Changing Mode Settings; Device Alias Mode Distribution; Device Alias Diffs-Only Distribution - Cisco MDS 9000 Series Configuration Manual

Changing Mode Settings

A native device alias configuration is not accepted in the interop mode VSAN. IVR zone set activation fails
in the interop mode VSANs if the corresponding twilight zones being injected are native device alias members.
• When the device-alias is in basic mode, and you try to add a device alias member to a zone, it will be
Changing Mode Settings
When a device alias mode is changed from basic mode to enhanced mode, the corresponding applications are
informed about the change. The applications then start accepting the device alias-based configuration in the
native format.
Note
Because the device alias was previously running in the basic mode, the applications do not have any prior
native device alias configuration.
The applications check for an existing device alias configuration in the native format. If the device alias is in
the native format, the applications reject the request, and the device alias mode cannot be changed to basic.
All the native device alias configurations (both on local and remote switches) must be explicitly removed, or
all the device alias members must be replaced with the corresponding pWWNs before changing the mode
back to basic.

Device Alias Mode Distribution

If device alias distribution is turned on, it is distributed to the other switches in the network whenever there
is a change in the mode. You cannot change the mode from basic to enhanced unless all the switches are
upgraded to Release 3.1. The device alias enhancements will not apply unless the entire fabric is upgraded to
Release 3.1.
Note After all the switches are upgraded to Release 3.1, you cannot automatically convert to enhanced mode. The
switches do not have to be changed to enhanced mode; you can continue working in the basic mode.

Device Alias Diffs-Only Distribution

From the Cisco MDS NX-OS Release 7.3(0)D1(1), the Device Alias Diffs-Only Distribution feature is
supported on the Cisco MDS switches.
When this feature is enabled on all the switches in a fabric, only the session commands are sent across the
fabric instead of the entire database, which helps ensure better scalability.
DDAS supports 20,000 entries when all the switches in a fabric have the Device Alias Diffs-Only Distribution
feature enabled. Note that this feature is enabled by default.
Cisco MDS 9000 Series Fabric Configuration Guide, Release 8.x
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added as a pWWN member and not as a device alias member. Therefore, when you change the pWWN
for the device alias entry it does not get updated. You should manually edit the zones containing that
device alias by removing the old entry and reconfiguring the zones with the same device alias and then
activating it.This update occurs in enhanced device alias mode. In this mode, since the configuration is
accepted in the native form, when the pWWN for the device alias is changed, the zones containing that
device alias are automatically updated with the new pWWN.
Distributing Device Alias Services