MDS9120 Connections

[JRJSmith_WKL]

Hi,

Does the MDS9120 switch between its ports by default? If not, how can switching be enabled in the CLI, please?

We have a Cisco MDS9120. We've connected Port 1 to an HP MSA1000 SAN device, Port 5 to a Windows Server and Port 6 to a VMware Server. We have left all the ports in the default VSAN 1.

Although the Windows Server and the SAN device worked together when directly connected, when the connection is made via the MDS9120, the Windows Server does not 'see' the SAN device.

We anticipated that the MDS9120 would switch between its ports by default - similar to an Ethernet switch. Were we wrong? If so, how can we enable switching between the ports, please?

Many thanks

Joe.

[colin.mcnamara · Accepted solution]

Well first things first, an Ethernet switch and an a Fibre Channel switch, while similar in some aspects, are fundamentally different technology.

I would recommend attending training, or asking your Cisco partner to help you out with configuring this technology.

In the meantime, here is the basic procedure for configuring devices to talk to each other on a Fibre Channel switch.

1. Configure a port to be a member of a vsan

--This is like issuing the switchport access vlan command on an IOS switch

2. Configure the port type (normally a N port if its going to have a host connected to it)

--This is like explicitly configuring trunk (or no trunk) configurations on an ethernet port.

3. Configure a Zone containing the storage and server HBA's

-- this is like configuring a PVLAN saying certain ports allowed to talk to each other

4. Add the zone to a ZoneSet and activate it.

--A Zoneset is just a collection of zones, and activating the zoneset puts all zones in production, and allows ports to talk to each other. This is like assinging an access lists

The CLI configuration guide is available here -

http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/sn5000/mds9000/3_0/clicnfg/index.htm

If you found this helpful please rate it

--Colin

[JRJSmith_WKL]

Colin,

Thanks for your helpful response.

I did appreciate the difference in technology - it was just that I expected a switch to default to 'switching' between connected ports.

I agree with your point about attending training - unfortunately, budgets do not permit in this FY.

I had already complied with your steps 1 to 3 - it was the 4th that was the clincher.

One point on step 2; the only selections available are F; FL; E; FX; SD; TL; FV; and ST - not N. I left it to Auto and it selected FX for the port that had the HBA attached and F for the port that had the SAN device attached.

Thanks again,

Joe.

[colin.mcnamara]

In keeping with the completely logical naming and architecture conventions in fibre channel networking, F ports connect to N ports.

It is similar to the naming conventions used for ISDN components in that past.

--Colin