VSAN configuration with MDS & UCS

[MSL]

Hi

Our UCS 6248 (in End-Host mode) is connected to MDS 9148 S (Dell Compellent and EMC VNX are connected, NPIV, fport-channel-Trunk and port channel features are enabled). Port channel is configured from UCS end with 2 uplink ports. How can we configure PC from MDS side. Below are the commands that we plan to run:

interface port-channel37

channel mode active

switchport mode F

**only if needed multiple SANs** switchport trunk allowed vsan <vsan-a-id>

switchport description ucs-6248-AMI-1

switchport rate-mode dedicated

Is this enough or do we have to modify it?

Thanks in advance

[Walter Dey]

http://xovercable.blogspot.ch/2014/07/san-port-channel-between-mds-and-fabric.html

https://supportforums.cisco.com/legacyfs/online/legacy/9/9/2/53299-UCS_1-4-1_F-port_channel-trunk-v1.pdf

[MSL]

Thanks a lot Walter.

We configured the PC from UCS as well from MDS end and it looks fine. Have a few doubts on VSAN part as mentioned below.

We have 2 ports connected from UCS to MDS (ports 13 & 14) which are in PC (VSAN20) and another single uplink connection (port 15 on MDS) for testing purpose (VSAN30). The Dell Compellent storage is connected on 2 ports (2 physical and 2 virtual ports - virtual ports are used during server-storage zoning). For the time being we can discuss about the single uplink from UCS to MDS on port 15 (once this part is clear then, we will apply the same with PC wwn). While creating the VSAN 30, we mentioned only the interface fc 1/15. While we run show flogi database all ports are showing under default VSAN 1 except fc 1/15. Later we will create zones with VSAN 30, which includes storage virtual ports wwns & servers wwn and will add this zone to active zoneset for VSAN 30. Here our concern is, do we need to change the VSAN for the storage interfaces as well for the server interface or just the zoning with wwns for the storage & server is enough?

**I asked almost similar Q with other post also, sorry for that... 

Thank You

[Walter Dey]

Best practise

- UCS in FC End host mode

- MDS NPIV enabled

- Never use VSAN 1 !! Therefore all interfaces showing up in VSAN 1 are the ones, which are not configured

- each interfaces is member of exactly one VSAN !

Facts

- if you create multiple VSAN with UCSM (different ones for Fabric A and B), they are all trunked on the uplink to MDS

- VSAN's created on UCS and MDS should match; otherwise, you just see VSAN's which are not up !

- you create a service profile with vhba's, and this vhba's are also member of ONE VSAN !

- If the service profile is associated, the OS installed, this vhba will do a flogi on the MDS, on the VSAN which is configured for this vhba.

Check

- on the UCS, CLI

ch98-u001-a-A(nxos)# sho npv ?
  external-interface-usage  Show external interface usage by server interfaces
  flogi-table               Show information about FLOGI sessions
  internal                  Show internal NPV information
  status                    Show NPV status
  traffic-map               Show information about Traffic Map

eg. show npv status, shows you, if the link between UCS FI and MDS is up, and wether the vhba has done flogi or not

- on the MDS check with

sho flogi database vsan ...

show fcns database vsan ...

Finally

Your storage must also have done a flogi in the same VSAN as you vhba's.

Then you zone the storage and the vhba ........... activate the zoneset of this VSAN

[michael.jones1981]

I have a UCS 3.2 instance which is on VSAN 1 on both FI's and not using a FC port channel. I want to change the VSAN and also out the uplinks into a port-channel. How would you recommend making this change on a live enviroment?

I was thinking I could create a new FC portchannel on a new VSAN seperate with differend MDS links and then change the HBA templates to use the new VSAN but will this create a reboot of all the blades?

[Rick1776]

This a pretty good link as well...
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/storage-networking/mds-9500-series-multilayer-directors/117781-config-mds-00.html