management interfaces

2. Storage network consists of two types
of devices:
1. Connection devices: Switches,bridges,hubs that are used
to create connections in the storage network.
2. Endpoint devices: Servers and storage devices that are
connected to the connection devices.

4. Interfaces for the management of endpoint devices and
connection devices are differentiated into in-band and out-
band interfaces.
In-band:
• All the devices in storage network has standard in-band.
• Devices are connected to the storage network via the in-
band interfaces and data transfer takes place through this
interface.
• Discovering,monitoring,configuration of connecting devices
and endpoint devices are made available on this interface.
Out-band:
• Most Connection devices and complex endpoint devices
possess one or more further interfaces in addition to the
inband interfaces.
• These are not directly connected to the storage network.

5. Standardized and proprietary mechanisms
These are used for the realization of management functions
on in-band and out-band interfaces.
Standardized mechanism
• In-band transport levels: The management interfaces for Fibre
channel,TCP/IP are defined on the inband transport levels.
• In-band upper layer protocols(ULP): SCSI variants such as Fibre
channel FCP and iSCSI are used as an upper layer protocol.
• SCSI has its own mechanisms for requesting device and status
information called SCSI Enclosure Services.

6. Fall into three categories
API: Each individual devices have programming interfaces
called application programming interfaces.Which are used to
call up special management functions.It requires considerable
testing cost and development to use in central management
system.
Telnet:Devices can also be configured outband via Telnet. It
has got same problems as API regarding connection to a central
management system.
Element manager:It is device specific management interface.
Frequently found in the form of a GUI or in form of WUI.
Communication between element manager and device takes
place via separate channel next to data channel.