2–Getting StartedAdvanced Features2-10 SN0054614-00 KAdvanced FeaturesSANsurfer FC/CNA HBA CLI adds the following advanced features to its toolset:N_Port ID virtualization (NPIV). NPIV (N_Port ID virtualization) allows youto make the most of your server and Fibre Channel fabric. For instance, you canpartition your server to support multiple operating systems at the same time,maximizing server utilization. By creating virtual ports from a single physicaladapter port, you allow multiple initiators. SANsurfer FC/CNA HBA CLIfacilitatescreating multiple virtual ports from a single physical adapter port.Quality of service (QoS). QoS refers to service level agreement (SLA) toensure business continuity when transmitting data over virtual ports by eithersetting priorities or allocating bandwidth. SANsurfer FC/CNA HBA CLI provides aneasy-to-use interface that lets you either assign QoS to virtual ports by settingpriorities (which eventually translates to IOPS) or allocating bandwidth to them. Setting the QoS by bandwidth lets you allocate up to 80% of the number ofgigabits per second (Gbps) transmission speed of the physical port'scapacity to its defined virtual ports (NPIV). Using this feature lets youguarantee a transmission rate for each virtual port that requires a specificbandwidth to run mission-critical applications for business continuity usingvirtual ports. The setting for a given QoS can resolve bottlenecks that existwhen virtual machines contend for port bandwidth on the same server. Setting the QoS by priority lets you set the priority level for the definedvirtual ports. This enables to you give preference to data transmissions forone virtual port over others by giving it a higher priority than the others. Youcan set the priority level on any virtual port, regardless of the settingsapplied to other virtual ports.NOTE:NPIV is available only for Windows and Solaris operating systems and 4Gband greater adapters.NOTE:QoS is available only for Windows operating systems and 8Gb adapters. OnWindows Server 2008, MSI-X must be enabled.
