About Trunking - HP Cisco MDS 9216 - Fabric Switch Configuration Manual

S e n d d o c u m e n t a t i o n c o m m e n t s t o m d s f e e d b a c k - d o c @ c i s c o . c o m
Configuring Trunking
This chapter describes the trunking feature provided in Cisco MDS 9000 switches. It includes the
following sections:
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•
•

About Trunking

Trunking, also known as VSAN trunking, is a feature specific to switches in the Cisco MDS 9000
Family. Trunking enables interconnect ports to transmit and receive frames in more than one VSAN, over
the same physical link, using enhanced ISL (EISL) frame format (see
Figure 24-1
Switch 1
The trunking feature includes the following restrictions:
•
•
•
Trunking is not supported by internal ports on both the Cisco Fabric Switch for HP c_Class BladeSystem
Note
and the Cisco Fabric Switch for IBM BladeCenter.
OL-16184-01, Cisco MDS SAN-OS Release 3.x
About Trunking, page 24-1
Trunking Protocol, page 24-2
Default Settings, page 24-6
Trunking
Any other
switch
ISL
E port E port
Trunking configurations are only applicable to E ports. If trunk mode is enabled in an E port and
that port becomes operational as a trunking E port, it is referred to as a TE port.
The trunk-allowed VSANs configured for TE ports are used by the trunking protocol to determine
the allowed-active VSANs in which frames can be received or transmitted.
If a trunking enabled E port is connected to a third-party switch, the trunking protocol ensures
seamless operation as an E port.
C H A P T E R
Switch 1
EISL
TE port TE port
Trunking
Cisco MDS 9000 Family CLI Configuration Guide
24
Figure 24-1).
Switch 2
24-1