Dell PowerConnect Brocade 300 Fabric OS Administrator's Guide v7.1.0 - Page 78

2 Basic connections Basic connections Before connecting a switch to a fabric that contains switches running different firmware versions, you must first set the same port identification (PID) format on all switches. The presence of different PID formats in a fabric causes fabric segmentation. • For information on PID formats and related procedures, refer to Chapter 3, "Performing Advanced Configuration Tasks". • For information on configuring the routing of connections, refer to Chapter 4, "Routing Traffic". • For information on configuring extended inter-switch connections, refer to Chapter 23, "Managing Long-Distance Fabrics". Device connection To minimize port logins, power off all devices before connecting them to the switch. When powering the devices back on, wait for each device to complete the fabric login before powering on the next one. For devices that cannot be powered off, first use the portDisable command to disable the port on the switch, connect the device, and then use the portEnable command to enable the port. Switch connection See the hardware reference manual of your specific switch for ISL connection and cable management information. The standard or default ISL mode is L0. ISL mode L0 is a static mode, with the following maximum ISL distances: • 10 km at 1 Gbps • 5 km at 2 Gbps • 2.5 km at 4 Gbps • 1 km at 8 Gbps • 1 km at 10 Gbps • 1 km at 16 Gbps For more information on extended ISL modes, which enable long distance inter-switch links, refer to Chapter 23, "Managing Long-Distance Fabrics". 78 Fabric OS Administrator's Guide 53-1002745-02