Resolving Device Alias Mismatches - Cisco MDS 9000 Series Configuration Manual

Distributing Device Alias Services

Resolving Device Alias Mismatches

If a switch with an existing device-alias database is being added to an existing fabric, conflicts might arise
because of the following reasons:
• The same device-alias name is used, but with different pWWNs.
• The same pWWN is used, but with different device-alias names.
To resolve duplicate device-alias names, perform these steps:
Step 1
Run the show cfs merge status name device-alias command to review the CFS or device-alias merge failure syslogs to
confirm that the merge failed:
switch-1# show cfs merge status name device-alias
Physical-fc Merge Status: Failed
Caution
Avoid performing a blank commit to resolve Cisco Fabric Services (CFS) merge
failures. A blank commit overwrites the device-alias databases on all the switches
with the device-alias database on the local switch.
Note A blank commit is a device-alias commit that is used when there are no changes
(including mode changes), or when it is okay to overwrite the device-alias
databases on the remote switches with the local switch's device-alias database.
Device alias mismatches might occur because of the following reasons:
• Duplicate Device-Alias Names—Same device-alias name, but different pWWNs. In such a scenario,
the show device-alias merge status command displays the reason for the merge failure as Reason:
Another device-alias already present with the same name.
• Duplicate pWWNs—Different device-alias names, but same pWWN. In such a scenario, the show
device-alias merge status command displays the reason for the merge failure as Reason:
Another device-alias already present with the same pwwn.
Note
Each time device-alias changes are committed, the running configuration should
be copied to the startup configuration on all the switches that were updated. Use
the copy running-config startup-config fabric command to copy the running
configuration to the startup configuration for all the switches in the fabric. If you
do not copy the running configuration to the startup configuration after the
device-alias changes are committed, and if the switch reloads, or loses power and
restarts, the startup configuration will not have the correct device-alias database
and merge failure will occur.
Cisco MDS 9000 Series Fabric Configuration Guide, Release 8.x
Resolving Device Alias Mismatches
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