03-15-2011 04:42 PM
The IBM P7 blade server is connected to the Nexus 5K via FCOE port-channel (2x10G CNA), then the NX 5K uplink to the 6509 via ethernet port-channel (4x10G). Per 5.02 NXOS configuration guide, only physical FC ports can be linked ports. Please advise of how the FCOE can track (monitor) the uplink port?. What is the alternative method for FCOE port tracking ?
03-21-2011 06:33 AM
link tracking is used to detect and minimize topology changes when an fc port goes down.
I imagine that vfc/fcoe configurations do not support multihop, unless using the N4k, this feature may not be necessary at this time for these port types.
Virtual Fibre Channel Interfaces
Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) encapsulation allows a physical Ethernet cable to simultaneously
carry Fibre Channel and Ethernet traffic. In Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switches, an FCoE-capable
physical Ethernet interface can carry traffic for one virtual Fibre Channel interface.
Native Fibre Channel and virtual Fibre Channel interfaces are configured using the same CLI commands.
Virtual Fibre Channel interfaces support only F mode, and offer a subset of the features that are
supported on native Fibre Channel interfaces.
The following capabilities are not supported for virtual Fibre Channel interfaces:
• SAN port channels.
• VSAN trunking. The virtual Fibre Channel is associated with one VSAN.
• The SPAN destination cannot be a virtual Fibre Channel interface.
• Buffer-to-buffer credits.
• Exchange link parameters (ELP), or Fabric Shortest Path First (FSPF) protocol.
• Configuration of physical attributes (speed, rate, mode, transmitter information, MTU size).
• Port tracking.
Also,
• Port tracking is not supported in NPV mode.
Why exactly do you need this feature?
03-21-2011 02:23 PM
Hello Vincent,
We need the port tracking feature, cause there is only one ethernet port-channel uplink to the 6509 via SPT Layer-2. The FCOE is still up when the uplink goes down (6509 failed), then the P7 will continue to send traffic without faill-over.
I have two concerns in the 5K configuration guide. First, the virtual Fibre Channel interfaces do not support the SAN port channels. Second, each virtual Fibre Channel interface must be bound to an FCoE-enabled Ethernet interface. So can I map the san port-channel and multiple vfc to the same vsan ?. I configured it in the lab and it seems to be supported. Please verify the config below.
Thanks !!
Andy
interface san-port-channel 30
channel mode active
switchport mode E
switchport trunk allowed vsan 111
switchport trunk mode auto
interface vfc10
bind interface port-channel10
no shutdown
interface vfc11
bind interface port-channel11
no shutdown
vsan database
vsan 111
vsan database
vsan 111 interface vfc10
vsan 111 interface vfc11
vsan 111 interface san-port-channel 30
interface port-channel10
description FCOE Port-chann to ESX server
switchport mode trunk
switchport trunk allowed vlan 100,200,1101
spanning-tree port type edge trunk
speed 10000
interface port-channel11
description Port Channel to ESX #2
switchport mode trunk
switchport trunk allowed vlan 100,200,1101
spanning-tree port type edge trunk
speed 10000
Vlan 1101
name FC_traffic
fcoe vsan 111
03-21-2011 07:52 PM
The below config looks good. As n5k is not capable of doing IVR (inter vsan routing), vfc and san port channel have to be in the same vsan otherwise fcoe initiators will have problems communicating with FC storage across SAN switch connected to the n5k. Also we support bundling port channel interfaces in vfc to have the ability to do virtual port channels across the two n5ks. So once you bundle the port channel into vfc, you can then configure the same port channel in vpc. So as far as SAN is concerned, you will keep different fabrics but as far as Ethernet is concerned, it will be the same L2 domain.
hope this clarifies - V.
03-21-2011 09:14 PM
Thanks for your reply !
I have one last question in regard to vsan trunking via TE san port-channel. Can one san port channel (vsan trunking) carries multiple vsans for multiple vfc? See config below for clarification.
vsan database
vsan 111 interface vfc10
vsan 111 interface vfc11
vsan 111 interface san-port-channel 30
vsan 222 interface vfc20
vsan 222 interface vfc21
vsan 222 interface san-port-channel 30
Thanks !!
Andy
03-22-2011 06:17 AM
Trunking port channel has the ability to carry multiple vsan traffic provided those vsans are existent on both sides of the port channel. The config you have put below, you need not assign two vsans to the same port channel, in fact it wont let you. When you try configuring for 'vsan 222 interface san-port-channel 30' it is going to reassign that same port channel to vsan 222 from 111. So at one time the port channel can be assigned to only one vsan but it can carry multiple vsan traffic. So even if you assign the san port channel to either vsan 111 or vsan 222 but if you get the port channel up and if you do a 'show interface san-port-channel 30' you should see it passing both vsan 222 and 111 and any other vsan existent on the switch provided you have it on the other side.
Hope this clarifies, thanks, Vinayak
03-21-2011 06:44 AM
currently we dont have the ability to port track FCoE ports. Right now we support error disable detect and recovery on thernet interfaces
Configuring Ethernet Interfaces
look at page 5,10,11.
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