connecting 6248up to a dcx

[Dragomir]

what are the steps to connect 2 FI 6248UP to a brocade dcx switch?

I have a total of 6 FC Ports shown but they are configured as uplink ports. Should they be FC storage ports instead?

I am not sure I need all 6 links to the dcx switch, so maybe 4 on each FI is ok? This is 8GB FC.

Also looking at the FI, I see that it is set for FC End-Host mode.

Should that be set to FC Switching mode?

thanks

[Robert Burns]

Tony,

I don't know the exact command syntax for brocade, but essentially you can leave your FI's in FC end host most, and simply connect your FC uplinks from the FI to the brocade.

Since Brocades have no concept of VSANs you'll probably just use the default VSAN for all your FC connectivity.  FC Storage ports are only for directly connecting a Storage Array to the FI.  When using a fabric switch, you will use FC uplinks for your port mode. 

You're probably right about not needing 6 x 8GB FC uplinks per fabric.  This would depend on how many chassis you have connected to your FI's and how heavy of storage traffic their pushing, but I have seen 4 uplinks to each fabric be more than enough in most environments.   With four uplinks each I would create a san port channel with all four links between the FI and brocade.

You can refer to the UCS config guides for the FI side, and brocade docs for their end.  There's a similar thread on creating a san port channel between a brocade and Nexus 5000 in NPV mode here:

http://community.brocade.com/message/10201#10201 

This is pretty much the same thing as your FI's in End Host mode.

Regards,

Robert

[vek64gware]

There is no joy of San port channel on the brocade, so you will end up with just 4 separate connections.
San port channel is possible only btw FI and either 5K or MDS on the other end.

Best,
Vadim

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[Dragomir]

hello

I am not using fcoe. I dont need a vsan right?

thanks

[Robert Burns]

Yes you will.  FCoE will be used between the FI's and Chassis.  That's how all storage traffic gets from your blade to FI's.  From there northbound it's pure FC to your brocades.

The FCoE VLAN/VSAN's you create in UCSM are for exactly this.  The FCoE VLAN will never leave your FI and doesn't need to exist anywhere else within your network.

Regards,

Robert

[Jeremy Waldrop]

Even though Brocades do not implement VSANs I would still create seperate VSANs on the UCS side. While using the default VSAN 1 would work fine you wouldn't have much flexibility and you aren't really keeping the SAN fabric totally seperated. Say for example you needed to change the FCoE VLAN if you use the default global VSAN both Fabrics are using it and if you change the FCoE VLAN you will lose SAN connectivity on both Fabrics.

If you create a VSAN for each Fabric you can make changes to the FCoE VLAN or even delete the entire VSAN and only lose connectivty on that one Fabric.

For non-Cisco FC switches we always create a VSAN in each Fabric with its own FCoE VLAN. By doing this it is also more descriptive and logical makes more since. When you pick the VSAN for the uplinks or for vHBAs you can see a definite seperation instead of just seeing "default".

[Robert Burns]

Thanks for keeping me honest Vadim.  Another point for Cisco MDS.

Robert

[Dragomir]

thanks. so I connected 2 ports on the first FI to the dcx. Then when i boot it up, i see that only the WWPN of fc0 was showing in the zone admin. how come fc1 dos not show?

[vek64gware]

UCS has separate A and B fabrics.
As soon as you will connect FI "B" to your FC fabric - you will see fc1 wwpn.

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