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Connect FI to both direct attach FCoE storage and also SAN switches

1s.bancha
Level 5
Level 5

Does anyone confirm me whether I can connect FI to both direct attach FCoE storage and also SAN switches, as you can see in the attached network diagram?

If yes, do I need FC Switch Mode to function? Any concerns I should consider?

Or better solution would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

1 Accepted Solution

Accepted Solutions

The UCS will be in FC Switching Mode, which means it has a default zone.  We cannot do a Zone Merge with the Brocade as we have no control to configure specific items such as Domain ID's and other FC items that need to be changed when connecting a Cisco FC Switch to a Brocade.

Generally in this situation with a 5k or a MDS you would be putting them into InterOp mode, which changes default settings and let's them talk together - in this case we cannot change these parameters, so the only supported configuration is Cisco to Cisco FC.

Cheers,

Greg Scarlett.

View solution in original post

9 Replies 9

abbharga
Level 4
Level 4

Hi,

Yes you can direct attach the EMC FCoE to the FI (as per the digram).

Refer the following matrix and the conditions under which the direct attached is supported. In your case the upstream N5K should be pushing the zoning information.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/partner/docs/switches/datacenter/mds9000/interoperability/matrix/Matrix8.html#wp323848

You do need the FI to be in the FC switching mode for the direct attach FCoE.

Hope this helps!

./Abhinav

Hi Abhinav,

Thank you very much for your answer.

However, I just want to make sure because I recently found a slide BRKCOM1005, as you can see in the attached image, from Cisco Live Virtual and it stated that "Only works with Cisco FC Switches (MDS and N5K) -- so I really have no idea of reason behind and why Brocade could not? It's very critical for me because the existing FC switch I have is Brocade.

Or I misunderstood something. Please advise.

Can I use Brocade FC switch to provide zoning configuration instead of n5k?

Sent from Cisco Technical Support iPad App

I read through your URL.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/partner/docs/switches/datacenter/mds9000/interoperability/matrix/Matrix8.html#wp323848

I'm so confused that

1. Refer Table 8-2 UCS-B Storage Support Matrix, "EMC" Storage Vendor is remarked to note no.9 which stated that

           9) Cisco UCS 6248 Fabric Interconnects and Cisco 2208 I/O modules are not supported.

Table 8-2     UCS-B Storage Support Matrix

Supported Storage Arrays

Rel. Version

Notes

Vendor

Model

EMC

EMC Symmetrix family (VMAX & DMX),

EMC CLARiiON (AX & CX)

EMC VNX family

EMC Celerra (Native Block)

1.3(1), 1.4(1), 1.4(2), 1.4(3), 2.0(1q)

note 1, 2, 3, 9

Notes:

9) Cisco UCS 6248 Fabric Interconnects and Cisco 2208 I/O modules are not supported.

  That extremely surprises me because my FI is 6248 and IOM is 2208.

2. Refer Table 8-3     UCS-B Switch InterOp Support Matrix, it shows only 61xx supports with Brocade -- not include 6248 and I'm not sure this support condition is only for End Host Mode (NPV) ?? or FC Switch Mode also?

UCS   FabricInterconnect

Switch   Vendor

UCS   FW Bundle2

Cisco3

Brocade4

6120XP, 6140XP5

MDS 9000: 3.3(1c), 3.3(2), 3.3(4), 3.3(4a), 3.3(5), 4.2(1a), 4.2(1b),   4.2(3), 4.2(5), 4.2(7d), 4.2(7e), 5.0(1a), 5.0(4), 5.0.4b, 5.0(4c), 5.0(4d),   5.2(1)

300, 5100, 5300: v6.1.2b, v6.2.1b, v6.2.2b, v6.3.0c,   v6.3.1a, v6.3.2a, v6.3.2b (T), v6.4.0b, v6.4.1, v6.4.1a, v6.4.1b

4100, 48000, 4900, 5000: v6.1.2, v6.1.2b, v6.2.1b, v6.2.2b,   v6.3.0c, v6.3.1a, v6.3.2a, v6.3.2b (T), v6.4.0b, v6.4.1, v6.4.1a, v6.4.1b

7500: v6.1.2, v6.1.2b, v6.2.1b, v6.2.2b, v6.3.0c, v6.3.1a,   v6.3.2a, v6.3.2b (T),v6.4.0b, v6.4.1, v6.4.1b

DCX-4S: v6.2.1b, v6.2.2b, v6.3.0c, v6.3.1a, v6.3.2a, v6.3.2b (T),   v6.4.0b, v6.4.1, v6.4.1_fcoe, v6.4.1_fcoe1, v6.4.1a, v6.4.1b

DCX: v6.1.2, v6.1.2b, v6.2.1, v6.2.1b, v6.2.2b, v6.3.0c,   v6.3.1a, v6.3.2a, v6.3.2b (T), v6.4.0b, v6.4.1, 6.4.1_fcoe, v6.4.1_fcoe1,   v6.4.1a, v6.4.1b

2.0(1q)


Any explanations would be greatly appreciated.

1s.bancha
Level 5
Level 5

Added, my upstream N5K is just Ethernet and does not have FC/FCoE license.

Sent from Cisco Technical Support iPhone App

The UCS will be in FC Switching Mode, which means it has a default zone.  We cannot do a Zone Merge with the Brocade as we have no control to configure specific items such as Domain ID's and other FC items that need to be changed when connecting a Cisco FC Switch to a Brocade.

Generally in this situation with a 5k or a MDS you would be putting them into InterOp mode, which changes default settings and let's them talk together - in this case we cannot change these parameters, so the only supported configuration is Cisco to Cisco FC.

Cheers,

Greg Scarlett.

Hi Greg,

Thank you for your information.

So you means that in my case, FI will not work with Brocade rather than Cisco FC Switch.

I'm thinking about the following options to solve this issue, do you have suggestion and correct me?

Option 1 - Change to connect FI via FC to n5k and

   connect n5k via FC to Brocade FC switch

   So that the overall configuration will be

     FI --> direct attach EMC VNX5300 FCoE storage

     and

     FI --> n5k --> Brocade -> EMC FC Storage

   For this configuration, is it correct that I require :-

     FI : 8G FC modules and configure FC Switch Mode

     n5k : 8G FC modules, Storage license, and configure FC Switch Mode and InterOp Mode with Brocade

or

Option 2 - Buy additional e.g MDS9148 then insert it between FI and the Brocade FC Switch

   So that the overall configuration will be

     FI --> direct attach EMC VNX5300 FCoE storage

     and

     FI --> new MDS9148 --> Brocade -> EMC FC Storage

   For this configuration, is it correct that I require :-

     FI : 8G FC modules and configure FC Switch Mode

     MDS : 8G FC modules and configure InterOp Mode with Brocade

Option 3 - Change to connect FI via FC to n5k and

   connect n5k via FC to Brocade FC switch

   connect n5k via FCoE to direct attach EMC VNX5300 FCoE Storage

   So that the overall configuration will be

     FI --> n5k

     and

     n5k --> direct attach EMC VNX5300 FCoE storage

     and

     n5k --> Brocade -> EMC FC Storage

   For this configuration, is it correct that I require :-

     FI : 8G FC modules and configure End Host Mode (NPV)

     n5k : 8G FC modules and 10G-SR FCoE modules, Storage license, and configure FC Switch Mode and InterOp Mode with Brocade, and configure FCoE with EMC VNX5300 FCoE storage

Excuse to ask many things.

Hi,

As Greg mentioned the FI in the FC switching mode does not support the interop mode having the upstream Brocade won't be supported.

As for all your above 3 options, all of them will work.

./Abhinav

Hi Abhinav and Greg,

Thanks a lot for your answers.

Bancha

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