Zoning

1. We do not recommend using a default zone (permit all) for your production
traffic.
2. Device aliases: We recommend using device aliases for all port worldwide
names (pWWNs) in your fabric. Device aliases provide user-friendly and human-
readable names to pWWNs to simplify zoning operations.
3. Enhanced zoning: Enhanced zoning should be enabled on all switches. When you
begin a zoning change, the switch creates a session to lock the entire fabric to
implement the change. The lock is released after the zoning change is committed.
This helps maintain zoning database consistency between switches in the same
fabric.
4. We recommend configuring only one initiator and one target per zone member.
Configuring the same initiator to multiple targets is acceptable for small networks
(one or two switches). Configuring multiple initiators to multiple targets is not
recommended.
5. Smart zoning: We recommend configuring a single initiator to a single target
zone. However, this approach requires SAN administrators to spend a great deal of
time in configuration and management. Using smart zoning, you can create smart
zones in which all initiators and targets are in the same zone. Cisco MDS 9000
Series switches internally create single initiator to single target zones based on
your configuration in smart zones. Using smart zoning, you get operational
simplicity with optimized resources.
6. Remove configuration of unused zones from your active zone set to free up
resources.
7. Names of zones, zone sets, and device aliases should be descriptive and
convey the meaning in a crisp format. We recommend using any standard naming
convention to maintain consistency and shorter length.
Provisioning and Managing a Cisco MDS 9000 Series Switch
Cisco MDS 9000 Series switches have multiple mechanisms for zero-touch provisioning
and simplified management. Features such as USB-based plug-and-play and network-
based power-on automatic provisioning (POAP) enable you to go live in minutes by
automating the initial provisioning. You get consistent, reliable switch
configuration without any potential human errors. The time required to provision
remains within minutes, be it a single switch or hundreds of switches. The
subsections that follow elaborate on the options available to provision and manage
Cisco MDS 9000 Series switches.
Cisco NX-OS
Cisco NX-OS running on Cisco MDS 9000 Series switches offers an industry-leading
command-line interface (CLI) for provisioning and management. A serial cable
connected to the console port on a new, factory-shipped Cisco MDS switch provides
you access to the NX-OS CLI. You can perform basic tasks like configuring the
switch name, management IP address, gateway, etc. Once the switch has an IP
address, it can be connected to your management network via the management port.
You can then continue using the console connection or access the switch over Secure
Shell (SSH). Intuitive NX-OS commands can be used to configure port modes, device
aliases, zonings, etc. More information is available in the Cisco MDS 9000 NX-OS
configuration guides.
Device Manager
Device Manager is a built-in graphical user interface (GUI) that you can use to
configure, monitor, and manage a single Cisco MDS 9000 Series switch. It is an
intuitive, web-based application (Figure 10). You first use a serial console
connection to configure the IP address on the management interface of the switch.
Once the switch is connected and accessible over the management network, you can
load Device Manager by entering the switch’s IP address in your favorite web
browser. You are presented with a GUI that can be used for configuring interfaces,
monitoring interface counters, monitoring switch health, configuring zoning,
setting automated alarms, etc.
Figure 10. Device Manager—An Intuitive, Web-Based Interface for Managing a Cisco
MDS 9000 Series Switch
USB-Based Plug-and-Play Switch Provisioning
Cisco MDS 9000 Series switches have USB ports that can be used to provision a new
switch in addition to storing logs, software images, etc. When a Cisco MDS 9000
Series switch boots with no configuration, it looks for a USB storage device
connected to USB port 1 on the switch. The USB device can contain a provisioning
script, configuration files, and software images. The switch automatically loads
the supplied configuration and upgrades to the new software version. Multiple
switches can be configured by using the same USB storage device. The provisioning
script can be modified to look for configuration files that have the switch serial
number in the configuration file name. A Cisco MDS switch provisions itself using a
configuration file with its own serial number in the file name without interfering
with other files on the same USB device (Figure 11). Once a switch is provisioned
and accessible from the management network, it can be further managed for day-to-
day operations using Secure Shell (SSH) on NX-OS, Device Manager, or Cisco Data
Center Network Manager (DCNM).
Figure 11. Simplified Provisioning of New Cisco MDS Switches Using USB-Based
Plug-and-Play

Following are the benefits of USB based plug-and-play switch provisioning.

1. Go live in minutes: Configuration files can be made ready before the arrival
of MDS switches at your facility. Cisco NX-OS configuration files can be customized
in any test editor of your choice. In summary, you create the configuration file
for a switch before its arrival. USB plug-and-play then loads the configuration
onto the switch within minutes after the switch is physically installed and powered
up.
2. Remote management: As a SAN administrator, you do not have to be physically
present in the data center for the initial provisioning of Cisco MDS switches (such
as IP address assignment). You can copy configuration files to a USB storage device
and request the facilities team to plug this device into the USB ports of new
switches after the switches are powered up. Minutes later, you can manage the
switches from a remote location using their management IP address.
3. Reduced dependency on serial cables or laptops: Traditionally, switches need
to be connected via serial console connections for initial configuration. Using USB
plug-and-play, you do not have to wait for serial console cables to provision your
switches.
4. Fewer human errors: If you provision new switches frequently with a similar
basic configuration, you can make your task error-free by using the same tested and
verified basic configuration every time after making small relevant changes to it.

The provisioning script can be downloaded in the same way that you download NX-OS
software images from http://www.cisco.com. The USB plug-and-play feature is
included in the base license. More details are available in the Cisco MDS 9000
Family NX-OS Fundamentals Configuration Guide.
Network-Based Power-on Automatic Provisioning (POAP)
The time required to provision a new switch using the manual approach increases
linearly as the number of switches increases. Network-based POAP is an ideal
solution for larger networks, whether you are provisioning hundreds of switches now
or provisioning new switches every few months. Cisco MDS 9000 Series switches have
intelligence to locate a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server on your
management network and request an IP address (Figure 12). The DHCP server assigns
an IP address and also sends information about the network gateway, DNS server,
Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server, etc. using various DHCP options. The
switch downloads a provisioning script from the TFTP server and further downloads
the configuration file and software images as guided by the provisioning script.
You can maintain a central repository of configuration files and software images at
a central secure server. A simple base configuration template can be reused for new
switches with minor customization.
Note that USB-based plug-and-play takes precedence over network-based POAP. If you
want your new switches to be provisioned via USB, plug in a USB device with the
required files. If you want to use network-based POAP, do not plug a USB device
into the USB port, or at least do not keep the required files on the USB device. If
you wish to use the traditional approach of provisioning new switches using a
serial console connection, do not plug in a USB device and do not allow your DHCP
server (if you have one) to assign an IP address to new switches. You can manually
interrupt the automated provisioning (USB or network based) after connecting to the
switch using a serial console cable.
Figure 12. Network-Based POAP Can Provision a Large Number of Cisco MDS Switches
Within Minutes

Network-based POAP has the following additional benefits over USB-based plug-and-
play.
1. Zero-touch provisioning: Network-based POAP gets activated as soon as Cisco
MDS switches are powered up and the management port is connected to the network.
Interaction with the DHCP, TFTP, and file servers is fully automated. This approach
removes the single touch to plug in a USB storage device required for the USB-based
plug-and-play approach. Network-based POAP is zero-touch provisioning.
2. Go live in minutes, even for hundreds of switches: With network-based POAP,
the time required to provision new switches does not increase as the number of
switches increases. This is an advantage for large networks.

The provisioning script can be downloaded in the same way that you download NX-OS
software images from http://www.cisco.com. The network-based POAP feature is
included in the base license. More details are available in the Cisco MDS 9000
Family NX-OS Fundamentals Configuration Guide.
Note: USB-based plug-and-play and network-based POAP are aimed at provisioning
new, factory-shipped switches. These features get activated only if an MDS switch
boots without any configuration (blank startup-config). Once an MDS switch is
configured and the configuration is saved, the switch will not invoke USB-based
plug-and-play, even if a USB storage device with the required files is plugged into
the switch. Similarly, once an MDS switch is configured and the configuration is
saved, the switch will not invoke network-based POAP, nor it will try to seek an IP
address from any DHCP server on the management network. An MDS switch loads the
saved configuration after a reboot if it was configured and the configuration was
saved. To invoke these features on an already configured switch, erase the saved
configuration before reboot.
Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM)
Cisco DCNM is an intuitive, web-based application for management of your SAN built
using Cisco MDS 9000 Series switches (Figure 10). Additionally, DCNM delivers
management for Cisco Nexus® 5000, 6000, 7000, and 9000 Series Switches in Cisco NX-
OS mode. For storage networks, DCNM provides single-pane-of-glass visibility into
all aspects of the network as well as the compute and storage infrastructure.
You can use Cisco DCNM with a single Cisco MDS switch or a very large network of
hundreds of switches.
Cisco DCNM offers powerful configuration capabilities for tuning a fabric after it
is operational and setting up zones, network security, and VSANs. Wizards are
provided to accelerate configuration and eliminate errors in configuring zones,
port-channels, and access control lists (ACLs) and to perform software updates.
Network wide historical performance monitoring and analysis are provided.
Throughput on all host and storage device connections and ISLs and between specific
Fibre Channel sources and destinations (flows) can be monitored. Long-term
performance statistics are maintained for trend analysis.
Figure 13. Cisco Data Center Network Manager 10
More details on Cisco DCNM are available in the DCNM support documentation and
software.
Summary
Cisco MDS 9000 Series fabric switches (the MDS 9396S and MDS 9148S) are flexible,
affordable, and simple to operate. New enhancements such as USB based plug-and-play
and network-based POAP simplify the provisioning of your infrastructure. You can
make your new switches go live within minutes with consistency, reliability, and
fewer potential human errors. Day-to-day operations can be managed using web-based
Device Manager or Cisco DCNM. Overall, Cisco MDS 9000 Series fabric switches bring
unique advantages to your SAN to support business requirements.

VSAN
Creating and Configuring VSANs
To create and configure VSANs, follow these steps:
Command Purpose
Step 1 switch# config t Enters configuration mode.
Step 2 switch(config)# vsan database
switch(config-vsan-db)# Configures the database for a VSAN. Application specific
VSAN parameters cannot be configured from this prompt.
Step 3 switch(config-vsan-db)# vsan 2
switch(config-vsan-db)# Creates a VSAN with the specified ID (2) if that VSAN does
not exist already.
switch(config-vsan-db)# vsan 2 name TechDoc
updated vsan 2
switch(config-vsan-db)# Updates the VSAN with the assigned name (TechDoc).
Step 4 switch(config-vsan-db)# vsan 2 loadbalancing src-dst-id
switch(config-vsan-db)# Enables the load balancing guarantee for the selected VSAN
and directs the switch to use the source and destination ID for its path selection
process.
switch(config-vsan-db)# no vsan 2 loadbalancing src-dst-id
switch(config-vsan-db)# Negates the command issued in the previous step and reverts
to the default values of the load-balancing parameters.
switch(config-vsan-db)# vsan 2 loadbalancing src-dst-ox-id
switch(config-vsan-db)# Changes the path selection setting to use the source ID,
the destination ID, and the OX ID (default).
Step 5 switch(config-vsan-db)# vsan 2 suspend
switch(config-vsan-db)# Suspends the selected VSAN.
switch(config-vsan-db)# no vsan 2 suspend
vs.-config-vsan-db# Negates the suspend command issued in the previous step.
Step 6 switch(config-vsan-db)# end
switch# Returns you to EXEC mode.
See "Configuring Static Domain IDs and Persistent FC IDs," for details.

________________________________________
Warning HP-UX and AIX are two operating systems that utilize the FC ID in the
device path to the storage. For the switch to always assign the same FC ID to a
device, persistent FC IDs and static Domain ID must be configured for the VSAN.
________________________________________
Assigning VSAN Membership
To assign VSAN membership, follow these steps:
Command Purpose
Step 1 switch# config t Enters configuration mode.
Step 2 switch(config)# vsan database
switch(config-vsan-db)# Configures the database for a VSAN.
Step 3 switch(config-vsan-db)# vsan 2
switch(config-vsan-db)# Creates a VSAN with the specified ID (2) if that VSAN does
not exist already.
Step 4 switch(config-vsan-db)# vsan 2 interface fc1/8
switch(config-vsan-db)# Assigns the membership of the fc1/8 interface to the
specified VSAN (VSAN 2).
Step 5 switch(config-vsan-db)# vsan 7
switch(config-vsan-db)# Creates another VSAN with the specified ID (7) if that VSAN
does not exist already.
Step 6 switch(config-vsan-db)# vsan 7 interface fc1/8
switch(config-vsan-db)# Updates the membership information of the interface to
reflect the changed VSAN.
Displaying VSAN Information
The show vsan command is invoked from the EXEC mode and displays the VSAN
configurations. Table 3-1 lists the show commands and the information they display.
Table 3-1 show interface Commands
show Command Description
show vsan Displays information for all VSANs.
show vsan 100 Displays information for a specific VSAN.
show vsan usage Displays information on VSAN usage.
show vsan 100 membership Displays VSAN membership information for a specified
VSAN.
show vsan membership Displays static membership information for all VSANs.
show vsan membership interface fc1/1 Displays static membership information
for a specified interface.

Configuring Interfaces
A switch's main function is to relay frames from one data link to another. To do
that, the characteristics of the interfaces through which the frames are sent and
received must be defined. The configured interfaces can be Fibre Channel
interfaces, the management interface (mgmt0), or VSAN interfaces.
Configuring Fibre Channel Interfaces
Each physical Fibre Channel interface in a switch may operate in one of several
modes: E port, F port, FL port, TL port, TE port, SD port, ST port, and B port.
Besides these modes, each interface may be configured in auto or Fx port mode.
These two modes determine the port type during interface initialization.
To configure a Fibre Channel interface, follow these steps:
Command Purpose
Step 1 switch# config t Enters configuration mode.
Step 2 switch(config)# interface fc1/1 Configures the specified interface.
Note When a Fibre Channel interface is configured, it is automatically assigned a
unique world wide name (WWN). If the interface's operational state is up, it is
also assigned a Fibre Channel ID (FC ID).
Configuring a Range of Interfaces
To configure a range of interfaces, follow these steps:
Command Purpose
Step 1 switch# config t Enters configuration mode.
Step 2 switch(config)# interface fc1/1 - 4, fc2/1 - 3 Configures the range of
specified interfaces.
Note In this command, provide a space before and after the comma.
Enabling Interfaces
Interfaces on a port are shut down by default (unless you modified the initial
configuration).
To enable traffic flow, follow these steps:
Command Purpose
Step 1 switch# config t Enters configuration mode.
Step 2 switch(config)# interface fc1/1 Configures the specified interface.
Step 3 switch(config-if)# no shutdown Enables traffic flow to
administratively allow traffic when the no prefix is used (provided the operational
state is up).
switch(config-if)# shutdown Shuts down the interface and administratively
disables traffic flow (default).
After enabling the interfaces, make sure you plug in the cables. If the cables are
not plugged in, the hosts will not be able to communicate with the storage device.
Configuring Interface Modes
To configure the interface mode, follow these steps:
Command Purpose
Step 1 switch# config t Enters configuration mode.
Step 2 switch(config)# interface fc1/1
switch(config-if)# Configures the specified interface.
Step 3 switch(config-if)# switchport mode F
switch(config-if)# Configures the administrative mode of the port. You can set
the operational state to auto, E, F, FL, Fx, TL, or SD port mode.
Note Fx ports refer to an F port or an FL port (host connection only), but not E
ports.
switch(config-if)# switchport mode auto
switch(config-if)# Configures the interface mode to auto negotiate an E, F,
FL, or TE port mode (not TL or SD port modes) of operation.
Note TL ports and SD ports cannot be configured automatically. They must be
administratively configured.
Configuring the Management Interface
You can remotely configure the switch through the management interface (mgmt0). To
configure a connection remotely, you must configure the IP parameters (IP address,
subnet mask, and default gateway) from the CLI so that the switch is reachable.
________________________________________
Note Before you begin to configure the management interface manually, obtain the
switch's IP address and IP subnet mask.
________________________________________
To configure the Ethernet mgmt0 interface, follow these steps:
Command Purpose
Step 1 switch# config terminal
switch(config)# Enters configuration mode.
Step 2 switch(config)# interface mgmt0
switch(config-if)# Configures the Ethernet management interface on the switch
to configure the management interface.
Step 3 switch(config-if)# ip address 172.16.1.2 255 255.255.0 Enters the
IP address and IP subnet mask for the interface specified in Step 2.
Step 4 switch(config-if)# no shutdown Enables the interface.
Step 5 switch(config-if)# exit
switch(config)# Returns to configuration mode.
Step 6 switch(config)# ip default-gateway 1.1.1.4 switch(config)# Configures
the default gateway IP address.
Step 7 switch(config)# exit
switch# Returns to EXEC mode.
Step 8 switch# copy running-config startup-config (Optional) Saves your
configuration changes to the file system.
Note If you wish to save your configuration, you can issue this command at any
time.

________________________________________
Note You need to explicitly configure a default gateway to connect to the switch
and send IP packets or add a route for each subnet.
________________________________________
Creating VSAN Interfaces
VSANs apply to Fibre Channel fabrics and enable you to configure multiple isolated
SAN topologies within the same physical infrastructure. You can create an IP
interface on top of a VSAN and then use this interface to send frames to this VSAN.
To use this feature, you must configure the IP address for this VSAN. VSAN
interfaces cannot be created for nonexisting VSANs.
Follow these guidelines when creating or deleting VSAN interfaces:
• Create a VSAN before creating the interface for that VSAN. If a VSAN does not
exist, the interface cannot be created.
• Create the interface using the interface vsan command. This is not done
automatically.
• If you delete the VSAN, the attached interface is automatically deleted.
• Configure each interface only in one VSAN.

________________________________________
Tip After configuring the VSAN interface, you can configure an IP address or
Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) features.
________________________________________
To create a VSAN interface, follow these steps:
Command Purpose
Step 1 switch# config t Enters configuration mode.
Step 2 switch(config)# interface vsan 5
switch(config-if)# Configures a VSAN with the ID 5.
Displaying Interface Information
The show interface command is invoked from the EXEC mode and displays the interface
configurations. Without any arguments, this command displays the information for
all the configured interfaces in the switch. Table 3-2 lists the show commands and
the information they display.
Table 3-2 show interface Commands
show Command Description
show interface Displays all interfaces.
show interface fc2/2 Displays a specified interface.
show interface fc3/13, fc3/16 Displays multiple, specified interfaces.
show interface vsan 2 Displays a specified VSAN interface.
show cimserver certificateName Displays CIM server certificate files.
show cimserver Displays the CIM server configuration.
show cimserver httpsstatus Displays the CIM server HTTPS status.
show interface description Displays port description.
show interface brief Displays interface information in a brief format.
show interface counters Displays interface counters.
show interface counters brief Displays interface counters in brief format.
show interface bbcredit Displays BB_credit information.
show interface fc2/31 bbcredit Displays BB_credit information for a specific
Fibre Channel interface.
show interface transceiver Displays transceiver information.
show running-config interface fc1/1 Displays the running configuration for a
specific interface.

CISCO Switch Boot Sequence:

Switch Boot Sequence
After a Cisco switch is powered on, it goes through the following boot sequence:
Step 1. First, the switch loads a power-on self-test (POST) program stored in ROM.
POST checks the CPU subsystem. It tests the CPU, DRAM, and the portion of the flash
device that makes up the flash file system.
Step 2. Next, the switch loads the boot loader software. The boot loader is a small
program stored in ROM and is run immediately after POST successfully completes.
Step 3. The boot loader performs low-level CPU initialization. It initializes the
CPU registers that control where physical memory is mapped, the quantity of memory,
and memory speed.
Step 4. The boot loader initializes the flash file system on the system board.
Step 5. Finally, the boot loader locates and loads a default IOS operating system
software image into memory and hands control of the switch over to the IOS.
The boot loader finds the Cisco IOS image on the switch using the following
process: The switch attempts to automatically boot by using information in the BOOT
environment variable. If this variable is not set, the switch attempts to load and
execute the first executable file it can by performing a recursive, depth-first
search throughout the flash file system. In a depth-first search of a directory,
each encountered subdirectory is completely searched before continuing the search
in the original directory. On Catalyst 2960 Series switches, the image file is
normally contained in a directory that has the same name as the image file
(excluding the .bin file extension).
The IOS operating system then initializes the interfaces using the Cisco IOS
commands found in the configuration file, startup configuration, which is stored in
NVRAM.

Flash
Flash is a nonvolatile memory. Data store in flash is not lost when you turn the
router off. You could assume flash as hard disk of router. Like data stored in hard
disk remain safe, same as data stored in flash remain safe. Router uses flash to
store IOS image. During the boot process router load IOS file from flash to ram.
NVRAM
NVRAM is another permanent memory. Data stored in NVRAM is also remain safe. Router
use NVRAM to store configuration files. NVRAM uses a battery to maintain the data
during the power off stage.
RAM
RAM is a temporary memory. Information stored in RAM does not remain in power off
stage. Everything in RAM is erased, when you turn off the router. RAM is the
fastest memory among these memories. In a powered on router, RAM contains all the
information required to function the device.
• During the boot process IOS is copied and decompressed in RAM from Flash.
• Same as ISO, running configuration is also copied in RAM from NVRAM.
• RAM stores ARP, CDP neighbor, routing and other tables.
• Interface input and output buffers are also stored in RAM.

Brocade useful Commands

Show Commands
Command Description
nodefind wwn
psshow To find whether WWN loggedin array
Displays the status of the power supply
fansshow Displays the status of the fans
tempshow Displays the status of the temperature readings
sensorshow Displays the status of the sensor readings
nsshow Displays information in the name server
nsshow -t Displays information in the name server
nsshow -r Displays the information in the name server along with the state change
registration details
nscamshow Displays detailed information of all the devices connected to all the
switches in the fabric (Remote Name Servers)
nsallshow Displays the 24 bit address of all devices that are in the fabric
licenseshow Displays all the licenses that have been added in the switch
date Displays the current date set on the switch
bannershow Displays the banner that will appear when logging in unsing the CLI or
webtools
httpcfgshow Displays the JAVA version the switch expects at the management console
switchname Displays the switchname
fabricshow Displays information of all the switches in the fabric
userconfig –show -a Displays the account information like role , description ,
password exp date , locked status
switchstatusshow Displays the overall status of the switch
switchstatuspolicyshow Displays policy set for the switch regarding
Marginal(Yellow) or Down(Red) error status
portshow To show the port status
portcfgshow Displays the speed set for all ports on all slots and other detailed
port information
configshow fabric.ops Displays the parameters of the switch. Ensure all switches
in a fabric have the same parameters in order to communicate
configshow fabric.ops.pidFormat Displays the PID set for a switch Core , Native
or Extended edge
switchuptime OR uptime Displays the uptime for the switch
firmwareshow Displays the firmware on the switch
version Displays the current firmware version on the switch
hashow Displays the status of local and remote CP’s. High availability ,
heartbeat and synchronization

Port Settings
Command Description
portcfgshow Displays the port settings
portcfg rscnsupr [slot/port] –enable A registered state change registration is
suppressed when a state change occurs on the port
portcfg rscnsupr [slot/port] –disable A registered state change registration is
sent when a state change occurs on the port
portname To assign a name for a port
portdisable To disable a port or slot
portenable To enable a port or slot
portcfgpersistentdisable To disable a port , status would not change even
after rebooting the switch
portcfgpersistentenable To enable a port , status would not change even after
rebooting the switch
portshow To show the port status
portcfgspeed , To set speed for a port Note – 0:auto negotiated 1,2,4 Gbit/sec ,
1 : 1Gbit/sec , 2 : 2 Gbit/sec , 4 : 4Gbit/sec
switchcfgspeed To set speed for all the ports on the switch Note – 0:auto
negotiated 1,2,4 Gbit/sec , 1 : 1Gbit/sec , 2 : 2 Gbit/sec , 4 : 4Gbit/sec
portcfgshow Displays the speed set for all ports on all slots and other detailed
port information
portcfgdefault To set the port settings to default
portcfglongdistance To set the long distance mode . Default is L0(Normal), as
per distance will display LE <=10 kms , L0.5 <=25kms , L1 <=50 kms, L2<=100kms ,
LD=auto , LS = Static
portcfgeport Used to disable a port from being a E port

Setting commands
Command Description
ipaddrset To set the ip address for the switch
bannerset To set the banner which will appear when logging in using the CLI or
webtools

Time and Date Settings

Command Description
date Displays the current date set on the switch
tsclockserver 10.10.1.1 Instruction for the principal switch to synchronize time
with the NTP server (specify ipaddress of the NTP server)
tsclockserver LOCL Instruction to stop NTP server synchronization (Local time
of the switch)
date mmddhhmmyy To set the time of the switch when the NTP server synchronization
is cancelled
tstimezone -5 To set the time zone for individual switches
License Commands
Command Description
licenseshow Displays all the licenses that are added in the switch
licenseadd To add a new license to the switch
licenseremove To remove a license from the switch
licenseidshow Based on Switch WWN

Banner Commands
Command Description
bannershow Displays the banner that will appear when logging in unsing the CLI or
webtools
bannerset To set the banner which will appear when logging in using the CLI or
webtools
bannerset “” To remove the bannerset

Password commands
Command Description
passwd To change the password for that particular login
passwdcfg –set -lowercase 3 uppercase 1 -digits 2 -punctuation 2 -minlength 10
-history 3 To set the password rules
passwdcfg –set -minpasswordage 1 To set the minimum password age in Days
passwdcfg –set -maxpasswordage 30 To set the maximum password age in Days
passwdcfg –set -warning 23 To set a warning for the expiration Days remaining
passwdcfg –set -lockoutthreshold 5 To set the account lockout thresh hold
passwdcfg –set -lockoutduration 30 To set the account lockout duration in Minutes
passwdcfg –setdefault To restore the password policy to Factory settings (min
length – 8, history -1 , lockoutduration – 30)

User Configuration (commands to administer Accounts)

Command Description
userconfig –show -a / userconfig –show Displays all the account information like
role , description , password exp date , locked status
userconfig –add jdoe -r admin -d “Jane Doe” To add a new account -r = role , -d
= description
userconfig –show jdoe Displays all the information for the account jdoe
userconfig –change -e no To Disable an account , usually default a/cs like
admin and user . But ensure before disabling the admin a/c there is another a/c
with admin rights
userconfig –change -e yes To Enable an account

NPIV Commands
Command Description
portcfgnpivport Enables NPIV functionality on a port . By default on Condor based
switches
configure In order to increase the no of port logins ( Default is 126 , max 255)

SNMP
Command Description
snmpconfig snmpconfig for 5.0 above fos
agtcfgset snmp config for fos below 5.0
snmpmibcapset for choosing the MIB’s for the snmp settings

Zoning
Command Description
alicreate “Name”, “domain,port no” Used to create alias
alicreate “Name”,”portname1; portname2″ To create more than one ports under one
alias
alidelete “Name” To delete alias
aliadd “Name”, “domain,port no” To add additional ports to an alias
aliremove “Name”, “domain,port no” To remove a port from the alias
alishow “AliName” To show the alias configuration on the switch
zonecreate “Zone Name”, “alias1; alias2″ To create zones based on alias
zonedelete “ZoneName” To delete a zone
zoneadd “ZoneName”, “alias name” To add additional alias into the zone
zoneremove “ZoneName”, “alias name” To remove an alias from the zone
zoneshow “zoneName” To show the zone configuration information
cfgcreate “Configname”, “Zone1; Zone2″ To create configurations by adding in
zones
cfgdelete “ConfigName” To delete a configuration
cfgadd “ConfigName”, “Zone3″ To add additional zones in the configuration
cfgremove “ConfigName”, “Zone3″ To remove a zone from the configuration
cfgshow “ConfigName” To show the details of that configuration
cfgenable “ConfigName” To enable a configuration on the switch
cfgsave To have the effective configuration to be written into the flash memory

Firmware commands
Command Description
configupload Saves the switch config as an ASCII text file to an FTP server
configdownload To restore a switch configuration from ASCII text file Note –
Need to disable the switch before downloading the config file
configure => cfgload attributes : [y] => Ensure secure config upload / download :
[y] Fabric OS v 4.4 & above provides Secure File Copy Protocol (SCP) during
upload or download of configurations
firmwaredownload To download the firmware to be installed on the switch
firmwareshow To be run after installing the firmware on the switch
version Displays the current firmware version on the switch
fastboot Needs to be run after installing the firmware . This doesnot include
the post
reboot Needs to be run after installing the firmware. This includes the post

Other commands
Command Description
killtelnet To kill a particular session which is using telnet
configure To configure a switch
quitemode To switch off the quietmode
quietmode 1 To suppress messages to the console
switchname Displays the switchname
switchname “EXAMPLE” To assign a switch name
configure To disable/enable TELNETD
timeout Displays the timeout time set for Telnet session on the switch
timeout 10 To set a specific timeout time for the Telnet session
switchuptime OR uptime Displays the uptime for the switch
switchcfgspeed To set speed for all the ports on the switch Note – 0:auto
negotiated 1,2,4 Gbit/sec , 1 : 1Gbit/sec , 2 : 2 Gbit/sec , 4 : 4Gbit/sec
fastboot To reboot the switch without post
reboot To reboot the switch with the post
switchstatusshow Displays the overall status of the switch
switchstatuspolicyshow Displays policy set for the switch regarding
Marginal(Yellow) or Down(Red) error status
switchstatuspolicyset To change the policy set for the switch regarding
Marginal(Yellow) or Down(Red) error status

INTER FABRIC LINKS

The link between an E_Port and EX_Port, or VE_Port and VEX_Port, is called an
inter-fabric link (IFL). IFLs can be achieved using a FC router.
Why IFLs is needed?
IFL needs to be implemented when there is a need to have a communication with
different Fabric without disturbing the current setup. IFL can be achieved with use
of FC router.
Meta SAN:
Meta-SAN is a collection of SAN devices, switches, edge fabrics, Logical Storage
Area Networks (LSANs), and Routers that comprise a physically connected but
logically partitioned storage network.
Meta SAN Example:

Terms to be known:
Backbone Fabric: A capability that enables scalable Meta SANs by allowing the
networking of multiple routers that connects to the backbone fabric via E_Port
interfaces. A backbone fabric is an intermediate network that connects two or more
edge fabrics. A backbone fabric also enables hosts and targets in one edge fabric
to communicate with devices in other edge or backbone fabrics.
Backbone-to-Edge Routing: Fibre Channel routers can connect to a common fabric–
known as a backbone fabric E_Ports. A backbone fabric can be used as a transport
fabric that interconnects edge fabrics. Fibre Channel routers also enable hosts and
targets in edge fabrics to communicate with devices in the backbone fabric–this is
known as backbone-to-edge routing.
E_Port: A standard Fibre Channel mechanism that enables switches to network with
each other.
Edge Fabric: A Fibre Channel fabric connected to a router via one or more EX_Ports.
This is where hosts and storage are typically attached in a Meta-SAN.
Edge-to-Edge Routing: Occurs when devices in one edge fabric communicate with
devices in another edge fabric through one or more Fiber Channel routers.
EX_Port: The type of E_Port used to connect a router to an edge fabric. An EX_Port
follows standard E_Port protocols.
Exported Device: A device that has been mapped between fabrics. A host or storage
port in one edge fabric can be exported to any other fabric through LSAN zoning.
Fabric ID (FID): Unique identifier of a fabric in a Meta-SAN. Every EX_Port and
VEX_Port uses the FID property to identify the fabric at the opposite end of the
IFL. You should configure all of the EX_Ports and VEX_Ports attached to the same
edge fabric with the same FID. The FID for every edge fabric must be unique from
each backbone fabric’s perspective.
Fibre Channel Network Address Translation (FC-NAT): A capability that allows
devices in different fabrics to communicate when those fabrics have addressing
conflicts. This is similar to the “hide-behind” NAT used in firewalls.
Fibre Channel Router Protocol (FCRP): A Brocade-authored standards-track protocol
that enables LSAN switches to perform routing between different Edge fabrics,
optionally across a backbone fabric.
FC-FC Routing Service: A service that extends hierarchical networking capabilities
to Fibre Channel fabrics. It enables devices located on separate fabrics to
communicate without merging the fabrics. It also enables the creation of LSANs.
Inter-Fabric Link (IFL): A connection between a router and an edge fabric.
Architecturally, these can be of type EX_Port-to-E_Port or EX_Port-to-EX_Port.
Logical Storage Area Network (LSAN): A logical network that spans multiple fabrics.
The path between devices in an LSAN can be local to an edge fabric or cross one or
more Routers and up to one intermediate backbone fabric. LSANs are administered
through LSAN zones in each edge fabric.
LSAN Zone: The mechanism by which LSANs are administered. A Router attached to two
fabrics will “listen” for the creation of matching LSAN zones on both fabrics.
Meta-SAN: The collection of all devices, switches, edge and backbone fabrics,
LSANs, and Routers that make up a physically connected but logically partitioned
storage network
Phantom Domains: A phantom domain is a domain created by the Fibre Channel router.
The FC router creates two types of phantom domains: front phantom domains and
translate phantom domains.
Front phantom domain or front domain: a domain that is projected from the FC router
to the edge fabric. There is one front phantom domain from each FC router to an
edge fabric, regardless of the number of EX_Ports connected from that router to the
edge fabric. Another FC router connected to the same edge fabric projects a
different front phantom domain.
Translate phantom domain: Also known as xlate domain, is a router virtual domain
that represents an entire fabric. The EX_Ports present xlate domains in edge
fabrics as being topologically behind the front domains; if the xlate domain is in
a backbone fabric, then it is topologically present behind the FC router because
there is no front domain in a backbone fabric.
Proxy Devices: A proxy device is a virtual device presented into a fabric by a
Fibre Channel router, and represents a real device on another fabric. When a proxy
device is created in a fabric, the real Fibre Channel device is considered to be
imported into this fabric. The presence of a proxy device is required for inter-
fabric device communication. The proxy device appears to the fabric as a real Fibre
Channel device, has a name server entry, and is assigned a valid port ID. The port
ID is only relevant on the fabric in which the proxy device has been created.
Proxy ID:– The port ID of the proxy device.
VE_Port: Virtual E_Port; an FCIP tunnel without routing is a VE_Port.
VEx_Port: The type of VE_Port used to connect a router to an edge fabric. A
VEx_Port follows standard E_Port protocols and supports FC-NAT but does not allow
fabric merging across VEX_Ports.
How Inter Fabric Link Works?
Let’s take a below example for Inter fabric Link and how it can be achieved.

In this example there are two separate fabrics in Fabric A storage node is
connected and in Fabric B Host server is being connected. Now due to urgent
requirement for additional storage there is a need for allocating 1 TB of storage
to an Host in Fabric B, There is a problem now because Storage Node is present in
Fabric A and Host server cannot contact storage as they are in different fabric. To
solve this problem there is a introduction of FC routing concept and this is
achieved using a FC router being connected to a Edge switch from both fabric. Now
the Devices connected in a Fabric can communicate with Devices in Fabric B using
Inter Fabric links and this concept is known as FC routing. Whole Fabric A and
Fabric B connected through a FC router is called as LSAN.
How communications between 2 Fabrics occur?
Below are the steps involved in IFL communication.
Step 1: Disable the ports in Edge switch to be participated in IFLs
Step 2: Cable Edge switches of both fabric to FC router.
Step 3: Convert FC Router port as EX port, can be achieved using FC router Web
Tools or Command Line.
Step 4: While configuring EX port set Fabric Id of the ports, Fabric Id should not
be 1.
Step 5: Enable the ports. Now this will take some time communication between E and
Ex ports.
Step 6: Now the If we want Host from Fabric B to access Fabric A we need to do LSAN
Zoning.
Step 7: Create a Zone in Fabric B as LSAN_Zone Name and add Host WWPN and Storage
WWPN in target side to get communicated. Enable the Zone configuration.
Step 8: Similarly Create a Zone in Fabric A as LSAN_Zone Name and Host WWPN and
Storage WWPN in target side to get communicated. Enable the Zone configuration.
Step 9: When LSAN zoning has been done it takes some time to have a communication
because FC Routing gets initialized when LSAN zoning gets completed.
Step 10: When communication gets established the Fabric A sees the Host as a Proxy
Device present in Fabric A with Proxy Id, Similarly Fabric B sees the Storage Node
as a Proxy Device with Proxy Id. Now the storage can be allocated to Fabric B host
server.