High Integrity Fabric Requirements; Activating High Integrity Fabrics - Brocade Communications Systems Brocade BladeSystem 4/24 User Manual

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High integrity fabric requirements

The term high integrity fabric (HIF) refers to a set of strict, consistent, fabric-wide policies. There are
several specific configuration requirements for high integrity fabrics:
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NOTE
Port binding is a security method for restricting devices that connect to particular switch ports. Port
binding should never be used in FICON environments. The FICON channel cannot be added to the
port binding list.

Activating high integrity fabrics

To activate a HIF, complete the following steps.
1. Select Configure > High Integrity Fabric.
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Insistent domain ID (IDID) must be enabled in the participating switches.
Port-based routing must be used on the participating switches.
A policy must be set that limits connectivity to only the switches within the same fabric. Fabric
binding is a security method for restricting switches that may join a fabric. For Fabric OS
switches, fabric binding is implemented by defining a switch connection control (SCC) policy
that prevents unauthorized switches from joining a fabric.
Switch binding is a more secure alternative to fabric binding. It is a security method for
restricting devices that connect to a particular switch. Switch binding is available only on
M-EOS switches and directors. Switch binding has two options: restrict all, and restrict
switches only. Switch binding should only be implemented in FICON environments with the
switch restriction only. The difference between switch binding and fabric binding is that with
fabric binding a defined switch can join the fabric by connecting to any switch in the fabric
while with switch binding the new switch can only join by connecting to a specific switch in the
fabric.
Dynamic Load Sharing (DLS) should be disabled. If DLS is not disabled, DLS automatically
adjusts routes when a new ISL is added, and when an ISL is taken offline and brought online
again. This process may result in dropped frames.
The High Integrity Fabric dialog box displays.
FIGURE 88
High Integrity Fabric dialog box
DCFM Professional Plus User Manual
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