E Port; F Port; Np Port; Te Port - Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Configuration Manual

Configuring Fibre Channel Interfaces
• The operational status represents the current status of a specified attribute such as the interface speed.
This status cannot be changed and is read-only. Some values may not be valid when the interface is
down (for example, the operational speed).

E Port

In expansion port (E port) mode, an interface functions as a fabric expansion port. This port may be connected
to another E port to create an Inter-Switch Link (ISL) between two switches. E ports carry frames between
switches for configuration and fabric management. They serve as a conduit between switches for frames
destined to remote N ports. E ports support class 3 and class F service.
An E port connected to another switch may also be configured to form a SAN port channel.

F Port

In fabric port (F port) mode, an interface functions as a fabric port. This port may be connected to a peripheral
device (host or disk) operating as a node port (N port). An F port can be attached to only one N port. F ports
support class 3 service.

NP Port

When the switch is operating in NPV mode, the interfaces that connect the switch to the core network switch
are configured as NP ports. NP ports operate like N ports that function as proxies for multiple physical N
ports.

TE Port

In trunking E port (TE port) mode, an interface functions as a trunking expansion port. It may be connected
to another TE port to create an extended ISL (EISL) between two switches. TE ports connect to another Cisco
Nexus 5000 Series switch or a Cisco MDS 9000 Family switch. They expand the functionality of E ports to
support the following:
• VSAN trunking
• Fibre Channel trace (fctrace) feature
In TE port mode, all frames are transmitted in EISL frame format, which contains VSAN information.
Interconnected switches use the VSAN ID to multiplex traffic from one or more VSANs across the same
physical link. This feature is referred to as VSAN trunking in the Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switch. TE ports
support class 3 and class F service.

TF Port

When the switch is operating in NPV mode, the interfaces that connect the switch to the core network switch
are configured as NP ports. NP ports operate like N ports that function as proxies for multiple physical N
ports.
In trunking F port (TF port) mode, an interface functions as a trunking expansion port. It may be connected
to another trunked N port (TN port) or trunked NP port (TNP port) to create a link between a core switch and
an NPV switch or an HBA to carry tagged frames. TF ports expand the functionality of F ports to support
VSAN trunking.
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Information About Fibre Channel Interfaces

Cisco Nexus 5000 Series NX-OS SAN Switching Configuration Guide

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