Fibre Channel Configuration on Cisco MDS Switches

Configuring and verifying Fibre Channel on Cisco MDS switches involves several steps to ensure a robust
and efficient storage network. Fibre Channel allows for high-speed data transfer between servers and
storage devices, making it an ideal choice for enterprise storage networks. This guide will walk you
through the essential steps for configuring Fibre Channel on a pair of Cisco MDS switches. It will cover
port configurations for F and E Ports, basic zoning, and VSAN configuration. You will also learn the
commands that you need to verify the setup and ensure that everything is functioning correctly.

To begin, configuring the Fibre Channel ports is crucial. On Cisco MDS switches, F ports (fabric ports)
connect to end devices like servers or storage arrays. E Ports (expansion ports) are used to connect to
other switches, creating Inter-Switch Links (ISLs). For example, to configure an F Port on interface fc1/1,
use the following commands:

MDS(config)# interface fc1/1

MDS(config-if)# switchport mode F

MDS(config-if)# no shutdown

This configuration sets up the port as an F Port, allowing it to connect to an end device such as a server
with a Host Bus Adapter (HBA) or a storage array port. The no shutdown command ensures that the port
is enabled and active.

Similarly, to configure an E Port on interface fc1/2, which connects to another switch, use:

MDS(config)# interface fc1/2

MDS(config-if)# switchport mode E

MDS(config-if)# no shutdown

Configuring the port as an E Port allows it to connect to another switch's E Port, forming an ISL. This
connection enables communication between the switches, allowing them to share the Fibre Channel
fabric.

Next, configure Virtual SANs (VSANs) to segment the Fibre Channel fabric into isolated environments.
VSANs provide logical separation of traffic within the same physical infrastructure, similar to VLANs in
Ethernet networks. To create a VSAN and assign it to a port, use:

MDS(config)# vsan database

MDS(config-vsan-db)# vsan 10 name Storage_VSAN

MDS(config)# interface fc1/1

MDS(config-if)# switchport vsan 10

This configuration creates a VSAN with ID 10 and names it Storage_VSAN. The switchport vsan
10 command assigns the interface fc1/1 to VSAN 10, ensuring that traffic on this port is isolated within
that VSAN.

After configuring the VSANs, zoning must be set up to control access between different devices within
the VSAN. Zoning is crucial for security and management, as it ensures that only authorized devices can
communicate. Zoning can be done based on World Wide Names (WWNs), which are unique identifiers
that are assigned to each Fibre Channel device. To create a basic zone and add members to it, use:

MDS(config)# zone name Zone_A vsan 10

MDS(config-zone)# member pwwn 20:00:00:25:B5:11:22:33

MDS(config-zone)# member pwwn 50:00:00:25:B5:44:55:66

MDS(config)# zoneset name ZoneSet_A vsan 10

MDS(config-zoneset)# member Zone_A

MDS(config)# zoneset activate name ZoneSet_A vsan 10

In this example, Zone_A is created within VSAN 10. The member pwwn commands add two devices to
the zone by specifying their Port World Wide Names (pWWNs). The pWWN is a unique identifier for
each port in the Fibre Channel network. The zoneset command creates a set of zones, named
ZoneSet_A, for VSAN 10. The zoneset activate command activates the zone set, making it effective on
the fabric. Only the devices that are members of the same zone within an active zone set can
communicate with each other, providing a controlled and secure environment.

To distribute the active zone set configuration across all switches in the Fibre Channel fabric, you need
to ensure that all switches have a consistent view of the zoning configuration. This process is called zone
set distribution, and it is critical for maintaining fabric-wide zoning consistency and proper
communication between devices. All Cisco SAN switches distribute active zone sets when new E Port
links come up or when a new zone set is activated in a VSAN. The zone set distribution takes effect while
sending merge requests to the adjacent switch or while activating a zone set. You can enable full zone
set and active zone set distribution to all switches on a per VSAN basis.

MDS(config)# zoneset distribute full vsan 10

The zoneset distribute command ensures that the active zone set (in this case, for VSAN 10) is
distributed across all switches in the VSAN. This command is crucial to propagate the zone set changes
and maintain zoning consistency throughout the fabric.

Fibre Channel Verification on Cisco MDS Switches

Verification of the Fibre Channel configuration is essential to ensure that the network is properly set up
and all components are functioning as expected. To check the status of the interfaces, use:

MDS# show interface fc1/1

MDS# show interface fc1/2

These commands provide details on the status and configuration of the Fibre Channel interfaces. Ensure
that the interfaces are "up" and operating in the correct mode (F or E).

To verify the VSAN configuration, use:

MDS# show vsan

This command displays the current VSANs configured on the switch and their status, ensuring the
correct setup.

For zoning verification, use the following command to check the active zone set:

MDS# show zoneset active vsan 10

This command shows the active zone set and the zones within it, allowing you to confirm that the
correct devices are zoned and active.

To further ensure the overall Fibre Channel network health and configuration consistency, use:

MDS# show flogi database

This command displays the Fibre Channel Login (FLOGI) database, which lists all devices that have
successfully logged into the fabric, confirming their visibility and connectivity.

To verify the registered devices and their attributes in the fabric, ensuring proper device recognition and
configuration, use:

MDS# show fcns database

This command provides information on the Fibre Channel Name Server (FCNS) database. The FCNS
database contains information about all devices in the fabric and their attributes, ensuring that all
devices are recognized and properly configured.

By following these steps and using the provided commands, you can successfully configure and verify a
Fibre Channel network on Cisco MDS switches. Proper configuration ensures high performance,
reliability, and security for your storage infrastructure, making it ready for enterprise use.

Fibre Channel Configuration Guidelines

When configuring a basic Fibre Channel setup on Cisco MDS switches, it is essential to follow some
fundamental guidelines to ensure a stable and efficient network. Here is a structured approach to help
you achieve this:

1. Planning:

1. VSAN and zoning configuration: Start by planning your VSAN and zoning configuration
carefully to avoid conflicts and ensure security.

2. Unique VSAN IDs: Use unique VSAN IDs to segment traffic logically and minimize
broadcast domains.

2. Zoning:

1. Single-initiator zoning: Prefer single-initiator zoning to reduce the risk of conflicts and
enhance security. Single-initiator zoning allows only one initiator, such as a server's HBA,
in each zone. This approach prevents multiple initiators from accessing the same storage
target, reducing potential conflicts and improving data security.

3. Physical connections:

1. Secure connections: Ensure that all physical connections are secure and free of any
faults, as physical layer issues can significantly impact performance.

4. Verification:

1. Regular checks: Regularly use verification commands to check interface status, FLOGI,
and FCNS databases to confirm that all devices are correctly logged in and recognized by
the fabric.

5. Documentation and best practices:

1. Proper documentation: Maintain proper documentation and adhere to best practices to

help maintain a reliable and scalable Fibre Channel environment on your Cisco MDS
switches.

Enhanced Mechanisms for Fibre Channel Configuration on Cisco DC Devices

Cisco MDS devices offer several enhanced mechanisms to streamline and optimize Fibre Channel
configuration. These features include:

 Autozoning: This feature automates the creation and management of zones, reducing manual
configuration efforts and minimizing the risk of configuration errors.

 Smart Zoning: Smart Zoning enhances zoning efficiency by including only relevant members in a
zone. This reduces the number of zones and conserves switch resources.
  N-Port Virtualization (NPV): NPV simplifies management by reducing the number of Fibre
Channel domain IDs in the fabric by forwarding traffic directly from the host to the core switch.
In NPV mode, the switch does not take part in the fabric as a full Fibre Channel switch but acts
as a pass-through device, reducing overhead, and simplifying management in large
environments. NPV is ideal for large-scale data centers where minimizing the number of domain
IDs helps in scaling the fabric efficiently.

 N-Port ID Virtualization (NPIV): NPIV enables multiple virtual ports to operate through a single
physical Fibre Channel port. This enhances flexibility and allows for better utilization of existing
infrastructure resources. This is useful in environments with virtual machines or multiple devices
that need independent Fibre Channel identities, all sharing the same physical port. NPIV
simplifies management by allowing each virtual device to be addressed separately, even though
they are using the same physical connection.

 These tools and features help maintain a scalable, efficient, and secure Fibre Channel network.

The Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (NDFC) is designed to work with both Cisco MDS devices
and Cisco Nexus switches. NDFC provides comprehensive management for both Ethernet and Fibre
Channel environments, allowing for unified control and visibility across Cisco Data Center switches:

 For Cisco MDS Switches:

1. Fibre Channel Storage Networks: NDFC manages Fibre Channel storage networks,
including tasks such as:

 Zoning

 VSAN (Virtual Storage Area Network) configuration

 Monitoring

 For Cisco Nexus Switches:

1. Ethernet and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) Configurations: NDFC supports:

 Virtual Port Channels (vPC)

 VLANs

 Network overlays

These capabilities make NDFC a versatile solution for managing hybrid data center environments that
utilize both Cisco Nexus and MDS platforms.