Port Channel Modes for FCIP Interfaces with Write Acceleration

C.

In a storage network, a port channel allows multiple physical links between two devices to be combined into a single logical link, increasing the available bandwidth and providing redundancy in case of link failure. FCIP (Fibre Channel over IP) is a technology that enables the extension of Fibre Channel storage networks over long distances using IP networks.

In this scenario, the storage network engineer is implementing a port channel for multiple FCIP interfaces with write acceleration, which means that data is being transferred from the storage devices to the IP network with the help of write acceleration technology. The choice of channel mode for the port channel will depend on the devices and the configuration of the network.

The available options for channel mode are:

• "on": all the physical interfaces are bundled into a single logical interface without any negotiation or LACP (Link Aggregation Control Protocol) protocol used.
• "passive": the device waits for the other end to initiate LACP negotiation before joining the bundle.
• "active": the device initiates LACP negotiation and tries to join the bundle.
• "force": the channel is formed without any LACP negotiation, and any misconfigured ports that are part of the bundle are put into an error-disabled state.

In this case, the most appropriate channel mode to use for the port channel with FCIP interfaces and write acceleration would be "active". This is because the active mode initiates LACP negotiation and tries to join the bundle, which allows for the dynamic allocation of bandwidth across the multiple physical interfaces. This is important for the performance of the storage network, as it ensures that the available bandwidth is utilized optimally and that there is redundancy in case of link failure.

The other options are less appropriate for this scenario:

• "on" mode does not provide any negotiation or dynamic allocation of bandwidth, which may result in suboptimal performance or link failure.
• "passive" mode requires the other end to initiate LACP negotiation, which may not be feasible in all cases and may result in delays or misconfiguration.
• "force" mode is not recommended as it does not allow for any negotiation and may put misconfigured ports into an error-disabled state, which could disrupt the storage network.