Chapter 34 Configuring N Port Virtualization; Information About Npv; Npv Overview - Cisco AJ732A - MDS 9134 Fabric Switch Configuration Manual

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Configuring N Port Virtualization
This chapter describes how to configure N port virtualization (NPV) on Cisco Nexus 5000 Series
switches.
This chapter includes the following sections:
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Information About NPV

NPV configuration is described in the following topics:
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NPV Overview

By default, Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switches operate in fabric mode. In this mode, the switch provides
standard Fibre Channel switching capability and features.
In fabric mode, each switch that joins a SAN is assigned a domain ID. Each SAN (or VSAN) supports
a maximum of 239 domain IDs, so the SAN has a limit of 239 switches. In a SAN topology with a large
number of edge switches, the SAN may need to grow beyond this limit. NPV alleviates the domain ID
limit by sharing the domain ID of the core switch among multiple edge switches.
In NPV mode, the edge switch relays all traffic from server-side ports to the core switch. The core switch
provides F port functionality (such as login and port security) and all the Fibre Channel switching
capabilities.
OL-16597-01
Information About NPV, page 34-1
Guidelines and Limitations, page 34-5
Configuring NPV, page 34-6
Verifying NPV, page 34-8
NPV Overview, page 34-1
NPV Mode, page 34-2
Server Interfaces, page 34-2
NP Uplinks (External Interfaces), page 34-3
FLOGI Operation, page 34-3
NPV Traffic Management, page 34-4
NPV Traffic Management Guidelines, page 34-5
C H A P T E R
Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switch CLI Software Configuration Guide
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