Dell Brocade G620 Brocade 8.0.1 Fabric OS Administratiors Guide - Page 468

Masterless trunking, License requirements for trunking, Port groups for trunking

Page 468 highlights

Managing Trunking Connections ∙ N_Port trunking is configured on a link between a switch and either an Access Gateway module or a Brocade adapter. It is similar to F_Port trunking. The trunk ports are N_Ports (on the Access Gateway or adapter) connected to F_Ports (on the switch). For more information, refer to Configuring F_Port trunking for a Brocade adapter on page 478, the Access Gateway Administrator's Guide, and the Brocade Adapters Administrators Guide . NOTE This chapter uses the term F_Port trunking to refer to a trunk between the F_Ports on a switch and the N_Ports on either an Access Gateway module or a Brocade adapter. This type of trunk might be referred to as N_Port trunking in the Access Gateway Administrator's Guide or Brocade Adapters Administrator's Guide Masterless trunking Masterless trunking means that if the master port goes offline, one of the slave ports automatically becomes the new master port, thus avoiding traffic disruption. The new master port uses the old master port area and the old master port is assigned a new, unused area. In this way, the port identifier (PID) of the trunk does not change if the master port goes offline. If trunking is not masterless, and if the master port goes offline, traffic disruption can occur because the slave ports in the trunk group go offline to select the new master port and then come back online. Masterless trunking is supported for most platforms and trunking types: ∙ All F_Port trunking is masterless. ∙ ISL and ICL trunking are masterless. ∙ EX_Port trunking is masterless, except on Brocade DCX 8510 Backbones and X6 Directors with Virtual Fabrics disabled. License requirements for trunking Trunking of non-ICL ports (E_Ports, EX_Ports, and F_Ports) requires the Trunking license. This license must be installed on each switch that participates in trunking. Trunking of ICL ports (E_Ports and EX_Ports) does not require a Trunking license. ATTENTION After you add the Trunking license, to enable trunking functionality, you must disable and then re-enable each port to be used in trunking, or disable and re-enable the switch. Refer to the Fabric OS Software Licensing Guide for information about activating licenses. Port groups for trunking For trunk groups to form, several conditions must be met. One of the conditions is that all of the ports in a trunk group must belong to the same port group. A port group is a group of eight ports, based on the user port number, such as 0-7, 8-15, 16-23, and up to the number of ports on the switch. The maximum number of port groups is platform-specific. Ports in a port group are usually contiguous, but they may not be. Refer to the hardware reference manual for your switch for information about which ports can be used in the same port group for trunking. Brocade Fabric OS Administration Guide, 8.0.1 468 53-1004111-02

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N_Port trunking is configured on a link between a switch and either an Access Gateway module or a Brocade adapter. It is
similar to F_Port trunking. The trunk ports are N_Ports (on the Access Gateway or adapter) connected to F_Ports (on the
switch).
For more information, refer to
Configuring F_Port trunking for a Brocade adapter
on page 478, the
Access Gateway
Administrator's Guide
, and the
Brocade Adapters Administrators Guide
.
NOTE
This chapter uses the term
F_Port trunking
to refer to a trunk between the F_Ports on a switch and the N_Ports on either an
Access Gateway module or a Brocade adapter. This type of trunk might be referred to as N_Port trunking in the
Access
Gateway Administrator's Guide
or
Brocade Adapters Administrator’s Guide
Masterless trunking
Masterless trunking means that if the master port goes offline, one of the slave ports automatically becomes the new master port, thus
avoiding traffic disruption. The new master port uses the old master port area and the old master port is assigned a new, unused area. In
this way, the port identifier (PID) of the trunk does not change if the master port goes offline.
If trunking is not masterless, and if the master port goes offline, traffic disruption can occur because the slave ports in the trunk group go
offline to select the new master port and then come back online.
Masterless trunking is supported for most platforms and trunking types:
All F_Port trunking is masterless.
ISL and ICL trunking are masterless.
EX_Port trunking is masterless, except on Brocade DCX 8510 Backbones and X6 Directors with Virtual Fabrics disabled.
License requirements for trunking
Trunking of non-ICL ports (E_Ports, EX_Ports, and F_Ports) requires the Trunking license. This license must be installed on each switch
that participates in trunking.
Trunking of ICL ports (E_Ports and EX_Ports) does not require a Trunking license.
ATTENTION
After you add the Trunking license, to enable trunking functionality, you must disable and then re-enable each port to be used in
trunking, or disable and re-enable the switch.
Refer to the
Fabric OS Software Licensing Guide
for information about activating licenses.
Port groups for trunking
For trunk groups to form, several conditions must be met. One of the conditions is that all of the ports in a trunk group must belong to
the same port group. A
port group
is a group of eight ports, based on the user port number, such as 0-7, 8-15, 16-23, and up to the
number of ports on the switch. The maximum number of port groups is platform-specific.
Ports in a port group are usually contiguous, but they may not be. Refer to the hardware reference manual for your switch for information
about which ports can be used in the same port group for trunking.
Managing Trunking Connections
Brocade Fabric OS Administration Guide, 8.0.1
468
53-1004111-02