when to use npiv on a nexus 5k?

[feisalb]

Hello All.

I have been reading up on npiv but can't find any deployment guides for it with nexus 5k's.

I have seen guides with the 5k in npv mode connected to a mds running npiv.

I understand that you use npiv on the esx hosts that are running several vm's that need connectivity to storage with each vm having their on n port id.

If I don't have a mds switch and am only using the nexus 5k's to connect to both the fc storage and esx hosts, would I be correct to configuire the 5ks in npiv mode?

How would zones work?

Would I need to set the zones for the vm's pwwn as well the esx host physical pwwn to the storage pwwn.

Does anyone have deployment guides for this as the sba mid_DC deployment guide does not cover the above scenario.

Thanks

Feisal

[Vincent La Bua]

Emulex has a great PDF for such a configuration. As long as the HBA will allow NPIV, all do nowadays, then the card will send multiple FDISCs to the switch. If the switch does not have NPIV turned on as well, the FDISCs would be ignored.

HTH

Sent from Cisco Technical Support iPhone App

[feisalb]

Thanks Vincent.

The docs I found where an overview "Cisco Nexus 5000 and Emulex LP21000".

I guess in my scenario the mds feature npiv will be configured on the nexus 5k ports connected to the the CNA's.

So essentially the 5k will be replacing the mds in a small dc scenario.

Thanks

Feisal

[vdsudame · Accepted solution]

Feisal

If we are expecting multiple pwwns coming from esx host on single F port then NPIV will be needed. Is that the with your set? If so, you will need NPIV on the 5k. Otherwise if there is only one physical pwwn logged in, then you wont need it. Regarding zoning, yes, you will need to use all pwwns while zoning on the n5k. Our best practice is one initiator and one target or if you want multiple targets you can zone one initiator wwn with multiple target pwwns. So in case we have multiple pwwns coming in via single F port, then you will zone the phyiscal wwn with target wwn in one zone and then another zone with that physical pwwn to other target pwwn and so on for other initiators. We dont recommend multiple initiator wwns to be zoned with single or multiple target pwwns.

hope this answers your question.

Thanks,

Vinayak

[feisalb]

Hello Vinayak

Thanks for your reply. Can you just clarify what you have said about zoning for me?

Do I include the physical pwwn of the host cna as well as the virtual machine pwwn's that it serves it or is it just the virtual machine pwwn's I should be concerned about?

Thanks again

Feisal

[vdsudame · Accepted solution]

its better to use both feisal, the physical as well as the virtual pwwn, for zoning.

Vinayak.

[feisalb]

Thanks Guys