS 9124, SFPs, and a few PCIe NICs into a flexible, utilitarian lab environment. He’ll talk about specific parts and what you need to know when buying equipment.

By the end of this video, you’ll have all of the knowledge you need to put together your own Fibre Channel Lab.

Jeremy will discuss the difference between DAS, NAS, and SAN, then delve into Block and File Storage Protocols. He’ll walk you through basic Fibre Channel SAN Design, then begin digging into the specific equipment you’ll need.

Here are the parts he recommends:

• Cisco MDS 9124 DS-C9124-K9 Multilayer Fabric Switch
• Cisco DS-SFP-FC4G-SW 4Gbps Fiber Transceivers
• Emulex LPE11000-E 4GB PCIe Fiber Channel 1-Port HBA Adapter Card

You can put all of this together for less than $100 and immediately begin applying what you’ve learned.

Start learning with CBT Nuggets:

[deandownsouth]

If you really want to get into the higher end storage and become a storage admin, far better to just get a Brocade switch off of eBay. That way, you can get used to the Brocade fabtic commands, create zones and so on. A 24 port 4Gb Brocade Silkworm 200E is usually less than $100. Get two of them to configure multipath connections along with multipath policies. For targets, you can get inexpensive FC SAN like HP MSA 1000 or 2000. Make sure they have dual controllers so you can configure multipathing.

[frankbailey]

Jeremy, Thank you so much for this micro nugget. I've been looking at creating my fibre channel lab! Once again, awesome info!

[deandownsouth]

I don't understand how this is a fibre channel SAN fabric. Is the Cisco switch provding the zoning? Using a Qlogic HBA you can create a FC target but that's not really where the fabric comes into play. That's just SCSI over optical connections.

[TheSuperjamesson]

Is there full videos for this setting up rest of the labs?

[Mikhail_Stasov]

You didn't tell a word about those HP micro servers, that are mentioned in your video. What models are they? How much do they cost?

[FoXtac]

Can someone who understands fiber-channel help me understand why he didn't choose a peer-to-peer connection (given the setup and ability to add a switch later)? I have 2 dual-port 16gb brocade cards I'm trying to implement in a 'System X 3650 M4' IBM hypervisor to an old Poweredge 2950 running truenas and I feel like I'm over my head (I have IT support, several programming languages, and CCNA level networking experience, though, so I'm not completely out of the loop)

[ernika]

Can you please make a video how to set up Linux FC target?

[keshavkishore]

osi model supports the ip address so why we can't able to use osi model in real world ?
and can some one can impliment osi model in there new hardware or software?

[XX-tdvv]

is there any simulator can do this experiment?

[MohamedRoushdy]

Thanks for this. Do you know a free FC target software to use? but not to be Openfiler

Helpful video, what do you recommend for a cheap cisco switch to use for a 10Gbps or 8Gbps SAN home Lab?

[doctor.networks]

Thanks Jeremy! Which microphone headset is that???

[nqobilemahlangu]

Wow I think I’m living on the wrong continent🤐😩😩🤭

[____________________________.x]

Linux and VMware servers, yeh OK I can't be bothered with that - just let me know if this possible for normal people, thanks.