DCImanager Adds Monitoring for Fibre Channel Networks and FC Switches

DCImanager now supports Fibre Channel (FC) networks and FC switches. You can inventory them in the platform, map them to storage systems, and view them alongside your Ethernet infrastructure.

For FC switches, DCImanager retrieves data from Fabric Operating System (FOS), automatically discovers WWNN, WWPN, and FCID values, and identifies the connection type as either FC or Ethernet. You can also track connections between servers, storage systems, and switches, and monitor the status of FC links.

This new capability is designed for companies that use storage systems and Fibre Channel networks. It provides visibility into the health of the storage network and helps teams monitor connectivity between storage systems and servers.

What FC switch monitoring provides

Fibre Channel networks have different data transport characteristics from Ethernet networks. When connectivity is lost, restoring traffic through alternative paths can require additional time and resources, making timely detection of connectivity issues important.

Ethernet networks use IP and MAC addresses to identify network interfaces. Fibre Channel uses its own identifiers: WWPN (World Wide Port Name), WWNN (World Wide Node Name), and FCID (Fibre Channel ID). To maintain a complete inventory of servers and their FC connectivity, these FC-specific parameters need to be tracked as well.

There is another important difference. FC networks carry storage traffic, so a connectivity failure can have a direct impact on data availability and, depending on the storage architecture and failure scenario, data integrity.

Storage network performance also depends on the coordinated operation of all links and paths. If one part of the network is slower than the rest, it can affect the performance of the entire system. Monitoring link status helps identify such issues early and pinpoint the part of the infrastructure that requires attention.

At the physical layer, FC and Ethernet cables and some infrastructure components may look similar. The connections themselves, however, are different: they can use different transceivers, port configurations, operating system settings, and endpoint hardware. When documenting infrastructure, it is therefore important to record not only that a connection exists, but also what type of connection it is.

DCImanager now provides this visibility, making it easier to plan the required consumables and account for connection-specific requirements when scaling the network.

In large infrastructures, networking and storage are often managed by separate teams. Network administrators work with their own inventory and IPAM systems, while storage specialists use dedicated tools to manage Fibre Channel fabrics. When connectivity issues occur, it can be difficult to quickly determine which part of the infrastructure is affected and which team needs to investigate it.

DCImanager brings this information together in a single interface. Users can see servers, storage systems, FC switches, and the connections between them, while also monitoring connection status. This simplifies troubleshooting, helps teams isolate the affected part of the infrastructure faster, and provides a unified view of the environment.

The new capability also extends the functionality of the Storage module. Storage systems do not operate independently of the network, and Fibre Channel is one of the key technologies used to build storage networks. With this update, connections between servers and storage systems can be tracked and monitored not only over Ethernet, but across FC infrastructure as well.

For more information about configuring and working with FC switches, see the DCImanager documentation.