Dell Brocade G620 Brocade 8.0.1 Fabric OS Administratiors Guide - Page 320

Zone database size, Zone configurations, Release Notes.

Page 320 highlights

Administering Advanced Zoning Zone database size The maximum size of a zone database is the upper limit for the defined configuration, and it is determined by the amount of flash memory available for storing the defined configuration. To display the zone database size, enter cfgSize. The supported maximum zone database size is 2 MB for systems running Brocade DCX 8510 Backbones and X6 Directors. The presence of any other platform reduces the maximum zone database size to 1 MB. ATTENTION In a fabric that has a mix of switches running versions of Fabric OS both earlier and later than version 7.0.0, if you run the cfgSave or cfgEnable commands from a switch running a pre-7.0.0 version of Fabric OS, a zone database size of 128 KB is may be enforced. Whether this occurs depends on the specific version of pre-Fabric OS 7.0.0 firmware the switches are using. For a detailed list of pre-Fabric OS 7.0.0 firmware compatibility versions, please see the Zoning Compatibility Note in the Release Notes. Virtual Fabrics considerations: If Virtual Fabrics is enabled, the sum of the zone database sizes on all of the logical fabrics must not exceed the maximum size allowed for the chassis (1 MB). The maximum size limit is enforced per-partition, but is not enforced chassiswide. If the chassis size limit is exceeded, you are not informed of this and unpredictable behavior may occur. It is your responsibility to keep track of the chassis-wide zone database size. NOTE Though Fabric OS does not impose any restriction on the number of members you can have in a zone, it is not advisable to have more than 255 members. Exceeding this limit may lead to unpredictable behavior. Zone configurations You can store a number of zones in a zone configuration database. The maximum number of items that can be stored in the zone configuration database depends on the following criteria: ∙ Number of switches in the fabric. ∙ Number of bytes for each item name. The number of bytes required for an item name depends on the specifics of the fabric, but cannot exceed 64 bytes for each item. When enabling a new zone configuration, ensure that the size of the defined configuration does not exceed the maximum configuration size supported by all switches in the fabric. This is particularly important if you downgrade to a Fabric OS version that supports a smaller zone database than the current Fabric OS. In this scenario, the zone database in the current Fabric OS would have to be changed to the smaller zone database before the downgrade. You can use the cfgSize command to check both the maximum available size and the currently saved size on all switches. If you think you are approaching the maximum, you can save a partially completed zone configuration and use the cfgSize command to determine the remaining space. The cfgSize command reports the maximum available size on the current switch only. It cannot determine the maximum available size on other switches in the fabric. NOTE The minimum zone database size is 4 bytes, even if the zone database is empty. For important considerations for managing zoning in a fabric, and more details about the maximum zone database size for each version of the Fabric OS, refer to Zone database size on page 320. If you create or make changes to a zone configuration, you must enable the configuration for the changes to take effect. 320 Brocade Fabric OS Administration Guide, 8.0.1 53-1004111-02

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Zone database size
The maximum size of a zone database is the upper limit for the defined configuration, and it is determined by the amount of flash
memory available for storing the defined configuration.
To display the zone database size, enter
cfgSize
.
The supported maximum zone database size is 2 MB for systems running Brocade DCX 8510 Backbones and X6 Directors. The
presence of any other platform reduces the maximum zone database size to 1 MB.
ATTENTION
In a fabric that has a mix of switches running versions of Fabric OS both earlier and later than version 7.0.0, if you run the
cfgSave
or
cfgEnable
commands from a switch running a pre-7.0.0 version of Fabric OS, a zone database size of 128 KB is
may be enforced. Whether this occurs depends on the specific version of pre-Fabric OS 7.0.0 firmware the switches are using.
For a detailed list of pre-Fabric OS 7.0.0 firmware compatibility versions, please see the Zoning Compatibility Note in the
Release Notes.
Virtual Fabrics considerations:
If Virtual Fabrics is enabled, the sum of the zone database sizes on all of the logical fabrics must not
exceed the maximum size allowed for the chassis (1 MB). The maximum size limit is enforced per-partition, but is not enforced chassis-
wide. If the chassis size limit is exceeded, you are not informed of this and unpredictable behavior may occur. It is your responsibility to
keep track of the chassis-wide zone database size.
NOTE
Though Fabric OS does not impose any restriction on the number of members you can have in a zone, it is not advisable to
have more than 255 members. Exceeding this limit may lead to unpredictable behavior.
Zone configurations
You can store a number of zones in a zone configuration database. The maximum number of items that can be stored in the zone
configuration database depends on the following criteria:
Number of switches in the fabric.
Number of bytes for each item name. The number of bytes required for an item name depends on the specifics of the fabric,
but cannot exceed 64 bytes for each item.
When enabling a new zone configuration, ensure that the size of the defined configuration does not exceed the maximum configuration
size supported by all switches in the fabric. This is particularly important if you downgrade to a Fabric OS version that supports a smaller
zone database than the current Fabric OS. In this scenario, the zone database in the current Fabric OS would have to be changed to the
smaller zone database before the downgrade.
You can use the
cfgSize
command to check both the maximum available size and the currently saved size on all switches. If you think
you are approaching the maximum, you can save a partially completed zone configuration and use the
cfgSize
command to determine
the remaining space. The
cfgSize
command reports the maximum available size on the current switch only. It cannot determine the
maximum available size on other switches in the fabric.
NOTE
The minimum zone database size is 4 bytes, even if the zone database is empty.
For important considerations for managing zoning in a fabric, and more details about the maximum zone database size for each version
of the Fabric OS, refer to
Zone database size
on page 320.
If you create or make changes to a zone configuration, you must enable the configuration for the changes to take effect.
Administering Advanced Zoning
Brocade Fabric OS Administration Guide, 8.0.1
320
53-1004111-02