Zone Enforcement; Zone Set Distribution; Enabling Full Zone Set Distribution - Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Configuration Manual

Zone Set Distribution

Tip You do not have to copy the running configuration to the startup configuration to store the active zone
set. However, you need to copy the running configuration to the startup configuration to explicitly store
full zone sets.

Zone Enforcement

Zoning can be enforced in two ways: soft and hard. Each end device (N port) discovers other devices in the
fabric by querying the name server. When a device logs in to the name server, the name server returns the list
of other devices that can be accessed by the querying device. If an N port does not know about the FC IDs of
other devices outside its zone, it cannot access those devices.
In soft zoning, zoning restrictions are applied only during interaction between the name server and the end
device. If an end device somehow knows the FC ID of a device outside its zone, it can access that device.
Hard zoning is enforced by the hardware on each frame sent by an N port. As frames enter the switch,
source-destination IDs are compared with permitted combinations to allow the frame at wire speed. Hard
zoning is applied to all forms of zoning.
Hard zoning enforces zoning restrictions on every frame, and prevents unauthorized access.
Note
Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switches support both hard and soft zoning.
Zone Set Distribution
You can distribute full zone sets using one of two methods: one-time distribution using the zoneset distribute
vsan command at the EXEC mode level or full zone set distribution using the zoneset distribute full vsan
command at the configuration mode level. The following table lists the differences between the methods.
Table 21: Zone Set Distribution Differences
One-Time Distribution
zoneset distribute vsan Command (EXEC Mode)
Distributes the full zone set immediately.
Does not distribute the full zone set information along
with the active zone set during activation,
deactivation, or merge process.

Enabling Full Zone Set Distribution

All switches in the Cisco Nexus 5000 Series distribute active zone sets when new E port links come up or
when a new zone set is activated in a VSAN. The zone set distribution takes effect while sending merge
requests to the adjacent switch or while activating a zone set.
Cisco Nexus 5000 Series NX-OS SAN Switching Configuration Guide
116
Configuring and Managing Zones
Full Zone Set Distribution
zoneset distribute full vsan Command(Configuration
Mode)
Does not distribute the full zone set immediately.
Remembers to distribute the full zone set information
along with the active zone set during activation,
deactivation, and merge processes.
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