HP StorageWorks 8/80 HP StorageWorks Fabric OS 6.2.0b release notes (5697-0352 - Page 24

Extended fabrics and R_RDY flow control, Implementation

Page 24 highlights

• Port Fencing can be inadvertently disabled from Web Tools. This occurs when you first open the Fabric Watch configuration window and then check the SNMP Trap checkbox in the Above row. This change in Web Tools disables Port Fencing. If this happens, you must re-enable the Port Fencing bit from the command line interface. Extended fabrics and R_RDY flow control • Beginning with Fabric OS 5.1, the Extended Fabrics feature is supported in conjunction with R_RDY flow control (R_RDY flow control mode can be enabled by the portCfgISLMode command). R_RDY flow control mode that uses IDLE primitives does not support frame-based Trunking for devices such as Time Division Multiplexor (TDM.) To overcome this limitation and provide support for frame-based Trunking with Extended Fabrics, Fabric OS 6.2.x has been enhanced to support interoperability with these distance extension devices. Fabric OS 6.2.x allows Extended Fabrics E_ports to operate in VC_RDY mode using either ARB or IDLE primitives as fill words. This allows frame-based Trunking to be supported on Extended Fabrics E_Ports even when IDLE primitives are configured for these ports when operating in native VC_RDY mode. Prior to this change, frame-based Trunking was supported only when ARB primitives were used in VC_RDY mode. With Fabric OS 6.2.x, frame-based Trunking is supported on Extended Fabrics E_Ports even if IDLE or ARB primitives are used when operating in native VC_RDY mode. Implementation The portcfglongdistance CLI parameter VC Translation Link Init is now overloaded to specify whether the long distance link should use IDLE or ARB primitives. By default vc_init is enabled. When vc_init is enabled, the long distance link uses ARB primitives. If vc_init is disabled, the link uses IDLE primitives. The buffer-to-buffer credit recovery feature is not supported on Extended Fabrics E_Port when it is configured to use IDLE primitives. The user must disable buffer-to-buffer credit recovery feature using the command portcfgcreditrecovery and specifying the disable option; otherwise, the link will continuously reset. The Adaptive Networking SID/DID Traffic Prioritization QoS feature is not supported on Extended Fabrics E_Ports when IDLE primitives are configured on these ports. This is because in this mode only data Virtual Channels are available while QoS related virtual channels are not available. When connecting to an extension device that does not support ARB primitives (such as some TDM products), the following configuration must be used: • portcfgqos -disable • portcfgcreditrecovery -disable • portCfgLongDistance 0 The fabric parameter fabric.ops.mode.longdistance is now deprecated and should not be used. Table 6 summarizes the portcfgfillword command. 24

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Port Fencing can be inadvertently disabled from Web Tools. This occurs when you first open the
Fabric Watch configuration window and then check the
SNMP Trap
checkbox in the
Above
row.
This change in Web Tools disables Port Fencing. If this happens, you must re-enable the Port
Fencing bit from the command line interface.
Extended fabrics and R_RDY flow control
Beginning with Fabric OS 5.1, the Extended Fabrics feature is supported in conjunction with R_RDY
flow control (R_RDY flow control mode can be enabled by the
portCfgISLMode
command).
R_RDY flow control mode that uses IDLE primitives does not support frame-based Trunking for
devices such as Time Division Multiplexor (TDM.) To overcome this limitation and provide support
for frame-based Trunking with Extended Fabrics, Fabric OS 6.2.x has been enhanced to support
interoperability with these distance extension devices.
Fabric OS 6.2.x allows Extended Fabrics E_ports to operate in VC_RDY mode using either ARB
or IDLE primitives as fill words. This allows frame-based Trunking to be supported on Extended
Fabrics E_Ports even when IDLE primitives are configured for these ports when operating in native
VC_RDY mode. Prior to this change, frame-based Trunking was supported only when ARB primitives
were used in VC_RDY mode. With Fabric OS 6.2.x, frame-based Trunking is supported on Extended
Fabrics E_Ports even if IDLE or ARB primitives are used when operating in native VC_RDY mode.
Implementation
The
portcfglongdistance
CLI parameter
VC Translation Link Init
is now overloaded
to specify whether the long distance link should use IDLE or ARB primitives. By default vc_init is enabled.
When vc_init is enabled, the long distance link uses ARB primitives. If vc_init is disabled, the link uses
IDLE primitives.
The buffer-to-buffer credit recovery feature is not supported on Extended Fabrics E_Port when it is
configured to use IDLE primitives. The user must disable buffer-to-buffer credit recovery feature using
the command
portcfgcreditrecovery
and specifying the disable option; otherwise, the link will
continuously reset.
The Adaptive Networking SID/DID Traffic Prioritization QoS feature is not supported on Extended
Fabrics E_Ports when IDLE primitives are configured on these ports. This is because in this mode only
data Virtual Channels are available while QoS related virtual channels are not available.
When connecting to an extension device that does not support ARB primitives (such as some TDM
products), the following configuration must be used:
portcfgqos -disable <port>
portcfgcreditrecovery –disable <port>
portCfgLongDistance <port><LD|LD>0<distance>
The fabric parameter
fabric.ops.mode.longdistance
is now deprecated and should not be
used.
Table 6
summarizes the
portcfgfillword
command.
24