What is the difference between in-band and out-of-band management methods?

Requests and status information sent between a and the storage management station are managed in one of two ways: out-of-band or in-band. The way that you define your storage array impacts the way that you configure your storage array.

Out-of-Band Management

The method uses the network. The Ethernet network sends requests and event information between a storage array and the storage management station. The Ethernet isolates the user data from the requests and event information. User data is sent through the or the directly to the RAID controller module by using the connections.

  1. Ethernet Network
  2. Users Sending and Receiving Data
  3. Storage Management Station
  4. Host
  5. Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) or iSCSI Initiators
  6. RAID controller module 0
  7. RAID controller module 1
  8. RAID Enclosure Found in the Storage Array
  9. Ethernet Cable from the RAID controller modules to the Ethernet Network
Figure 1 Out-of-Band Management

When you add storage arrays by using this management method, you must give the of each RAID controller module in the storage array. A DHCP server is recommended to manage the IP addresses for the parts of the storage array.

Note:

A maximum of eight storage management stations can monitor an out-of-band-managed storage array at the same time.

In-Band Management

sends requests and event information between a storage array and the storage management station through the connections. The requests, event information, and user data are sent through the HBA or the iSCSI initiator to the RAID controller modules. The requests and event information are mixed with the user data. The host receives requests from the storage management station over the Ethernet and then sends the requests to the RAID controller modules through the I/O connections. The RAID controller modules also use the I/O connections to send event information to the storage management station through the host.

An access virtual disk is necessary for in-band management. The access virtual disk gives the requests and event information to the RAID controller module and to the storage management station.

  1. Ethernet Network
  2. Users Sending and Receiving Data
  3. Storage Management Station
  4. Host
  5. Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) or iSCSI Initiators
  6. RAID controller module 0
  7. RAID controller module 1
  8. RAID Enclosure Found in the Storage Array
Figure 2 In-Band Management

When you manually add storage arrays, you need to give only the host name or IP address of one host. After the host is added, the host-agent software that runs on the host automatically finds any storage arrays connected to the host.

Note:

The host can perform as the storage management station.

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