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SAN Switch Zoning with Brocade

Zoning in Brocade SAN Switch


Let's begin with resetting the switch completely. In my environment I have two brocade SAN Switch connecting to 2 Dell R940 server configured with VMware. The SAN switch will be having connectivity between Dell Unity 500 storage and Dell R940 servers.


Multipathing will be done between the server and storage with the help of SAN Switch. Multipathing, also called SAN multipathing or I/O multipathing, is the establishment of multiple physical routes between a server and the storage device that supports. It results in better fault tolerance and performance enhancement.


DESIGN


The idea behind zoning is that intended WWPN talk with each other . This is more like ACL in the world of Ethernet. To see the devices which are logged into the switch the following commands can be executed.

SAN-A:admin> switchshow
switchName:     SAN-A
switchType:     118.1
switchState:    Online
switchMode:     Native
switchRole:     Principal
switchDomain:   1
switchId:       fffc01
switchWwn:      10:00:88:94:71:1f:ce:d0
zoning:         OFF
switchBeacon:   OFF
HIF Mode:       OFF

Index Port Address  Media Speed   State       Proto
==================================================
   0   0   010000   id    N16     Online      FC  F-Port  50:06:01:62:49:e4:45:9f
   1   1   010100   id    N16     Online      FC  F-Port  21:00:00:24:ff:1b:c8:e2
   2   2   010200   --    N16     No_Module   FC
   3   3   010300   id    N16     No_Light    FC
   4   4   010400   id    N16     Online      FC  F-Port  50:06:01:6a:49:e4:45:9f
   5   5   010500   id    N16     Online      FC  F-Port  21:00:00:24:ff:1b:c8:74
   6   6   010600   id    N16     No_Light    FC
   7   7   010700   id    N16     No_Light    FC
   8   8   010800   id    N16     No_Light    FC
   9   9   010900   id    N16     No_Light    FC
  10  10   010a00   id    N16     No_Light    FC
  11  11   010b00   id    N16     No_Light    FC
  12  12   010c00   id    N16     No_Light    FC
  13  13   010d00   id    N16     No_Light    FC
  14  14   010e00   id    N16     No_Light    FC
  15  15   010f00   id    N16     No_Light    FC
  16  16   011000   id    N16     No_Light    FC
  17  17   011100   id    N16     No_Light    FC
  18  18   011200   id    N16     No_Light    FC
  19  19   011300   id    N16     No_Light    FC
  20  20   011400   id    N16     No_Light    FC
  21  21   011500   id    N16     No_Light    FC
  22  22   011600   id    N16     No_Light    FC
  23  23   011700   id    N16     No_Light    FC

CREATING ALIAS

To reduce the complexity and to avoid error we create an “Alias” for each WWPN or a group of WWPN’s. Alias is a logical group of a single WWPN or a number of WWPN’s.

SAN-A:admin> alicreate "Host1", "21:00:00:24:ff:1b:c8:e2"
SAN-A:admin> alicreate "Host2", "21:00:00:24:ff:1b:c8:74"
SAN-A:admin> alicreate "SPA-P2", "50:06:01:62:49:e4:45:9f"
SAN-A:admin> alicreate "SPB-P2", "50:06:01:6a:49:e4:45:9f"
SAN-A:admin> alishow
Defined configuration:
 alias: Host1   21:00:00:24:ff:1b:c8:e2
 alias: Host2   21:00:00:24:ff:1b:c8:74
 alias: SPA-P2  50:06:01:62:49:e4:45:9f
 alias: SPB-P2  50:06:01:6a:49:e4:45:9f


CREATING ZONE FILE

As per our architecture Server1 (Host1) P1 is connected to SAN-A and Server2 (Host2) is also connected to SAN-A. From the storage side Storage Process A Port 2 and Storage Processor B Port2 is connected to SAN-A.

Likewise Server1 (Host1) P2 will be connected to SAN-B and Server2 (Host2) P2 will also be connected to SAN-B.  From the storage side Storage Process A Port 3 and Storage Processor B Port 3 wiwill be connected to SAN-B as well.

Note: We will only be configuring SAN-A in this particular blog.

SAN-A:admin> zonecreate "zone1", "Host1; SPA-P2; SPB-P2"
SAN-A:admin> zonecreate "zone2", "Host2; SPA-P2; SPB-P2"
SAN-A:admin> zoneshow
Defined configuration:
 zone:  zone1   Host1; SPA-P2; SPB-P2
 zone:  zone2   Host2; SPA-P2; SPB-P2
 alias: Host1   21:00:00:24:ff:1b:c8:e2
 alias: Host2   21:00:00:24:ff:1b:c8:74
 alias: SPA-P2  50:06:01:62:49:e4:45:9f
 alias: SPB-P2  50:06:01:6a:49:e4:45:9f

Effective configuration:
 no configuration in effect

Next step is to create a configuration which will hold the zones that we just created. The following command creates a configuration named “AppServer”

SAN-A:admin> cfgcreate "AppServer1", "zone1; zone2"

We will now need to save the configuration file which we have just created and enable the AppServer for it take effect.

SAN-A:admin> cfgsave
You are about to save the Defined zoning configuration. This
action will only save the changes on Defined configuration.
If the update includes changes to one or more traffic isolation
zones, you must issue the 'cfgenable' command for the changes
to take effect.
Do you want to save the Defined zoning configuration only?  (yes, y, no, n): [no] yes
SAN-A:admin> cfgenable "AppServer1"
You are about to enable a new zoning configuration.
This action will replace the old zoning configuration with the
current configuration selected. If the update includes changes
to one or more traffic isolation zones, the update may result in
localized disruption to traffic on ports associated with
the traffic isolation zone changes.
Do you want to enable 'AppServer1' configuration  (yes, y, no, n): [no] yes
zone config "AppServer1" is in effect
Updating flash ...


REMOVING ALIAS FROM ZONE

.SAN-A:admin> zoneremove "zone1", "SPB-P2"
SAN-A:admin> zoneshow
Defined configuration:
 cfg:   AppServer1
                zone1; zone2
 zone:  zone1   Host1; SPA-P2
 zone:  zone2   Host2; SPA-P2; SPB-P2
 alias: Host1   21:00:00:24:ff:1b:c8:e2
 alias: Host2   21:00:00:24:ff:1b:c8:74
 alias: SPA-P2  50:06:01:62:49:e4:45:9f
 alias: SPB-P2  50:06:01:6a:49:e4:45:9f

Effective configuration:
 cfg:   AppServer1
 zone:  zone1   21:00:00:24:ff:1b:c8:e2
                50:06:01:62:49:e4:45:9f
                50:06:01:6a:49:e4:45:9f
 zone:  zone2   21:00:00:24:ff:1b:c8:74
                50:06:01:62:49:e4:45:9f
                50:06:01:6a:49:e4:45:9f


Inorder for removed alias to take effect in configuration we must save it using cfgsave and then enable the configuration as well cfgenable "AppServer1" in our case.


ADDING ALIAS IN EXISITING ZONE

SAN-A:admin> zoneadd "zone1", "SPB-P2"

SAN-A:admin> zoneshow
Defined configuration:
 cfg:   AppServer1
                zone1; zone2
 zone:  zone1   Host1; SPA-P2
 zone:  zone2   Host2; SPA-P2; SPB-P2
 alias: Host1   21:00:00:24:ff:1b:c8:e2
 alias: Host2   21:00:00:24:ff:1b:c8:74
 alias: SPA-P2  50:06:01:62:49:e4:45:9f
 alias: SPB-P2  50:06:01:6a:49:e4:45:9f

Effective configuration:
 cfg:   AppServer1
 zone:  zone1   21:00:00:24:ff:1b:c8:e2
                50:06:01:62:49:e4:45:9f
 zone:  zone2   21:00:00:24:ff:1b:c8:74
                50:06:01:62:49:e4:45:9f
                50:06:01:6a:49:e4:45:9f

You can see zone has been added but not been reflected in configuration file we will now need to save the configuration file using cfgsave command and enable the configuration cfgenable "AppServer1" to enable the configuration


REMOVING ZONE FROM CONFIGURATION FILE

SAN-A:admin> cfgremove "AppServer1", "zone1"

 We will need to save the configuration file using cfgsave and also cfgenable "AppServer1" for this to take effect in the configuration file.


ADDING ZONE TO CONFIGURATION FILE

SAN-A:admin> cfgadd "AppServer1", "zone1"

We will need to save the configuration file using cfgsave and also cfgenable "AppServer1" for this to take effect in the configuration file.

I will now conclude my blog here and will try to upload more about Fibre Channel world.


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