Fc-Fc Routing And Virtual Fabrics; Logical Switch Configuration For Fc Routing - HP A7533A - Brocade 4Gb SAN Switch Base Administrator's Manual

See the Fabric OS Command Reference for details about the fcrResourceShow command.

FC-FC routing and Virtual Fabrics

If Virtual Fabrics is not enabled, FC-FC routing behavior is unchanged. If Virtual Fabrics is enabled, in the
FC-FC routing context, a base switch is like a backbone switch and a base fabric is like a backbone fabric.
If Virtual Fabrics is enabled, the following rules apply:
• EX_Ports and VEX_Ports can be configured only on the base switch.
When you enable Virtual Fabrics, the chassis is automatically rebooted. When the switch comes up,
only one default Logical Switch is present, with the default FID of 128. All previously configured
EX_Ports and VEX_Ports are persistently disabled with the reason ExPort in non base switch.
You must explicitly create a base switch and move the EX_ and VEX_Ports to the base switch. The ports
are then automatically enabled.
If you move existing EX_ or VEX_Ports to any Logical Switch other than the base switch, these ports are
automatically disabled.
If you want to change an EX_ or VEX_Port on the Logical Switch to be a non-EX or VEX_Port, you must
use the portCfgDefault command. You cannot use the portCfgExPort command because that
command is allowed only on the base switch.
EX_Ports can connect to a Logical Switch that is in the same chassis or a different chassis. However, the
•
FID of the EX_Port must be set to a different value than the FID of the Logical Switch to which it connects.
That is, the EX_Port and the Logical Switch to which it connects must be in different fabrics.
• EX_Ports and VEX_Ports (those in FC routers and those in a base switch) cannot connect to any edge
fabric with Logical Switches configured to use XISLs.
If you connect an EX_Port or VEX_Port to an edge fabric, you must ensure that there are no Logical
Switches with XISL use enabled in that edge fabric. If any Logical Switch in the edge fabric allows XISL
use, the EX_Port or VEX_Port is disabled. See
for instructions on disallowing XISL use.
Since XISL use is disallowed, dedicated links must be configured to route traffic across fabrics, as shown
in Figure 14
IMPORTANT:
to a Logical Switch that allows XISL use, the EX_Port or VEX_Port is not disabled; however, this configuration
is not supported and you should avoid it.
• Backbone-to-edge routing is not supported in the base switch. See
Virtual Fabrics" on page 402 for information about how to configure FC routers to allow
backbone-to-edge routing with Virtual Fabrics.
• If you connect an FC router in legacy mode to a base switch, you must set the backbone FID of the FC
router to be the same as that of the base switch.
• All FCR commands can be executed only in the base switch context.
• The fcrConfigure command is not allowed when Virtual Fabrics is enabled. Instead, use the lsCfg
command to configure the FID.

Logical Switch configuration for FC routing

For example, Figure 68
configuration allows the device in Fabric 128 to communicate with the device in Fabric 15 without merging
the fabrics. Note the following:
• The base switch in Physical chassis 1 serves as an FC router and contains EX_Ports that connect to
Logical Switches in the two edge fabrics, Fabric 128 and Fabric 15.
• The Logical Switches in Fabric 128 and Fabric 15 are connected with physical ISLs, and do not use the
XISL connection in the base fabric.
• The Logical Switches in Fabric 1 are configured to allow XISL use. You cannot connect an EX_Port to
these Logical Switches, so the device in Fabric 2 cannot communicate with the other two devices.
on page 177.
If you connect an EX_Port or VEX_Port from an FC router running Fabric OS 6.1.x or earlier
on page 402 shows two chassis partitioned into Logical Switches. This
"Configuring a Logical Switch for XISL
"Backbone-to-edge routing with
Fabric OS 6.2 administrator guide 401
use" on page 187