Home > Storage > Unity XT > Virtualization, Cloud & Applications > Dell EMC Unity: VMware vSphere Best Practices > Fibre Channel switch zoning
Zoning Fibre Channel switches to connect vSphere hosts to a Dell Technologies Unity array is similar to most zoning processes. This section explains the fundamentals of recommended zoning.
Each Fibre Channel zone created should contain a single initiator (host HBA port) and all applicable storage target ports. In other words, each HBA port on the host requires its own zone; containing itself and the applicable storage ports. For resiliency and availability, two fabrics should be used, each containing half of the ports on each host and half of the ports on each storage processor (SP) on the Dell Technologies Unity array.
World Wide Name (WWN) zoning provides the most flexible zoning configuration since it is based on the WWN of each port, regardless of the physical port on the switch where it is connected. For single initiator zoning with WWNs, the WWN of each host port would have its own zone and would also contain the applicable storage port WWNs.
Zone Name | WWN | Description |
HOST1-HBA1 | 20:01:00:0E:1E:C2:6A:94 | Host1 HBA port 1 |
| 50:06:01:60:47:E4:1E:49 | Dell Technologies Unity SPA FC Port 0 |
(fabric 1 zone) | 50:06:01:61:47:E4:1E:49 | Dell Technologies Unity SPA FC Port 1 |
| 50:06:01:68:47:E4:1E:49 | Dell Technologies Unity SPB FC Port 0 |
| 50:06:01:69:47:E4:1E:49 | Dell Technologies Unity SPB FC Port 1 |
Port zoning refers to including physical ports on the Fibre Channel switch in each zone rather than the WWN as described above. Unless your environment requires the use of port zoning, WWN zoning is the recommended method.