01-12-2012 03:34 AM - edited 03-01-2019 10:13 AM
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.
Solved! Go to Solution.
01-12-2012 03:10 PM
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.
01-12-2012 03:52 AM
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.
You do need the FI to be in the FC switching mode for the direct attach FCoE.
Hope this helps!
./Abhinav
01-12-2012 04:15 AM
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.
01-12-2012 09:50 AM
Can I use Brocade FC switch to provide zoning configuration instead of n5k?
Sent from Cisco Technical Support iPad App
01-12-2012 08:53 PM
I read through your URL.
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.
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.
01-12-2012 04:37 AM
Added, my upstream N5K is just Ethernet and does not have FC/FCoE license.
Sent from Cisco Technical Support iPhone App
01-12-2012 03:10 PM
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.
01-12-2012 07:24 PM
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.
01-23-2012 12:36 AM
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
01-30-2012 10:41 PM
Hi Abhinav and Greg,
Thanks a lot for your answers.
Bancha
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