HP 1606 HP B-series Fabric OS 6.4.1b Release Notes (5697-0886, March 2011-incl - Page 19

New OUI Support on B-series platforms Overview The OUI (Organizationally Unique Identifier) value is part of a Fibre Channel WWN that uniquely identifies the manufacturer of Fibre Channel products. The OUI values assigned to Brocade are used by Fabric OS to validate certain fabric interoperability support. The currently assigned OUI/WWN values are exhausted, necessitating Brocade to use a new OUI value for WWN assignment. The new OUI value for Brocade is 00:05:33. A WWN of 10:00:00:05:33:41:5c:c1, for example, demonstrates the usage of the new OUI. Fabric OS 6.4.x recognizes the new Brocade OUI value to guarantee proper functionality. It is important to note that no switch with the new OUI/WWN should be downgraded to a version of Fabric OS that does not recognize this new OUI (previous to Fabric OS 6.3.1a). It is also important to note that specific minimum requirements for recognition of the new OUI are neither validated nor enforced by Fabric OS. Impact of products with the new OUI to existing fabrics/environments In most situations, a switch that uses the new OUI can be seamlessly added to an existing fabric, even if the other switches in that fabric are not using Fabric OS versions that are aware of the new OUI value. However, there are some exceptions and limitations to consider before adding a switch utilizing the new OUI to an existing fabric or environment. • Fabrics with encryption products: If an HP StorageWorks encryption switch or blade using the new OUI is added to an edge fabric of a Fibre Channel routed fabric, Frame Redirection capability could be impacted across the FCR backbone, thus impacting the encryption functionality. Therefore, the FC routers in the FCR backbone fabric need to be upgraded to a firmware version that supports the new OUI. • Interopmode 2 and 3 fabrics: In an interopmode 2 or 3 fabric with VE ports, the switches on both ends of the VE link must run a firmware version that supports the new OUI, or the VE ports may not function correctly, resulting in unpredictable behavior. DCFM compatibility Fabric OS 6.4.x is fully compatible with DCFM 10.4.x management software. DCFM is a comprehensive SAN management application that enables end-to-end management of HP B-series data center fabrics. It is the next-generation product and the successor to existing B-series management products, including HP StorageWorks Fabric Manager (FM) and Enterprise Fabric Connectivity Manager (EFCM). DCFM is available in three versions (see the DCFM release notes for full support details): • DCFM Professional-An application bundled with B-series switches that is ideally suited for small- and medium-size businesses that need a lightweight management product to manage their smaller fabrics (one physical fabric at a time, up to 1,000 ports). DCFM Professional supports DC04 SAN Director and 4/256 (but not DC SAN Backbone Director), FC switches, FCIP switches, FCR switches/Integrated Routing (IR) capabilities, FCoE/CEE switches, and Brocade HBAs. • DCFM Professional Plus-A SAN management application designed for medium-size businesses to manage up to four physical fabrics (Fabric OS, M-EOS, and mixed fabrics) and up to 2,560 switch ports. DCFM Professional Plus supports DC04 SAN Director and 4/256 (but not DC SAN Backbone Director), FC switches, FCIP switches, FCR switches/Integrated Routing (IR) capabilities, FCoE/CEE switches, and Brocade HBAs. Enterprise-class customers who want to manage departmental SANs can consider deploying this product. • DCFM Enterprise-An application designed for enterprise-class customers that provides unparalleled performance and scalability (24 physical fabrics, up to 9,000 switch ports). DCFM Enterprise configures and manages the same switches and directors as Professional Important notes 19