Dell Brocade G620 Brocade 8.0.1 Fabric OS Administratiors Guide - Page 302

Identifying the enforced zone type, Considerations for zoning architecture, Best practices for zoning

Page 302 highlights

Administering Advanced Zoning If a port is in multiple zones, and is defined by WWN in one zone and by D,I in another, then session-based hardware enforcement is in effect. Identifying the enforced zone type Use the following procedure to identify zones and zone types: 1. Connect to the switch and log in using an account with admin permissions. 2. Enter the portZoneShow command. Considerations for zoning architecture Table 63 lists considerations for zoning architecture. TABLE 63 Considerations for zoning architecture Item Description Type of zoning enforcement: frame- or session-based If security is a priority, frame-based hardware enforcement is recommended. The best way to do this is to use WWN identification exclusively for all zoning configurations. Use of aliases Effect of changes in a production fabric Testing The use of aliases is optional with zoning. Using aliases requires structure when defining zones. Aliases aid administrators of zoned fabrics in understanding the structure and context. Zone changes in a production fabric can result in a disruption of I/O under conditions when an RSCN is issued because of the zone change and the HBA is unable to process the RSCN fast enough. Although RSCNs are a normal part of a functioning SAN, the pause in I/O might not be acceptable. For these reasons, you should perform zone changes only when the resulting behavior is predictable and acceptable. Ensuring that the HBA drivers are current can shorten the response time in relation to the RSCN. Before implementing a new zone, you should run the Zone Analyzer from Web Tools to isolate any possible problems. This is especially useful as fabrics increase in size. Confirming operation After changing or enabling a zone configuration, you should confirm that the nodes and storage can identify and access one another. Depending on the platform, you might need to reboot one or more nodes in the fabric with the new changes. Zoning can be implemented and administered from any switch in the fabric, although it is recommended that you use a switch running the latest Fabric OS version. The zone configuration is managed on a fabric basis. When a change in the configuration is saved, enabled, or disabled according to the transactional model, it is automatically (by closing the transaction) distributed to all switches in the fabric, preventing a single point of failure for zone information. NOTE Zoning commands make changes that affect the entire fabric. When executing fabric-level configuration tasks, allow time for the changes to propagate across the fabric before executing any subsequent commands. For a large fabric, you should wait several minutes between commands. Best practices for zoning The following are recommendations for using zoning: ∙ When using a mixed fabric - that is, a fabric containing two or more switches running different release levels of Fabric OS - you should use the switch with the latest Fabric OS level to perform zoning tasks. Switches with earlier versions of Fabric OS do not have the same capability to view all the functionality that more recent versions of Fabric OS provide, as functionality is backwards-compatible but not forward-compatible. 302 Brocade Fabric OS Administration Guide, 8.0.1 53-1004111-02

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If a port is in multiple zones, and is defined by WWN in one zone and by D,I in another, then session-based hardware enforcement is in
effect.
Identifying the enforced zone type
Use the following procedure to identify zones and zone types:
1.
Connect to the switch and log in using an account with admin permissions.
2.
Enter the
portZoneShow
command.
Considerations for zoning architecture
Table 63
lists considerations for zoning architecture.
TABLE 63
Considerations for zoning architecture
Item
Description
Type of zoning enforcement: frame- or
session-based
If security is a priority, frame-based hardware enforcement is recommended. The best way to do this
is to use WWN identification exclusively for all zoning configurations.
Use of aliases
The use of aliases is optional with zoning. Using aliases requires structure when defining zones.
Aliases aid administrators of zoned fabrics in understanding the structure and context.
Effect of changes in a production fabric
Zone changes in a production fabric can result in a disruption of I/O under conditions when an RSCN
is issued because of the zone change and the HBA is unable to process the RSCN fast enough.
Although RSCNs are a normal part of a functioning SAN, the pause in I/O might not be acceptable.
For these reasons, you should perform zone changes only when the resulting behavior is predictable
and acceptable. Ensuring that the HBA drivers are current can shorten the response time in relation to
the RSCN.
Testing
Before implementing a new zone, you should run the Zone Analyzer from Web Tools to isolate any
possible problems. This is especially useful as fabrics increase in size.
Confirming operation
After changing or enabling a zone configuration, you should confirm that the nodes and storage can
identify and access one another. Depending on the platform, you might need to reboot one or more
nodes in the fabric with the new changes.
Zoning can be implemented and administered from any switch in the fabric, although it is recommended that you use a switch running
the latest Fabric OS version.
The zone configuration is managed on a fabric basis. When a change in the configuration is saved, enabled, or disabled according to the
transactional model, it is automatically (by closing the transaction) distributed to all switches in the fabric, preventing a single point of
failure for zone information.
NOTE
Zoning commands make changes that affect the entire fabric. When executing fabric-level configuration tasks, allow time for
the changes to propagate across the fabric before executing any subsequent commands. For a large fabric, you should wait
several minutes between commands.
Best practices for zoning
The following are recommendations for using zoning:
When using a mixed fabric — that is, a fabric containing two or more switches running different release levels of Fabric OS —
you should use the switch with the latest Fabric OS level to perform zoning tasks.
Switches with earlier versions of Fabric OS do not have the same capability to view all the functionality that more recent
versions of Fabric OS provide, as functionality is backwards-compatible but not forward-compatible.
Administering Advanced Zoning
Brocade Fabric OS Administration Guide, 8.0.1
302
53-1004111-02