• Cisco San Switch Models
• Cisco Mds Switch Commands

Course Description

Cisco MDS 9000 multilayer SAN switches can help lower the total cost of ownership (TCO) of storage environments. They combine a robust, flexible hardware architecture with multiple layers of network and storage-management intelligence. Note By default, all Cisco MDS 9000 Family switches belong to VSAN 1. We recommend you create production environment VSANs and configure the switches to use those VSANs. You cannot configure any application-specific parameters for a VSAN before creating the VSAN. Creating and Configuring VSANs. The second option and my preferred route is to perform a code upgrade of the switch: Cisco MDS NX-OS Release 6.2(x) Maximum Configuration Limit FLOGIs per port channel = 256. Output after upgrading to 6.2: MDS-9K-A# show flogi database interface port-channel 10 Total number of flogi = 129.

Configuring Cisco MDS 9000 Series Switches (DCMDS)

Learning Objectives

• Discover and describe the Cisco Multilayer Director Switch (MDS) platform of multilayer switches and directors. Describe the MDS hardware, NX-OS operating system, Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) management software, and key architectures of the platform, such as FC and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE)
• Describe key product features of the MDS platform, including VSANs, RBAC, NPV, port channels, zoning, device aliases, inter-VSAN routing (IVR), and fabric security
• Configure and implement the Cisco MDS switches and platform features, such has initial configuration, building a fabric, building a SAN extension, and configuring inter-VSAN routing for that purpose
• Resolve issues and troubleshoot FC domains, zones and zone merges, and switch boot and firmware upgrades

• Learn how to deploy and troubleshoot the Cisco Nexus® 9000 Series Switches to support performance, resiliency, scalability, and enhanced operations for data centers
• Gain knowledge and skills through Cisco’s unique combination of lessons and hands-on practice using enterprise-grade Cisco learning technologies, data center equipment, and software
• Succeed in today’s data center operations roles

Prerequisites

• Basic understanding of data storage hardware components and protocols, including Small Computer
• System Interface (SCSI) and Fibre Channel
• Basic understanding of network protocols, including Ethernet and IP
• Basic routing and switching knowledge

These are the recommended Cisco courses that may help you meet these prerequisites:

• Introducing Cisco Data Center Networking (DCICN)
• Introducing Cisco Data Center Technologies (DCICT)

Labs

1. Set Up DCNM
2. Explore DCNM-SAN Client and DCNM Device Manager Lab
3. Configure and Use RBAC
4. Configure and Use RBAC with DCNM-SAN Client andDevice Manager
5. Manage VSANs and Fibre Channel Domain
6. Configure NPV and N-Port Identification Virtualization (NPIV)
7. Configure Interfaces
8. Configure Device Aliases and Zoning
9. Explore and Automate with NX-API
10. Perform Slow Drain Analysis with Cisco DCNM
11. Configure SAN Analysis and SAN Telemetry Streaming
12. Configure FCIP Tunnels and FCIP High Availability (HA)
13. Configure IVR for SAN Extension
14. Troubleshoot Zoning and Zone Merges

Course Information

Length: 4 day

Format: Lecture and Lab

Delivery Method: Virtual / Onsite

Max. Capacity: 12

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Related Training

Cisco San Switch Models

Who Should Attend

Systems engineers, Field Engineers, Architects and Cisco Partners wanting operational knowledge and hands on experience with the Cisco MDS 9000 series switches. Candidates preparing for the Storage Networking components in the CCIE Data Center Written Exam (350-080) and Lab Exam, the DCUFI exam (642-997), the DCUCI exam (642-999), and/or the DCUCD Exam (642-998).

In this blog, we will discuss what is port-channel in the Cisco MDS switch. Along with that, we will also talk about the F port Channel, what are the types of port-channel, Modes of port-channel.

Finally, we will see the commands for creating an F port channel between a Cisco MDS core switch and an NPV switch.

Port Channel is a logical aggregation of multiple FC ports that increases total bandwidth, provides load balancing, and link redundancy. A Port-channel can have ports from two different modules in the same SAN switch.

You cannot create a port-channel from two different switches. This is more clear in the below diagram.

The above diagram has two switch switch1 and switch2. There are three port-channels between the switches PortChannelA, PortChannelB, and PortChannelC.

PortChannelA contains an aggregation of ports from the same module of both switches. Meantime, PortChannelB has ports from two different modules.

Now in the case of PortChannelC, there are three ports from each switch. In switch1 two ports are from the same module but the third port is from a different module. In switch2 all three ports are from the same module.

The conclusion here is that you can select various port combinations in the same switch but you cannot select ports from different switches.

What are the Types Of Port Channel

There are two types of port-channel E port-channel and F port channel. E Port Channel is a logical combination of Multiple E ports. E Ports connect two SAN Switches for ISL connectivity.

If we enable trunking then the port-channel then it becomes a TE port channel and the ISL link becomes EISL.

F Port Channel is a logical Combination of Multiple F ports that connects from one Switch (F) to NPV switch (NP) or FI interconnect.

Modes Of Port Channel In Cisco MDS Switch

There are two types of Port Channel Mode one is ON and the other is ACTIVE. Both modes have a different purpose. Below are some basic differences between them.

How To Configure F Port Channel In Cisco MDS Switch

This section will discuss how to create an F Port Channel between the Cisco MDS switch and NPV switch. Before we start we have to check a few things which are very important for port-channel configuration.

The first thing we need to make sure that Physical connection is present between switches.

Configuration of individual ports and port channel must be the same. Make sure configuration like speed, mode, rate mode, port VSAN, trunking mode and allowed VSAN for individual port and port-channel are the same.

Steps and Commands To Create F Port Channel

Step 1. Enable F port trunking and channel protocol

Switch(config)# feature fport-channel-trunk

Step 2. Enable NPIV on the MDS core switch:

Switch(config)# feature npiv

Step 3 Create PortChannel and Add FC Ports

This command creates a port-channel with name 1.

Switch(config)# interface port-channel 1

These commands ensure that the port-channel type is F port-channel

Switch(config-if)# switchport mode F

Below commands sets channel mode active. F port channel only supports ACTIVE port-channel mode hence it is important to set the channel mode as ACTIVE.

Switch(config-if)# channel mode active

Below Command disable the trunking in Port Channel

Switch(config-if)# switchport trunk mode off

The below command sets the rate mode of port-channel to shared.

Switch(config-if)# switchport rate-mode shared
Switch(config-if)# exit

Cisco Mds Switch Commands

Till now we have completed creating an F port-channel in Core Switch whose number is 1. Now in the below steps, we will add ports to Port Channel 1.

Make a note that the configuration for Port Channel 1 and the interfaces must be the same.

Step 4. Configure the PortChannel member interfaces

Below two commands select FC ports fc2/1 , fc2/2 and fc2/3 as port-channel members and then disable them

Switch(config)# interface fc2/1-3
Switch(config-if)# shut

Below four commands will set the port mode as F, disables the trunking, set the speed as 4000 and the rate mode as shared.

switch(config-if)# switchport mode F
switch(config-if)# switchport trunk mode off

switch(config-if)# switchport speed 4000
switch(config-if)# switchport rate-mode shared

Below commands is for adding the interfaces to the port-channel. In this case ports fc2/1, fc2/2 and fc2/3 are added to Port Channel 1. The second command will disable all ports.

switch(config-if)# channel-group 1
switch(config-if)# no shut

So far we have completed the port-channel configuration in Core switch. Now we have to repeat the same steps to configure F Port-channel an NPV switch.

Step 5. Create the PortChannel In NPV switch

eswitch(config)# interface port-channel 1
eswitch(config-if)# switchport mode NP
eswitch(config-if)# switchport rate-mode shared

Now we have to configure the individual ports and add them To Port Channel 1 in NPV switch.

Step 6. Configure the PortChannel interfaces In NPV switch

eswitch(config)# interface fc2/1-3
eswitch(config-if)# shut

The above command will shut down all the ports that fc2/1, fc2/2, and fc2/3.

eswitch(config-if)# switchport mode NP
eswitch(config-if)# switchport speed 4000
eswitch(config-if)# switchport rate-mode shared
eswitch(config-if)# switchport trunk mode off
eswitch(config-if)# channel-group 1

Finally, you can enable all ports using the below command.

eswitch(config-if)# no shut

The final step is to disable and enable all interfaces from both Core switch and NPV switch.

Step 7. Set admin State of PortChannel Ports of NPIV and NPV switch to ON

Disable and enables interfaces in Core switch.

Switch(config)# interface fc1/1-3
Switch(config-if)# shut
Switch(config-if)# no shut

Disable and enables interfaces in NPV Switch.

eswitch(config)# interface fc2/1-3
eswitch(config-if)# shut

Last, enable all the ports.

eswitch(config-if)# no shut

This completes the F port-channel configuration between the Cisco MDS and an NPV switch. I hope you have like this. Watch below YouTube for more details. Feel free comment on this topic and Subscribe For more such videos