Merging Zones; Zoning Database Limitations - HP A7533A - Brocade 4Gb SAN Switch Base Administrator's Manual

NOTE: If you performed a firmware download of an older release, then the current default zone access
state will appear as it did prior to the download. For example, if the d_efault_Cfg was in effect before
the download, it will remain in effect afterward.
See the Fabric OS Command Reference for additional information on the defZone command.

Merging zones

Table 89 presents zoning database size limitations for various Fabric OS release versions. The maximum
size of a zone database is the upper limit for the defined configuration, and it is determined by the amount
of flash memory available for storing the defined configuration.
Table 89

Zoning database limitations

Fabric OS version
2.4.0
2.5.0
2.6.0
3.0.0
3.1.0
3.2.0
4.0.0, 4.1.0, 4.2.0
4.4.0
5.0.1
5.1.0
5.2.0 or later
Before linking two switches together, it is important that you know the zone database limit of adjacent
switches. For example, when switches running Fabric OS 3.2, 4.4.0, or 5.1.0 discover that the zone merge
database is larger than its pre-determined zone database size limit, they issue a reject notification before
symmetrically segmenting their own ends of the ISL, thereby preventing the new switch from joining the
fabric.
NOTE: Fabric OS 5.2.0 and later support a zoning database size of 1 MB. To support a 1 MB zoning
database, the entire fabric must be upgraded to 5.2.0 or later. If any pre-5.2.0 switches are part of the
fabric, the maximum zone database size is 256 KB. If the zoning database size exceeds 256 KB, switches
not upgraded to Fabric OS 5.2.0 or later are segmented out of the fabric. Use the cfgSize command to
display the zoning database size.
Symmetrical segmentation occurs when both ends of an ISL are shut down. Subsequently, no frames are
exchanged between those two switches.
Asymmetrical segmentation not only prevents frames from being exchanged between switches, but also
causes routing inconsistencies.
The best way to avoid either type of segmentation is to know the zone database size limit of adjacent
switches. The following tables provide the expected behavior based on different database sizes after a
zone merge is specified.
400 Administering Advanced Zoning
Maximum database size (KB)
64
64
96
128
96
256
128
256
256
256
1024 (see the following note for
restrictions)