Eco Collateral 20090414 Brocade - Deploying Virtual Fabrics PRDL

FROM THE SOLUTIONS CENTER
Deployment Guide:
Deploying Virtual Fabrics in
the Brocade Data Center
As the number and size of Storage Area Networks (SANs) continue to grow, the
complexity of managing these SANs has grown even more. Problems arise such
as fragmented SAN islands, lack of isolation in metaSANs, and limited
scalability. The Virtual Fabrics feature of Fabric OS (FOS) addresses these
problems by providing virtualized hardware boundaries, isolation of SANs
across a metaSAN, and scalability of individual SANs.
FROM THE SOLUTIONS CENTER Deployment Guide
CONTENTS
Introduction........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 3
Virtual Fabrics Overview ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 4
Logical Switch Overview................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 6
Logical Switch Configuration ......................................................................................................................................... 6
Logical Switch Port Identification.................................................................................................................................. 7
Default (Logical) Switch (DS)......................................................................................................................................... 7
Base (Logical) Switch (BS)............................................................................................................................................. 7
Standard (Logical) Switch (LS) ...................................................................................................................................... 8
Managing VFs................................................................................................................................................................. 9
VF Deployment Overview.............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 9
VF Pre-Installation Considerations................................................................................................................................ 9
Configuration of Example Switches........................................................................................................................................................................................10
Implementing VFs on Brocade DCX A ...................................................................................................................................................................................11
Enabling VFs.................................................................................................................................................................11
Creating a Base Logical Switch ...................................................................................................................................13
Creating a Standard Logical Switch ............................................................................................................................13
Configuring Logical Switches (DCX A) .........................................................................................................................15
Assigning Ports to a Logical Switch.............................................................................................................................18
Configuring a Logical Switch for XISL..........................................................................................................................20
Creating a Logical Fabric Using XISLs.........................................................................................................................21
Creating and Validating Logical Fabrics Using LISLs .................................................................................................23
Creating and Validating Logical Fabrics using ISLs ...................................................................................................24
Implementing VFs on Brocade DCX B ...................................................................................................................................................................................26
Removing VFs.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................27
Removing Ports from a Logical and/or Base Switch .................................................................................................27
Deleting Logical Switches............................................................................................................................................28
Changing the FID of a Logical Switch .........................................................................................................................29
Disabling Virtual Fabrics..............................................................................................................................................30
Appendix: Disabling ADs.............................................................................................................................................................................................................31
Deploying Virtual Fabrics in the Brocade Data Center 2 of 31

INTRODUCTION
Virtual Fabrics (VF) is a suite of related capabilities (Logical Switch, Logical Fabric) available in Brocade®
Fabric OS® (FOS) 6.2 and later running on Brocade 8 Gbit/sec platforms: Brocade DCX® Backbone, Brocade
DCX-4S Backbone, Brocade 5100 Switch, and Brocade 5300 Switch. You can manage VFs using the FOS
Command Line Interface (CLI) and/or Brocade Data Center Fabric Manager (DCFM®).
NOTE: Virtual Fabrics is not currently supported on the Brocade 300 Switch, but will be in a future release.
For example use cases, see Solution Guide: Using the Brocade Virtual Fabrics Feature in the Data Center.
Figure 1 illustrates the Virtual Fabrics architecture, which consists of the following components:
 Logical Switch (LS)
 Logical Fabric (LF)
 Device sharing
Logical Device
Fabrics sharing
Base Routing infrastructure
Logical Switches
Figure 1. Brocade Virtual Fabrics architecture
NOTE: Virtual Fabrics and Administrative Domains (ADs) are mutually exclusive and are not supported at the
same time on a switch. To find out about disabling ADs, see the Appendix.
For more information about the VF feature and how it works, see these documents on www.brocade.com:
 White Paper: Virtual Fabrics Provide Administrative Flexibility in a Shared Storage Environment
 Frequently Asked Questions: Brocade FOS 6.2 Virtual Fabrics Feature
For further details about how to install, configure, and deploy Brocade VFs, ensure that you have access to
current product documentation:
 Brocade Fabric OS Administrator’s Guide
 Brocade Command Reference (for CLI commands)
 Brocade DCFM User’s Guide (for GUI management)
 Brocade Fabric OS 6.2 Release Notes (or current FOS version)
For assistance in evaluating, planning, and deploying Virtual Fabrics in your data center, consult your sales
representative for information on Brocade Global Services offerings.

VIRTUAL FABRICS OVERVIEW

To use the Virtual Fabrics features, you must first enable Virtual Fabrics on the switch. Enabling Virtual
Fabrics creates a single Logical Switch in the physical chassis. This Logical Switch is called the “Default
Logical Switch,” and it initially contains all of the ports in the physical chassis. After you enable Virtual
Fabrics, you can create up to seven additional user-defined Logical Switches (depending on the switch
model) for a total of eight.
Table 1. Logical Switch scalability
Platform Max. # Logical Switches
Brocade DCX Backbone 8

Brocade DCX-4S Backbone 8
Brocade 5300 Switch 4
Brocade 5100 Switch 3
When you create a Logical Switch, you must assign it a Fabric ID (FID). The FID uniquely identifies each
Logical Switch in a chassis and indicates to which fabric the Logical Switch belongs. You cannot define
multiple logical switches with the same FID in the same chassis. The default Logical Switch is initially
assigned FID 128. You can change this value later.
Initially, all ports belong to the default Logical Switch. When you create additional Logical Switches, they are
empty and you must assign ports to them. As you assign ports to a Logical Switch, the ports are moved from
the default Logical Switch to the newly created Logical Switch. A physical port always resides in a single
Logical Switch.
You can move only F_Ports and E_Ports from one Logical Switch to another. If you want to configure a
different type of port, such as a VE_Port or EX_Port, you must configure them after you move them. For
further details about moving ports, see the Fabric OS Administrator’s Guide.
You can connect Logical Switches to physical switches (non-VF-enabled switches) or to other Logical
Switches. You connect a Logical Switch to another Logical Switch in one of two ways:
 Using Inter-Switch Links (ISLs)
 Using Base Logical Switches and shared ISLs (XISLs)
The ISLs between the Logical Switches are dedicated ISLs because they carry traffic only for a single
logical fabric. If you connect two logical switches with different FIDs, the link between the switches
segments. A logical fabric is a fabric that contains at least one logical switch.
Below are the types of ISLs supported in a Virtual Fabrics environment:
 Inter Switch Link (ISL). Connects two physical switches in the same fabric; can connect a physical or
logical switch.
 Inter Fabric Link (IFL). Configured/enabled between an edge fabric’s E_Port and a Fibre Channel (FC)
router’s EX_Port.
 Extended Inter-Switch Link (XISL). Directly connects two BSs in two different chassis; carries traffic for
multiple Logical Fabrics.
 Logical Inter-Switch Link (LISL). Connects two Logical Switches (non-BS) in two different chassis via
the XILS on the BS. Each LISL is a logical link dedicated to the traffic flow for a single Logical Fabric.

Logical Switch Logical Switch Base Switch Chassis A

FID 1 FID 2 FID 3
E_Port E_Port EX_Port
IFL
ISL
E_Port
Non-VF-capable Chassis B
switch
Figure 2. ISL and IFL example
In Figure 3, FID 1 is using an ISL connection and FID 2 is using an LISL connection via the BS
XISL connections.
Logical Switch Logical Switch LISL Base Switch Chassis A

FID 1 FID 2 FID 3
ISL LISL XISL
Logical Switch Logical Switch Base Switch Chassis B

FID 1 FID 2 LISL FID 3
Figure 3. ISL, LISL, and XISL example
NOTES:
 There is no change in E_Port or F_Port Trunking with VFs.
 An ICL can be used in any Logical Switch. If used with a Base Switch, it becomes part of the XISL
connectivity. If used with any other user-defined Logical Switch, you must disable XISL for that user-
defined Logical Switch.
 Flow prioritization is supported per Logical Switch. High/Low Virtual Channels (VCs) are shared across all
Logical Fabrics in the base fabric. One VC is reserved for Medium priority flows in each Logical Fabric.
 License operations are at the chassis level and apply to all Logical Switches in the chassis.

LOGICAL SWITCH OVERVIEW

Virtual Fabrics allows a physical switch to be partitioned into multiple Logical Switches, which can in turn be
interconnected to form Logical Fabrics. Each Logical Switch acts as an independent fabric component in
terms of protocol and management. Each Logical Switch has its own fabric services (Name Server, Zoning,
and so on, configuration (port, switch, fabric, and so on), and fabric characteristics (Operating Mode,
addressing, and so on).
NOTE: Only one version of FOS 6.2 or later can be is in effect for the entire chassis.
The following fabric identifiers are used for Logical Switches:
 Each is created with a unique FID in the chassis.
 All Logical Switches in a Logical Fabric must have the same FID.
 Non-VF enabled switches can exist in the same fabric with VF-enabled switches.
 FID conflicts are logged in the raslog as a warning.
The following are points of comparison between FIDs and Domain IDs (DIDs), as shown in Figure 4:
 A FID identifies the fabric to which the Logical Switch belongs; a DID identifies the switch in the fabric.
 FIDs must be the same within the fabric; DIDs must be unique.
Logical Switch Logical Switch Base Switch

Chassis A
FID 10/DID 1 FID 20/DID 1 FID 3/DID 1

Figure 4. Fabric ID versus Device ID
Logical Switch Configuration

Following is an overview of the tasks required to configure a Logical Switch:
1. Create a Logical Switch (assign a Fabric ID).
2. Add ports to a logical switch
o Ports can come from any other Logical Switch.
o Port are forced offline when they are moved from one Logical Switch to another.
3. Configure operating parameters for logical switch and/or ports.
o Change fabric identifier of existing logical switch.
o Delete a logical switch.

Logical Switch Port Identification

Table 2 lists relevant characteristics of port identifiers for Logical Switches. Note that new port addressing
modes have been added to allow the use of FC8-48 blades in FICON environments.
Table 2. Port identifiers for Logical Switches
Physical Port Number Port Index FC Address (Area + Port)
Used in user interaction Used in port zoning Used to determine the 24-bit FC Product ID
(PID) of a device connected to a port
Bound to physical location of Can be changed using Dynamically allocated when a port is added
the port and never changes portSwap to a Logical Switch; persistent thereafter
across port state changes and reboots
Unique chassis-wide Unique chassis-wide Unique only within a Logical Switch
Default (Logical) Switch (DS)

The DS initially contains all the ports in the chassis. The DS FID is 128. The DS supports F/FL/E/VE/ICL
ports. Devices shipped with FOS 6.2 have VFs enabled by default, thus the default switch is created with all
ports assigned to it. Devices upgraded to FOS 6.2 can have VFs manually enabled if you wish to use the VF
feature on the switch. Once enabled and rebooted the default switch is created.
Default Logical Switch supported port types per blade:
 FR4-18i (E/F/GbE Ports configured as VE_Ports)
 FA4-18 (E/F Ports)
 FC10-6 (E/F Ports)
 FS8-18 (E/F/Encryption Ports)
 FC8-xx (E/F Ports)
 DCX/DCX-4S (ICL Ports)
Base (Logical) Switch (BS)

The BS supports E/EX/VEX ports only (there is no F/FL support). The BS supports Brocade Native The BS
shares ports between Logical Switches and ISL connections between Logical Switches. mode only. Note
that ISL connections between Base Switches are called XISLs.
BS-supported port types per blade:
 FR4-18i (GbE Ports configured as VEX_Ports)
 FC8-xx (E/EX Ports)
 DCX/DCX-4S (ICL Ports)
In the configuration below, both Logical Switches (FID 10 and FID 20) can use the ISL connections between
the BSs allowing optimal utilization of the physical connectivity between the two chassis. An LISL is
automatically established from FID 10 on Chassis A to FID 10 on Chassis B through the XISL connections
on the BS. The same is true for FID 20.

Logical Switch Logical Switch Base Switch Chassis A

FID 10 FID 20
ISLs

FID 10 FID 20
Figure 5. Base Logical Switch
The BS can also be used as a router. EX_Ports are created on the BS to establish connections from each
edge fabric to the BS, which then acts as a backbone fabric. Below is an example in which the host
connected to FID 20 can access the storage connected to FID 10 using this routing functionality.
Server
IFL
E_Port EX_Port
Logical Switch Logical Switch Base Switch

FID 10 FID 20
E_Port EX_Port
IFL
Storage
Figure 6. Base (Logical) Switch used for routing
Standard (Logical) Switch (LS)

The LS supports F/FL/E/VE ports. It is most commonly used for connecting devices. The LS supports
Brocade Native mode, Interopmode 2, and Interopmode 3. VFs can have any combination of Logical
Switches running in different modes in the same physical switch.
LS supported port types per blade:
 FR4-18i (VE Ports)
 FC8-xx (E/F/FL Ports)
NOTE: FICON traffic is supported in Logical Switches. In the Brocade DCX/DCX-4S Backbone,
FICON is supported with 48-port Blades. FICON is not supported for the BS.
For detailed scalability information, see the Brocade Scalability Guidelines, available on this Web page:
www.brocade.com/compatibility.

Managing VFs
A VF-capable chassis is managed as a set of Logical Switches, not as a single switch. One common IP
address is shared among all Logical Switches in the chassis. Chassis management, either via the FOS CLI
or Brocade DCFM, includes hardware and software operations that impact multiple Logical Switches. Switch
management is the same for both physical switches and Logical Switches.
VF DEPLOYMENT OVERVIEW
On switches shipped with Fabric OS v6.2 or later, VFs is enabled by default 1 . Devices upgraded to FOS 6.2
or later from earlier versions of FOS will have VFs disabled by default.
NOTE: Before enabling VFs, ensure that there are no Administrative Domains (ADs) in effect. ADs must be
disabled before enabling VFs (see Appendix for details).
Below is a list of high-level tasks associated with Brocade device configuration for deploying VFs.
1. Configure a Hyper Terminal on the laptop you will use for fabric management, and configure IP addresses
for management interfaces.
2. Establish Ethernet connections to the management switch and Telnet to the switch.
3. Verify that the current firmware is version 6.2 or later. If necessary upgrade FOS via FTP or by using a
Brocade USB key.
4. Configure Domain ID and fabric parameters.
5. Set the switch name and (optionally) configure: time server, date (manually), time zone, and Syslog server.
6. Verify and/or install required FOS licenses.
7. Verify FOS configuration and/or enable iSCSI/FCR/ISNSC services.
8. (Optional) Configure Interopmode.
9. Upload the configuration to the FTP server.
10. Verify switch and component status.
11. Perform supportSave to the FTP server.
12. Run SAN Health (3.1.4 or later)
VF Pre-Installation Considerations
Note the following when you are getting ready to install and deploy Virtual Fabrics:
 Most devices shipped with FOS 6.2 or later have VF enabled, default switch FID 128 defined, and all
ports assigned to default switch.
 When a previous FOS version is upgraded to version 6.2, VF is disabled by default. When it is enabled
and the switch has been rebooted, all ports are assigned to the default switch FID 128.
 The DS in a Brocade DCX/DCX-4S cannot be a BS; however, the DS in a Brocade 5100/5300 can also
be a BS.
1 Your switch may or may or may not be configured this way. Consult the product documentation for details.

CONFIGURATION OF EXAMPLE SWITCHES

In the sections that follow, the step-by-step procedures reflect a configuration that includes two Brocade
DCX Backbones as shown in Figure 7.
Brocade DCX A
VF Enabled Logical Switches Logical Fabrics
Server
LISL
Default LS Logical Switch Base Switch

XISL
Default LS Logical Switch Base Switch

LISL
Storage
Brocade DCX B
Figure 7. Virtual Fabric implementation example

IMPLEMENTING VFS ON BROCADE DCX A

To display CLI command usage, type the command, followed by the word “help”. You could also consult the
Brocade Command Reference, included with the switch product documentation. In the procedures in this
and other sections, example CLI output is shown below the command.
NOTE: When VFs is enabled on a switch, it forces a switch reboot. It usually takes a minute or two for the
switch to come back up with all the components initialized.
In the Virtual Fabric implementation detailed in this paper, two Brocade DCX Backbones are running
FOS 6.2.0 or later. One will be called ‘Brocade DCX A” or simply “DCX A” and the other “Brocade DCX B” or
“DCX B.” Configuration parameters are detailed in Table 3, in which the configuration for DCX A is shaded.
Table 3. Brocade DCX A and B configurations (differences flagged by the use of italics)
Brocade DCX A Brocade DCX B
Default Switch FID = 128 Default Switch FID = 128

Default Switch DID = 1 Default Switch DID = 2
Base Logical Switch FID = 2 Base Logical Switch FID = 2
Base Logical Switch DID = 1 Base Logical Switch DID = 2
Ports assigned to Base Logical Switch: Ports assigned to Base Logical Switch:
Slots 5 & 8 Ports 0 – 31 (ICL ports used for XISLs) Slots 5 & 8 Ports 0 – 31 (ICL ports used for XISLs)
Standard Logical Switch 1 FID = 3 Standard Logical Switch 1 FID = 3
Standard Logical Switch 1 DID = 1 Standard Logical Switch 1 DID = 2
Ports assigned to standard Logical Switch 1: Ports assigned to standard Logical Switch 1:
Slot 1 ports 0 – 10 (Host) and Host HBA ports 5 & 6 Slot 1 ports 0 – 10 (Storage) and Host HBA port 9
Enabling VFs
NOTE: Enabling VFs prompts for confirmation, because the chassis reboots after this command is executed.
All EX_Ports are disabled after the reboot.
1. Log in to the switch with the account that has the chassis-role permission.
2. Verify the current VF configuration: fosconfig –show
3. Enable VFs (ensuring that switch authentication is being used and not Radius): fosconfig --enable vf
NOTE: Enabling VF requires a reboot A single Logical Switch is created in the physical chassis: the default
Logical Switch. The Default Switch initially contains all of the ports in the physical chassis. It is initially
assigned FIC 128, which can be changed later. Up to seven user-defined Logical Switches can be set up
per chassis depending on the switch model. You cannot delete the Logical Switch unless you disable VFs.

4. Verify the VF is enabled after the reboot: fosconfig –show

(The prompt changed from DEV_DCX_A to DEV_DCX_A:FID128, which is the default logical switch.)
switchshow
5. Verify default logical switch configuration: lscfg –show

(Note that all ports are assigned to default Logical Switch FID 128 by default.)
(Output truncated)

Creating a Base Logical Switch

1. Log in to the switch with account that has the chassis-role permission, and create a Base Logical Switch
with base FID 2: lscfg --create 2 –b
You can use the -force operand to suppress the warning messages.
2. Verify the Logical Switch configuration: lscfg –show

In the “Created switches” area (highlighted in the example below), the newly created BS is shown followed
by “bs” in parentheses. The Brocade DCX chassis/slots are shown. All ports belong to the DS until you
specify which ports belong to which Logical Switch. In this example port blades are installed in Slots 1, 2, 4,
12 and ICL blades in slots 5 and 8.
(Output truncated)
Creating a Standard Logical Switch

When a standard Logical Switch is created, it is automatically enabled and is empty, that is, it does not have
any ports. After creating the Logical Switch, you must disable the switch to configure it and set the Domain
ID. Then you assign ports to the Logical Switch. Or you can define the Logical Switch to be a BS. Each
chassis can have only one BS.
NOTE: DID conflicts are detected before FID conflicts. If you have both a DID conflict and an FID conflict,
only the DID conflict is reported.
We are going to create a Base Logical Switch FID 2 and standard Logical Switch FID 3. The BS will contain
the ICLs and will be used for XISLs and LISLs between the two Brocade DCX chassis. The standard Logical
Switch will have the host connection DCX A and storage connection on DCX B. Using the XISL for ISL traffic
in the LS FID 1 fabric, the host on DCX A will access storage on DCX B.

2. Create a standard Logical Switch with fabric id 3: lscfg --create 3
3. Verify the Logical Switch configuration: lscfg –show

In the “Created switches area,” the default Logical Switch 128 (ds) and Base Logical Switch 2 (bs) are
shown along with the newly created Logical Switch. The Brocade DCX chassis/slots are shown. All ports
belong to the DS until you specify which ports belong to which Logical Switch.
(Output truncated)

Configuring Logical Switches (DCX A)

(See Table 2 for DCX A switch configuration details.)
1. Set the context to the newly created Logical Switch. In this example the Base Logical Switch is FID 2:
setcontect 2
You are now be in the command context of Logical Switch 2 as noted by the command line.
2. View the Logical Switch configuration: switchshow

Note there are no ports in the Logical Switch as no ports have been defined yet.
3. Configure Logical Switch attributes similar to configuring attributes for a physical chassis (first disable the
switch): switchdisable
This disables only the Logical Switch and not the DS, chassis, or any other Logical Switches. Below is an
example of changing the context back to 128, which is the DS, and validating that it is still online:
switchshow

4. Assign Domain ID 1 to the BS FID2: configure
5. Enable the switch: switchenable
6. Configure Interopmode (Optional)
The first Logical Switch is now configured and now the second Logical Switch will be configured.
(See Table 2 for DCX B switch configuration details.)

7. Set the context to the newly created logical switch. In this example logical switch FID 3: setcontect 3
You are now in the command context of Logical Switch 3 as noted by the command line. Note that we have
moved from the previous Logical Switch context 2 to Logical Switch 3.
8. View the Logical Switch configuration: switchshow

Note there are no ports in the Logical Switch as no ports have been defined yet.
9. Configure Logical Switch attributes similar to configuring attributes for a physical chassis (first disable the
switch): switchdisable
This disables only the Logical Switch and not the DS, the chassis, or any other Logical Switches. Below is a
screen shot of changing the context back to 128, which is the default switch and validating that it is still
online: switchshow

10. Assign a Domain ID 1 to the Base Logical Switch FID3: configure
12. Configure Interopmode (optional).
Assigning Ports to a Logical Switch

All ports in a chassis must be assigned to a Logical Switch. All ports are initially assigned to the DS. In this
case the DS FID is 128 and is always the default switch FID unless changed after enabling VF. When you
create a Logical Switch, it has no ports assigned to it. You assign ports to a logical switch by moving the
ports from one logical switch to another.
If you want to remove ports from a logical switch, you must move those ports to a different logical switch.
When you move a port from one logical switch to another, the port is automatically disabled. Any
performance monitors that were installed on the port are deleted. If monitors are required in the new
Logical Switch, you must manually reinstall them on the port after the move.
If the logical switch to which the port is moved has fabric mode Top Talkers enabled, then if the port is an
E_Port, fabric mode Top Talker, monitors are automatically installed on that port.
NOTE: If you are deploying ICLs in the BS, then all ports associated with those ICLs must be assigned to the
BS. If you are deploying ICLs to connect to DSs (XISL use is not allowed), then the ICL ports should be
assigned (or left) in the DS.

In this example, ports 0 through 10 (host/storage) on slot 1 are moved to Logical Switch FID 3 and ports
0 through 31 on slot 5 (ICL ports) are moved to BS FID 2.
2. Set the context to the Logical Switch where the ports are currently assigned (by default all are assigned to
FID 128, which is the default logical switch): setcontext fabricID
In this example all ports are currently in DS FID 128. Ports 0 through 31 on slots 5 and 8 will be moved to
BS FID 2
3. Assign ports from the DS slot 5 (ports 0 through 31) to BS FID 2 (it takes about 20 sec to complete the
change): lscfg --config 2 -slot 5 -port 0-31
4. Assign ports from the DS slot 8 (ports 0 through 31) to BS FID 2:

lscfg --config 2 -slot 8 -port 0-31
5. Assign ports from DS slot 1 (ports 0 through 10) to Logical Switch FID 3:

6. Validate that ports were successfully moved to the specified Logical Switches: lscfg --show
(Output truncated)
Configuring a Logical Switch for XISL

An XISL is a shared ISL connecting BSs, for example, an XISL could be used to share devices among
different Logical Fabrics. By default when you create a Logical Switch it is configured to use XISLs. The
following procedure lets you allow or disallow the Logical Switch to use XISLs in the base fabric.
NOTE. A BS cannot be configured to use XISLs.
2. Set the context to the switch you want to manage. In this example, it is Logical Switch 3 with FID 3:
setcontext 3
3. Verify that the Logical Switch is set to allow XISL use: switchshow
Note that Allow XISL Use is currently ON (default value). If Allow XISL Use is OFF,t to turn it on:

a) Disable the switch (necessary to configure XISL settings: switchdisable
b) Configure the Logical Switch to disallow or allow XISL use: configure

Enter yes, Y or no, n.
Creating a Logical Fabric Using XISLs

In this example, XISLs are created between DCX A and DCX B. The XISLs will be joined between the BS FID 2
on each Brocade DCX.
2. Change the context to the BS: setcontext 2
3. Verify that the ports to be used for XISLs are disabled. In this example, slots 5 and 8 ports 0 through 31
(Brocade DCX ICL ports) are shown:.switchshow
(Output truncated; all ICL ports 0 through 31 are disabled on BS FID 2)

4. Ensure that the necessary cables are attached that will form the XISLs, that is, that the ICL cables properly
connect the two Brocade DCX chassis.
5. Validate that the necessary BS is set up with the desired ports assigned to it. An XISL connection is a
connection between BSs that can be used for LISL traffic between multiple Logical Fabrics. In this example
BS FID 2 is configured on each Brocade DCX with ports 0 through 31 on slots 5 and 8 assigned to it.
6. Enable XISL ports on Local Base Switch (DCX A in our example): portenable slot/port
7. Perform steps 1 through 6 on the remote BS (DCX B in this example), and verify that XISLs between BSs are
successfully joined: switchshow
(Output truncated; ports 0 through 31 on slots 5 and 8 are successfully joined)
8. Verify the fabric: fabricshow

Creating and Validating Logical Fabrics Using LISLs

In this example, LISLs are created for use between FID 3 Logical Switches that will use the XISLs between
DCX A and DCX B chassis. Since there is no physical cabling involved in using LISLs that transverse physical
XISL links, ports will simply be enabled on the Logical Switches and zone hosts to storage.
NOTE: As long as the Logical Switches were enabled and configured to use XISLs as set up in previous
procedures, the fabric will already be present if the XISLs are enabled and up.
2. Change the context to the Logical Switch: setcontext 3
Since LISLs are used over the XISLs created in the previous step cables do not have to be physically
plugged in.
3. Validate that the necessary Logical Switch is set up with the desired ports assigned to it. An LISL connection
is a connection between two Logical switches that uses a physical XISL connection established between
BSs. In this example Logical Switch FID 3 is configured on each Brocade DCX with ports 0- through 10 on
slot 1 assigned to it.
4. Verify that the LISLs between the Logical Switches are successfully joined: switchshow
(Note the LISL at the bottom of the output)

6. Enable host and storage ports: portenable slot/port

Ports 5 and 6 on slot 1 of DCX B for the host, and port 9 on slot 1 of DCX B for storage.
7. Verify that the host and storage logs in to the specified ports: switchshow
8. Perform steps 1 through 8 on the remote logical switch (DCX B in this example).
Creating and Validating Logical Fabrics using ISLs

In this example, ISLs are created for use between FID 3 Logical Switches that will use physical ISLs between
ports 0 and 1 of DCX A and DCX B chassis. . An ISL connection is a connection between two Logical
Switches that uses physical cable connections established between the Logical Switches.
1. Log in to the switch with an account that has the chassis-role permission.
2. Change the context to Logical Switch: setcontext 3

3. Verify that the ports to be used for ISLs are disabled, in this example slots 5 and 8 ports 0 through 31,
which are DCX ICL ports (ports 0 and 1 will be used for ISLs between FID 3 Logical Switches): switchshow
4. Ensure the necessary fiber cables are attached that will form the ISLs between DCX A slot 1 port 0 and DCX
B slot 1 port 0, as well as the cable between DCX A slot 1 port 1 and DCX B slot 1 port 1.
5. Since ISLs are used, you need to validate that the necessary fibre cables are installed between the two DCX
chassis. Ports 0 to 0 and 1 to 1 are used for the ISLs between Logical Switches with FID 3.
6. Validate that the necessary Logical Switch is set up with the desired ports assigned to it. In this example,
logical switch FID 3 is configured on each DCX with ports 0-10 on slot 1 assigned to it.
7. Enable ISL ports: portenable slot/port
8. Perform steps 1 through 7 on the remote Logical Switch (DCX B in this example).
9. Verify that LISLs between Logical Switches are successfully joined (in the output shown, the ISL on ports 0
and 1 joined successfully): switchshow

11. (Optional) Verify the trunk: trunkshow
IMPLEMENTING VFS ON BROCADE DCX B

To display CLI command usage, type the command, followed by the word “help”. You could also consult the
Brocade Command Reference, included with the switch product documentation. In the procedures in this
and other sections, example CLI output is shown below the command.
NOTE: When VFs is enabled on a switch, it forces a switch reboot and all EX_Ports are disabled. It usually
takes a minute or two for the switch to come back up with all the components initialized.
Table 4. Brocade DCX A and B configurations (differences flagged by the use of italics)
Brocade DCX A Brocade DCX B
Default Switch FID = 128 Default Switch FID = 128

Default Switch DID = 1 Default Switch DID = 2
Base Logical Switch FID = 2 Base Logical Switch FID = 2
Base Logical Switch DID = 1 Base Logical Switch DID = 2
Ports assigned to Base Logical Switch: Ports assigned to Base Logical Switch:
Slots 5 & 8 Ports 0 – 31 (ICL ports used for XISLs) Slots 5 & 8 Ports 0 – 31 (ICL ports used for XISLs)
Standard Logical Switch 1 FID = 3 Standard Logical Switch 1 FID = 3
Standard Logical Switch 1 DID = 1 Standard Logical Switch 1 DID = 2
Ports assigned to standard Logical Switch 1: Ports assigned to standard Logical Switch 1:
Slot 1 ports 0 – 10 (Host) and Host HBA ports 5 & 6 Slot 1 ports 0 – 10 (Storage) and Host HBA port 9
Follow the same procedures as described for implementing VFs on Brocade DCX A (see Implementing VFs
on Brocade DCX A), but reflect the configuration details for Brocade DCX B (shaded in Table 4 above). These
procedures include:
 Enabling VFs
 Creating a Base Logical Switch
 Creating a Standard Logical Switch
 Configuring Logical Switches
 Assigning Ports to a Logical Switch

REMOVING VFS
The procedures in this section detail how to remove ports from a Logical or Base (Logical) Switch, delete a
Logical Switch, change the FID of a Logical Switch, and disable Virtual Fabrics.
Removing Ports from a Logical and/or Base Switch

Before deleting a Logical Switch and/or BS, all ports must be unassigned from the switch being deleted.
2. Validate current configuration: lscfg --show
3. Remove ports from Context 3 (assign them back to the default switch context 128): setcontext 3
Assign ports 0 through 10 on slot 1 back to the default switch 128:
4. Remove ports from Context 2 (assign them back to the default switch context 128): setcontext 2

5. Asign ports 0 through 31 on slots 5 and 8 back to the default switch 128:
6. Validate that ports were successfully moved to the necessary Logical Switches (all ports should be assigned
to default Logical Switch 128): lscfg --show
Deleting Logical Switches

NOTE: You cannot delete the Default Logical Switch.
2. Verify existing (created) Logical Switches: lscfg --show
3. Delete Logical Base Switch 2: lsfg --delete 2

4. Delete Logical Switch 3: lscfg --delete 3
5. Verify that Logical Switches 2 and 3 were deleted: lscfg –show

Notice that only the Default Logical Switch appears and 2 and 3 are gone.
Changing the FID of a Logical Switch

The main reason for changing the FID of a Logical Switch is this: you want to move the Logical Switch from
one fabric to another (since the FID indicates to which fabric the Logical Switch is assigned). When you
change the FID of a Logical Switch the ports assigned to that switch stay with it.
2. Set the context to the Logical Switch you want to manage. In this example, the FID of Logical Switch 2 is
changed to 4 and then back to 2: setcontext 2
3. Disable the Logical Switch: switchdisable
4. Change the FID of the Logical Switch: lscfg --change 2 -newfid 4
5. Enable the Logical Switch: switchenable

Note that the FID is still 2. You must log out and then log back in to the Logical Switch.
Set the context to 4 instead of 2, since you changed the context from 2 to 4 in the previous step.
6. Log out of FID 2 by changing context to 128: setcontext 128

7. Now login to Logical Switch 4 and change the FID back to 2: setcontext 4
lscfg --change 4 -newfid 2
8. Enable the Logical Switch.
Disabling Virtual Fabrics

When VFs is disabled, the switch/CPs are rebooted.
NOTE: If F_Port Trunking is enabled on ports in the Default Logical Switch, the F_Port Trunking information
is deleted.
2. Verify that VFs is currently enabled: fosconfig --show
3. Disable VFs: fosconfig --disable vf
4. After reboot, verify that VFs is now disabled: fosconfig --show

APPENDIX: DISABLING ADS

In order to create and use Virtual Switches and Virtual Fabrics, Administrative Domains created with a
previous version of FOS must be disabled using the CLI command ad in the default AD (AD0).
DCX98:admin> ad --select 255
-----------------------------------------------------------------
DCX98:AD255:admin> ad --deactivate AD_0

You are about deactivate an AD.
This operation will fail if an effective zone configuration exists in the AD
Do you want to deactivate 'AD_0' admin domain (yes, y, no, n): [no] y
For assistance in planning and implementing a migration from the use of ADs to VFs in your data center,
consult your sales representative for information on Brocade Global Services offerings.
© 2009 Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 01/09 GA-DG-147-00
Brocade, Fabric OS, File Lifecycle Manager, MyView, and StorageX are registered trademarks and the Brocade B-wing symbol,
DCFM, DCX, and SAN Health are trademarks of Brocade Communications Systems, Inc., in the United States and/or in other
countries. All other brands, products, or service names are or may be trademarks or service marks of, and are used to identify,
products or services of their respective owners.
Notice: This document is for informational purposes only and does not set forth any warranty, expressed or implied, concerning
any equipment, equipment feature, or service offered or to be offered by Brocade. Brocade reserves the right to make changes
to this document at any time, without notice, and assumes no responsibility for its use. This informational document describes
features that may not be currently available. Contact a Brocade sales office for information on feature and product availability.
Export of technical data contained in this document may require an export license from the United States government.

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FROM THE SOLUTIONS CENTER

Deploying Virtual Fabrics in the Brocade Data Center 2 of 31

 Logical Switch (LS)

 Logical Fabric (LF)

Base Routing infrastructure

Figure 1. Brocade Virtual Fabrics architecture

 Frequently Asked Questions: Brocade FOS 6.2 Virtual Fabrics Feature

 Brocade Fabric OS Administrator’s Guide

 Brocade Command Reference (for CLI commands)

 Brocade DCFM User’s Guide (for GUI management)

 Brocade Fabric OS 6.2 Release Notes (or current FOS version)

Deploying Virtual Fabrics in the Brocade Data Center 3 of 31

VIRTUAL FABRICS OVERVIEW

Table 1. Logical Switch scalability

Platform Max. # Logical Switches

Brocade DCX Backbone 8

 Using Inter-Switch Links (ISLs)

 Using Base Logical Switches and shared ISLs (XISLs)

Deploying Virtual Fabrics in the Brocade Data Center 4 of 31

Logical Switch Logical Switch Base Switch Chassis A

Figure 2. ISL and IFL example

Logical Switch Logical Switch LISL Base Switch Chassis A

ISL LISL XISL

Logical Switch Logical Switch Base Switch Chassis B

Figure 3. ISL, LISL, and XISL example

 There is no change in E_Port or F_Port Trunking with VFs.

Deploying Virtual Fabrics in the Brocade Data Center 5 of 31

LOGICAL SWITCH OVERVIEW

The following fabric identifiers are used for Logical Switches:

 Each is created with a unique FID in the chassis.

 FID conflicts are logged in the raslog as a warning.

Logical Switch Logical Switch Base Switch

Logical Switch Logical Switch Base Switch Chassis B

Figure 4. Fabric ID versus Device ID

Logical Switch Configuration

1. Create a Logical Switch (assign a Fabric ID).

2. Add ports to a logical switch

o Ports can come from any other Logical Switch.

3. Configure operating parameters for logical switch and/or ports.

o Change fabric identifier of existing logical switch.

o Delete a logical switch.

Deploying Virtual Fabrics in the Brocade Data Center 6 of 31

Logical Switch Port Identification

Table 2. Port identifiers for Logical Switches

Physical Port Number Port Index FC Address (Area + Port)

Default (Logical) Switch (DS)

Default Logical Switch supported port types per blade:

 FR4-18i (E/F/GbE Ports configured as VE_Ports)

 FA4-18 (E/F Ports)

 FC10-6 (E/F Ports)

 FS8-18 (E/F/Encryption Ports)

 FC8-xx (E/F Ports)

 DCX/DCX-4S (ICL Ports)

Base (Logical) Switch (BS)

BS-supported port types per blade:

 FR4-18i (GbE Ports configured as VEX_Ports)

 FC8-xx (E/EX Ports)

 DCX/DCX-4S (ICL Ports)

Deploying Virtual Fabrics in the Brocade Data Center 7 of 31

Logical Switch Logical Switch Base Switch Chassis A

Logical Switch Logical Switch Base Switch Chassis B

Figure 5. Base Logical Switch