Mapping between Brocade FOS and Cisco NX-OS

Commands
January 2017

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 Contents
What You Will Learn
Basic difference between Brocade FOS and Cisco NX-OS
Command Availability
Auto-Completion of command
Argument lookup
Reversal of a command
Mapping from Brocade FOS to Cisco NX-OS Commands
General Commands
Zoning and Device alias commands
Name Server Commands
Generic Fibre Channel Commands
Configuration Procedure
Brocade’s trunking or Cisco’s port-channel configuration
Zoning configuration
References

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 What You Will Learn
This document provides mapping of commands between Brocade Fabric OS (FOS) and Cisco NX-OS. The
document is verified for Brocade FOS 8.0.1 and Cisco NX-OS 7.3.0. The scope of this document is limited to
frequently used commands only. For detailed information please refer to the configuration and command reference
guides at brocade.com and cisco.com.

Basic difference between Brocade FOS and Cisco NX-OS

Command Availability
Brocade Fabric OS (FOS) provides a flat command line interface (CLI). All types of commands (display or
configuration) are executed on the same prompt. For example, portshow command displays details of a port and
portdisable command disables a port.

Cisco NX-OS provides multiple mode command line interface (CLI). The default login prompt is called exec mode.
All the display commands are available in exec mode. Display commands start with the keyword ‘show’ followed by
the feature/component. For example, interface details are displayed by command ‘show interface’.

Configuration is edited by entering config mode using command ‘configure terminal’. Further feature/component
configuration can be edited by entering the mode for that specific feature/component. For example, an interface
can be disabled by entering interface config mode using ‘interface <name>’ in config mode followed by ‘shutdown’
command. All other interface configuration commands are available in interface config mode under config mode.

Brocade FOS Command Cisco NX-OS Command

switch:admin> portshow 10/44 switch# show interface fc5/1
portIndex: 348 fc5/1 is down (SFP not present)
portName: slot10port44 Hardware is Fibre Channel
portHealth: Fabric vision license not present Port WWN is 21:01:8c:60:4f:9e:2b:00
Authentication: None Admin port mode is auto, trunk mode is on
portDisableReason: None snmp link state traps are enabled
portCFlags: 0x1 Port vsan is 1
portFlags: 0x10000103 PRESENT ACTIVE E_PORT T_PORT\ Receive data field Size is 2112
T_MASTER G_PORT U_PORT ENCRYPT LOGIN Beacon is turned off
LocalSwcFlags: 0x0 5 minutes input rate 0 bits/sec,0 bytes/sec, 0 frames/sec
portType: 24.0 5 minutes output rate 0 bits/sec,0 bytes/sec, 0 frames/sec
portState: 1 Online 4 frames input,304 bytes
Protocol: FC 0 discards,0 errors
portPhys: 6 In_Sync portScn: 1 Online Trunk master port 0 invalid CRC/FCS,0 unknown class
port generation number: 44 0 too long,0 too short
state transition count: 12 4 frames output,304 bytes
0 discards,0 errors
0 input OLS,0 LRR,0 NOS,0 loop inits
0 output OLS,0 LRR, 0 NOS, 0 loop inits
Last clearing of "show interface" counters :never

switch:admin> portdisable 10/44 switch# configure terminal

Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
switch(config)# interface fc5/1
switch(config-if)# shutdown

Auto-Completion of command
Both Brocade FOS and Cisco NX-OS supports auto-completion of commands using ‘tab’ key.

Argument lookup
Many commands accept arguments. In Brocade FOS, these arguments must be known before executing the
command. For example, you must be aware of the port number for the portshow command. In Cisco NX-OS, you

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 can use the ‘?’ key to know the arguments of any command. For example, typing ‘?’ after ‘show interface’
command will display the further options with this command.

Reversal of a command
Reversal of a command in Brocade FOS is achieved by a specific command. For example, an interface is enabled
by ‘portenable’ command while the interface is disabled by ‘portdisable’ command. In Cisco NX-OS, the reverse of
a command is achieved by prefixing ‘no ‘ to a command. For example, interface can be disabled by ‘shutdown’
command in interface config mode while the interface can be enabled by ‘no shutdown’ command.

Brocade FOS Command Cisco NX-OS Command

switch:admin> portdisable 10/44 switch# configure terminal
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
switch(config)# interface fc5/1
switch(config-if)# shutdown

switch:admin> portenable 10/44 switch# configure terminal

Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
switch(config)# interface fc5/1
switch(config-if)# no shutdown

Mapping from Brocade FOS to Cisco NX-OS Commands

General Commands
Brocade FOS Command Cisco NX-OS Command Description
psshow show environment power Displays power supply status
fanshow show environment fan Displays fan status and speed
chassisshow show module Displays Field Replaceable Units
(FRUS)
tempshow show environment temperature Displays temperature readings
sensorshow show environment and subcommands. Displays sensor readings
firmwareshow show version Displays firmware version
version show version Displays firmware version
switchshow show interface Displays switch and port status
show system resources
show fcs database
portshow show interface Displays status and configuration of
ports
portcfgshow show interface Displays configuration of ports
show running-config interface
portdisable shutdown (interface config mode) Disables a port
portenable No shutdown (interface config mode) Enables a port
trunkshow show port-channel summary Displays trunking (port-channel)
information
configshow show running-config Displays system configuration.
show startup-config In Cisco NX-OS, running-config is the
current configuration of the switch.
Startup-config is the saved
configuration of the switch. The switch
(re)boots using saved-configuration.

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 Any changes are reflected in running-
configuration. Running-configuraton is
saved to startup-config using copy
command.
uptime show system uptime Displays uptime of the switch
switchuptime show system uptime Displays uptime of the switch
hashow show system redundancy status Displays Control Processor (CP) status
date show clock Displays or sets the switch date and
time
bannershow show banner Displays the banner text
errshow show logging Displays error log messages
licenseshow show license [usage] Displays system license information
licenseidshow show license host-id Displays the system license ID
ipaddrshow show [ ip ] interface Displays IP address information
islshow show topology isl Displays ISL information
memshow show system resources Displays system memory information
show processes memory
reboot reload Reboots the switch
fastboot reload Reboots switch without POST
switchbeacon locator-led Sets switch beacon
topologyshow show topology Displays the fabric topology
firmwaredownload copy Downloads firmware
configdownload copy <> startup-config Downloads configuration to switch
configupload copy startup-config <> Uploads switch configuration

Zoning and Device alias commands

Brocade FOS Command Cisco NX-OS Command Description
alishow show fcalias Displays zone alias information
show device-alias database
cfgactvshow show zoneset active Displays effective zone configuration
show zone active
cfgshow show zoneset Displays zone configuration
show zone
nszoneshow show zone

Name Server Commands

Brocade FOS Command Cisco NX-OS Command Description
nsshow show fcns database Displays name server information
nsaliasshow show fcns database Same as above with aliases
nsallshow show fcns databse Displays global name server info
nscamshow show fcns database domain Displays information about remote
devices in name server databse

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 Generic Fibre Channel Commands
Brocade FOS Command Cisco NX-OS Command Description
fabstatsshow show fcdomain statistics Displays fabric statistics
fabricshow show topology Displays member switches in the
fabric
agshow show npv status Displays access gateway
information
fspfshow show fspf
interfaceshow show fspf interface Displays FSPF interface information
isdbshow show fspf database Displays FSPF link state database
nbrstateshow show fspf Displays FSPF neighbor information

Configuration Procedure

Brocade’s trunking or Cisco’s port-channel configuration

For Brocade FOS trunking, please refer to ‘Managing Trunking Connections’ chapter in ‘Brocade Fabric OS
administrator’s guide’: http://www.brocade.com/content/html/en/administration-guide/fos-801-adminguide/GUID-
FF942AA0-4679-45A7-9949-0FBBCF95754E.html.

For Cisco NX-OS port-channel, please refer to ‘Configuring Port Channels’ chapter in ‘Cisco MDS 9000 Family NX-
OS Interfaces Configuration Guide’:
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/datacenter/mds9000/sw/7_3/configuration/interfaces/interfaces/pc.h
tml

Zoning configuration
For Brocade’s zoning configuration, please refer to ‘Administering Advanced Zoning’ chapter in ‘Brocade Fabric OS
administrator’s guide’: http://www.brocade.com/content/html/en/administration-guide/fos-801-adminguide/GUID-
26A601F6-4B9F-4D2C-B26B-F928795FB62C.html

For Cisco’s zoning configuration, please refer to ‘Configuring and Managing Zones’ chapter in ‘Cisco MDS 9000
Family NX-OS Fabric Configuration Guide’:
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/datacenter/mds9000/sw/7_3/configuration/fabric/fabric/zone.html.

References
Brocade FOS 8.0.1 administration guide: http://www.brocade.com/content/html/en/administration-guide/fos-801-
adminguide/GUID-9E473D88-DB89-4C5D-888B-DEE98DEDD686-homepage.html

Brocade FOS 8.0.x command reference: http://www.brocade.com/content/html/en/command-reference-guide/fos-

80x-commandref/wwhelp/wwhimpl/js/html/wwhelp.htm

Cisco MDS 9000 NX-OS configuration guides: http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/storage-networking/mds-

9000-nx-os-san-os-software/products-installation-and-configuration-guides-list.html

Cisco MDS 9000 NX-OS command references: http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/storage-networking/mds-

9000-nx-os-san-os-software/products-command-reference-list.html

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