STORAGE AREA NETWORK

Quick Configuration Guide:

Access Gateway NPIV with
EFCM Management

N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) is an industry-standard Fibre

Channel (FC) protocol that allows a single FC interface to
present multiple N_Port IDs, each with its own World Wide
Name (WWN)

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Quick Configuration Guide

INTRODUCTION
This Quick Configuration Guide provides configuration procedures for M-Series switches (former
McDATA switches running Brocade M-Enterprise OS), B-Series switches (Brocade switches running
Fabric OS), and embedded port blades. It also includes best practices for zoning switches in Access
Gateway mode and a procedure for setting (optional) threshold alerts.

N_PORT ID VIRTUALIZATION
N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) is an industry-standard Fibre Channel protocol that allows a single Fibre
Channel interface to present multiple N_Port IDs, each with its own WWN. This allows for aggregation
of server Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) and therefore reduces cabling and fabric port requirements.
NPIV is supported on HP blade servers in HP BladeSystem c-Class enclosures with Brocade 4 Gbit/sec
Storage Area Network (SAN) switch in Access Gateway (AG) mode. The 4 Gbit/sec switch can have up
to 24 ports with a maximum of 16 ports for backend connections to the blade server HBAs and a
maximum of 8 external uplink N_Ports for connectivity to SAN fabric switches that support NPIV
technology.
In Figure 1, all 16 internal ports are used and 4 uplink ports are used resulting in an aggregation of
16:4 (1:4) server HBAs to fabric ports. The mapping of server bay HBA ports to uplinks is configurable.
Blade Enclosure

C-Class in AG
4700

Server Bay 1
Server Bay 2
Server Bay 3
Server Bay 4
Server Bay 5
Server Bay 6
Server Bay 7
Server Bay 8
Server Bay 9
Server Bay 10
Server Bay 11
Server Bay 12
Server Bay 13
Server Bay 14
Server Bay 15
Server Bay 16

Figure 1. Aggregation of server HBAs to fabric ports

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Access Gateway in Brocade EFCM

The appearance of switches in AG mode in Brocade Enterprise Fabric Connectivity Manager (EFCM)
9.5 is as expected, but with Brocade EFCM 9.2, a switch in AG mode still appear as a switch and
therefore connections to it look like Inter-Switch Links (ISLs).

Configuration Tasks for M-Series Switches

Minimum Software Requirements
Although NPIV is supported on earlier versions of software, the versions used in this testing are:

Brocade EFCM 9.2 (or later)

Brocade M- EOS 9.01 (or later)

To Load NPIV License Key

1. From the Element Manager, select Configure > Features.

2.

From the pop-up window, select New.

3. Enter or paste the key into the space provided and click OK. Enter the license key exactly as you
received it (license keys are case sensitive).

NOTE: A feature key is not required with M-EOS 9.6 or later

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To Enable NPIV on M-Series Switches

1. From Element Manager select Configure > Operating Parameters.

2. In the Domain tab in the window, check Node Port Virtualization Enabled, and then click OK.

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To Configure NPIV Ports

Each port has an NPIV login limit, the maximum number of WWNs that can log in to a single port.
When NPIV is enabled, all ports default to a login limit of one WWN, however, for NPIV to be useful,
this number must be changed. Recommended settings for ports to which Access Gateway uplinks are
connected are:

Port#

Do not change

FC Address

Do not change

Name

This is a name you can give the director port, not a nickname for the
attached WWN. It is not required. Follow your companys standard naming
convention if port names are used.

Blocked

Block this port only if you are not ready to connect the uplink to the fabric.

RX BB Credit

Unless there is an unusually long cable between the switch in AG mode and
the fabric port, leave at the factory default of 12 (for switches) or 16 (for
directors).

LIN Alerts

Check this option if you want to receive LIN alerts on this port.

FAN Check

if you want to receive FAN alerts on this port.

Type

Set to GX on products that support loop. Set to G for all other products.

Speed

Set to Negotiate.

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Quick Configuration Guide

To Enable Open Systems Management Server

In the event of a failure in the uplink path between the Access Gateway and the switch, it will be
necessary for the Access Gateway to query the switch connections for the fabric name (Get Fabric
Name). This is required to ensure that blades are being rerouted to the same fabric. If Open Systems
Management Server (OSMS) is not enabled, failover will not happen automatically.

From the Element Manager, select Configure > Open Systems Management Server >
Enable OSMS.

Configuration Tasks for B-Series Switches

Configuring B-Series switches is easier than configuring M-Series switches because:

There is no need for a special NPIV license.

No special operations (OSMS) are required to support failover.

The number of NPIV logins default is 256, so this value does not need to be changed.

Minimum Software Requirements

Although NPIV is supported on earlier versions of software, it is not practical to manage fabrics
containing B-Series switches with Brocade EFCM any earlier than the versions below.

Brocade EFCM 9.5 (or later)

Brocade Fabric OS 5.03a (or later)

To Enable NPIV on B-Series Switches

NPIV is enabled on each port by default; however, best practice is to validate that it is enabled.
From Web Tools, click on the port in the graphic display. Alternatively, click on Port Admin in the
Manage list on the left, and then select the port in the image on the right.

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In this example, NPIV was enabled, as indicated in two different ways in the General tab:

The Enable NPIV button is grayed out (disabled) and cannot be selected; the Disable NPIV button
is enabled.

In the General port information, NPIV Enabled is listed as true.

NOTE: NPIV information is displayed only in advanced mode. If the

display is in basic mode, click on the Show Advanced Mode
button in the upper-right corner.

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If NPIV is not enabled, click the Enable NPIV button.

Click Device Details to display NPIV logins.

Configuration Tasks for Blade Switches

To launch Brocade Web Tools with IP in an Internet Browser
1. Enter the URL of the switch in Access Gateway mode in the Web browser address bar.
For example: http://155.108.30.75
You will be redirected to a login screen.

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2. A view of the switch in AG mode appears. Enable Access Gateway by selecting the Admin icon
button from the Main menu.

3. From the Switch tab, enable Access Gateway Mode and click Apply.

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FABRIC CONNECTIONS
Make all physical connections to the devices (SFP SFP), and make sure the port is not disabled on
the fabric switch.
To Enable Blade Switch Ports
1. From the full chassis view, select the port, and the click the Enable column header.

To Set Port Mapping (Optional)

Normally, the default mapping of N_Ports to F_Ports is adequate. Since the default mapping is based
on the number of ports and not activity associated with particular servers or devices, it may be
desirable to change the mapping. Changing the port mapping is not covered in this guide. See the
Brocade Access Gateway Administrators Guide, Port Mapping, for details. Port mapping functions
are not available through the Web interface. They must be changed using the Command-Line Interface
(CLI).
N_Ports

The ports through which blade servers or storage in the enclosure are connected to
the Access Gateway. These connections are integrated into the chassis and do not
require additional cabling.

F_Ports

The uplink ports that are connected to the fabric switch.

To determine the port mapping, from the CLI enter:

ag --mapShow

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To Set Failover/Failback Policy

When failover is enabled, N_Ports are automatically reassigned to another F_Port when there is a
failure on the uplink. When failback is enabled, the N_Port is automatically reassigned to the original
F_Port when the error clears.
NOTE: Failover and failback are disruptive.
To determine the current failover and failback policies, from the CLI enter:
ag --mapShow
Alternatively, you can use the failoverShow and failbackShow commands to view the failover and
failback policies for individual ports. The examples in the table below set and show the policies for
port 13.
Command

Description

ag --failovershow 13

Show the failover policies for an individual port

ag --failbackshow 13

Show the failback policies for an individual port

ag --failoverenable 13

Enable failover for an individual port

ag --failbackenable 13

Enable failback for an individual port

ag --failoverdisable 13

Disable failover for an individual port

ag --failbackdisable 13

Disable failback for an individual port

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ZONING
Zoning is the same for both B-Series and M-Series switches. Give each port a nickname as it relates to
bay and port in Brocade EFCM.

Zoning Dialogue box below:

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Another method of visually identifying the NPIV ports is to right-click within the Zoning Library potential
members and select Show Connected End Devices.

Note that the Host Group, Storage Group, and Switch Group are now separated. Expand the Host
Groupthere is now an NPIV group, which can be expanded to display the Access Gateway port
represented by a WWN beginning with 20 and the physical port on the blade switch, as well as the
associated HBA that is being passed through this port. Only the virtual port World Wide Names
(pWWN) should be included in zones. Do not put the WWN of the Access Gateway port, the WWN
beginning with 20, in a zone. With EFCM 9.5, the virtual ports are identified with a blue V inside a
dark circle next to the WWN or nickname.
The Access Gateway appears as both a switch (Brocade in the screen above) and a node port
attached to the switch (QDC_Int_Lab_Fab_B_Top in the screen above). The blade HBAs in the
C-Class chassis appear in both. It does not matter where you zone from, but do not include the WWN
for the Access Gateway in any zone.

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Quick Configuration Guide

Threshold Alerts (Optional)

Set threshold alerts on all switch ports to which the uplinks are connected.
1. From the Element Manger, select Configure > Threshold Alerts.

2. In the pop-up window, click New.

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3. The switch in Access Gateways mode logs in as F_Ports, so you must use the Selected ports
option, and then select all the ports to which uplinks are connected. Use your companys standard
alert naming convention. Set all other parameters as indicated in the screen below.

Access Gateway Alert Reporting through EFCM

The NPIV technology allows the switch to see individual WWN connections on a port when it is added
and removed. Therefore the switch sees changes in the Access Gateway that effect connectivity. As
with all connections to the fabric, connections that are removed are considered high importance fatal
alerts. New connections, however, are informational only. Changes in the Access Gateway are reported
the same way whether those changes were made manually or automatically.
NOTE: When enabling e-mail alerts, check Include extended events to get Access Gateway alerts.

2007 Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 11/07 GA-CG-059-01
Brocade, the Brocade B-weave logo, McDATA, Fabric OS, File Lifecycle Manager, MyView, SilkWorm, and StorageX are registered
trademarks and the Brocade B-wing symbol, SAN Health, and Tapestry are trademarks of Brocade Communications Systems, Inc., in the
United States and/or in other countries. FICON is a registered trademark of IBM Corporation in the U.S. and 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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