Definition
A World Wide Name (WWN) is a unique identifier assigned to storage devices, network adapters, and other components in a Storage Area Network (SAN) based on their manufacturers.
It’s the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) that assigns the World Wide Names to manufacturers. In turn, the manufacturers must assign a WWN to every network device they produce.
World Wide Name Applications
World wide names enable devices in a SAN to identify each other for communication. This applies to network scaling when new devices join the network, their Worldwide names enable old devices to detect and integrate them into the current configuration.
SAN administrators can also use World Wide Names for security purposes. For instance, they can create access controls to allow only authorized devices to access storage resources. Also, in case of an incident or network failure, the WWN enables IT professionals to pinpoint the root cause of the issue.
Main World Wide Name Types
- World Wide Node Name (WWNN): Similar to an IP address in a network, it uniquely identifies a device or node within the SAN.
- World Wide Port Name (WWPN): Similar to a MAC address in Ethernet networks, it uniquely identifies a specific port (virtual or physical) on an FC device.