HP StorageWorks 1606 Brocade Fabric OS Command Reference v6.3.0 (53-1001337-01 - Page 856

2 spinFab spinFab Synopsis Description Notes Runs functional test of interswitch link (ISL) cabling and trunk group operation. spinfab [-nmegs count][-ports itemlist][-setfail mode] Use this command to verify the intended functional operation of the interswitch links (ISLs) between switches at the maximum speed by setting up the routing hardware so that test frames received by each E_Port are retransmitted on the same E_Port. Several frames are subsequently sent to the neighbor port attached to each active E_Port specified. Because the default action for such frames is to route them back to the sender, which never occurs for normal traffic, the frames circulate until the test stops them. The frames are continuously transmitted and received in all ports in parallel. The port LEDs flicker green rapidly while the test is running. M->N/M->M loopback ports are tested as well, using the same algorithm, if loopback cables or loopback plugs are present in the switch. While the frames are circulating, the RX frame count and port CRC and encoder error statistics are monitored, and error messages may be generated if a port stops or a low-level error occurs. Every one million frames, the circulating frames are captured to verify that they are still circulating and that they are still in order. In this manner, the test can verify the entire path to the remote switch as well as the proper in-order delivery operation of any trunk groups present. The switch remains in normal operation while this test is running. However, some performance degradation may occur due to the ISLs being saturated with test frames. For this reason, use caution when running this test on live fabrics. Consider testing only one trunk group or ISL at a time, and do not run the tests for extended periods of time. Combine this test with portLoopBackTest for ISL link failure isolation. If spinFab fails, replace the cable with a loopback plug and run portLoopBackTest to verify the local switch and media. If these pass, the fault lies in the cable, the remote switch, or media. The frame size depends on the amount of buffer credit available on the port. There are eight possible frames that can be sent. Especially with trunking groups, all eight possible frames are used unless there is extensive traffic running on the link. The payload size of those eight frames are 1024, 12, 8, 1024, 512, 1024, 12, and 1024. The spinFab test is not supported on the following port configurations: ports in extended link slave ports in Trunk groups, ports connected to HBA (F_Ports), ICL ports, and ports configured for long distance. On switches running Fabric OS v6.3.0 and later, you can now use spinFab to test ports that previously caused nonspecific test results (port numbers greater than 255, area-swapped ports, ports in shared-area region) or were skipped by spinFab (ports in logical switches, and ports in the base switch). When trunk groups are present, the entire trunk group must be included in the range of ports to test or false failures can occur. If multiple ISL links are present between two switches that support trunking, then it is likely that trunk groups are present and all ports between the two switches should be tested at the same time. The execution of this command is subject to Virtual Fabric or Admin Domain restrictions that may be in place. Refer to chapter 1, "Using Fabric OS commands" and Appendix A, "Command Availability" for details. 826 Fabric OS Command Reference 53-1001337-01