This article gives you a short walkthrough of configuring native FC (simple single fabric configuration) on the Cisco Nexus 55xx platform. Hope you find this useful to get a quick overview of how to configure it in your environment. Feel free to post comments, questions or any additions. If you need any help on a more advanced configuration please yell.
Step 1. Retrieve FC_FEATURES_PKG license via PAK license key from cisco.com (Tutorial for using Cisco License manager @ http://www.cisco.com/assets/prod/netmgtsw/Lic_mgr/index.html)
Step 2. Enable FCoE feature & NPIV on Nexus. An example of storage which needs NPIV on the Nexus is the Dell Compellent in virtual port mode, which needs multiple WWPN to be registered on a single physical FC port. (For further information on NPIV please read the fine article by Scott Lowe @ http://blog.scottlowe.org/2009/11/27/understanding-npiv-and-npv/)
feature fcoe feature npiv
Step 3. Copy license to bootflash and install license (this can be done online)
copy tftp://192.168.0.1/license.lic bootflash: install license bootflash:license.lic
Step 4. Configure (unified) ports as fiber channel native ports & reload nexus
slot 1 port 21-32 type fc copy running-config startup-config reload
Step 5. Configure VSAN Database & Verify VSAN Database
vsan database
# Disable VSAN 1 for security purposes
vsan 1 suspend
# Define VSAN
vsan 10
vsan 10 name FABRIC-A
vsan 10 interface fc1/21-32
end
show vsan
vsan 1 information
name:VSAN0001 state:suspended
interoperability mode:default
loadbalancing:src-id/dst-id/oxid
operational state:down
vsan 10 information
name:FABRIC-A state:active
interoperability mode:default
loadbalancing:src-id/dst-id/oxid
operational state:down
vsan 4079:evfp_isolated_vsan
vsan 4094:isolated_vsan
Step 6. Configure FC-Domain with configured VSAN & Verify FC-Domain
fcdomain domain 1 static vsan 10
fcdomain restart vsan 10
fcdomain allowed 1 vsan 10
NLESW036# show fcdomain
VSAN 1
The local switch is a Suspended Switch.
Local switch run time information:
State: Suspended
Local switch configuration information:
State: Enabled
FCID persistence: Enabled
Auto-reconfiguration: Disabled
Contiguous-allocation: Disabled
Configured fabric name: 20:01:00:05:30:00:28:df
Optimize Mode: Disabled
Configured priority: 128
Configured domain ID: 0x00(0) (preferred)
No interfaces available (VSAN is suspended).
VSAN 10
The local switch is the Principal Switch.
Local switch run time information:
State: Stable
Local switch WWN: 20:0a:54:7f:ee:9b:4e:81
Running fabric name: 20:0a:54:7f:ee:9b:4e:81
Running priority: 128
Current domain ID: 0x01(1)
Local switch configuration information:
State: Enabled
FCID persistence: Enabled
Auto-reconfiguration: Disabled
Contiguous-allocation: Disabled
Configured fabric name: 20:01:00:05:30:00:28:df
Optimize Mode: Disabled
Configured priority: 128
Configured domain ID: 0x01(1) (static)
Principal switch run time information:
Running priority: 128
[...]
Step 7. Configure Device Aliases
# Create Device aliases device-alias database device-alias name A_CMPL_BOTTOM_S6_P1_PHYSICAL pwwn 00:00:00:00:00:00:00:01 device-alias name A_CMPL_BOTTOM_S6_P1_VIRTUAL pwwn 00:00:00:00:00:00:00:02 device-alias name A_CMPL_TOP_S6_P1_PHYSICAL pwwn 00:00:00:00:00:00:00:03 device-alias name A_CMPL_TOP_S6_P1_VIRTUAL pwwn 00:00:00:00:00:00:00:04 device-alias name A_DCESX01_HBA_U pwwn 00:00:00:00:00:00:00:05 device-alias name A_DCESX02_HBA_U pwwn 00:00:00:00:00:00:00:06 device-alias mode enhanced device-alias commit
Step 8. Create Zones
# Create Zones zone mode enhanced vsan 10 zone name Z_CMPL_DCESX01 vsan 10 member device-alias A_CMPL_BOTTOM_S6_P1_VIRTUAL member device-alias A_CMPL_TOP_S6_P1_VIRTUAL member device-alias A_DCESX01_HBA_U zone name Z_CMPL_DCESX02 vsan 10 member device-alias A_CMPL_BOTTOM_S6_P1_VIRTUAL member device-alias A_CMPL_TOP_S6_P1_VIRTUAL member device-alias A_DCESX02_HBA_U zone commit vsan 10
Step 9. Create Zoneset
# Create Zoneset zoneset name ZS_FCSW1 vsan 10 member Z_CMPL_DCESX01 member Z_CMPL_DCESX02
Step 10. Activate Zoneset
# Activate Zoneset zoneset activate name ZS_FCSW1 vsan 10 copy running-config startup-config
Step 11. Verify Zone Status to check if zoneset/zones are activated.
show zone status
VSAN: 1 default-zone: deny distribute: active only Interop: default
mode: basic merge-control: allow
session: none
hard-zoning: enabled broadcast: disabled
Default zone:
qos: none broadcast: disabled ronly: unsupported
Full Zoning Database :
DB size: 4 bytes
Zonesets:0 Zones:0 Aliases: 0
Active Zoning Database :
Database Not Available
Status:
VSAN: 10 default-zone: deny distribute: full Interop: default
mode: basic merge-control: allow
session: none
hard-zoning: enabled broadcast: disabled
Default zone:
qos: none broadcast: disabled ronly: unsupported
Full Zoning Database :
DB size: 4816 bytes
Zonesets:1 Zones:2 Aliases: 0
Active Zoning Database :
DB size: 2412 bytes
Name: ZS_FCSW1 Zonesets:1 Zones:2
Status: Activation completed at 09:25:46 CEST Jun 17 2014
Step 12. Verify FLOGI is showing the devices login to the fabric succesfully
show flogi database --------------------------------------------------------------------------- INTERFACE VSAN FCID PORT NAME NODE NAME --------------------------------------------------------------------------- fc1/21 10 0x010001 00:00:00:00:00:00:00:01 00:00:00:00:00:00:00:01
Hope you’ll find this quick configuration template useful and hope to see you back here on the blog quickly.
Robert Verdam
Paul Ghering
says:thanks Robert