Dell Brocade G620 Brocade 8.0.1 Fabric OS Troubleshooting and Diagnostics Guid - Page 13

Introduction

∙

Troubleshooting overview

..............................................................................................................................................................................................

13

∙

Most common problem areas

.....................................................................................................................................................................................

13

∙

Questions for common symptoms

..........................................................................................................................................................................

14

∙

Gathering information for your switch support provider

...............................................................................................................................

17

∙

Building a case for your switch support provider

.............................................................................................................................................

19

Troubleshooting overview

This book is a companion guide to be used in conjunction with the

Fabric OS Administrator's Guide

. Although it provides a lot of

common troubleshooting tips and techniques, it does not teach troubleshooting methodology.

Troubleshooting should begin at the center of the SAN — the fabric. Because switches are located between the hosts and storage

devices and have visibility into both sides of the storage network, starting with them can help narrow the search path. After eliminating

the possibility of a fault within the fabric, see if the problem is on the storage side or the host side, and continue a more detailed

diagnosis from there. Using this approach can quickly pinpoint and isolate problems.

For example, if a host cannot detect a storage device, run the

switchShow

command to determine if the storage device is logically

connected to the switch. If not, focus first on the switch directly connecting to storage. Use your vendor-supplied storage diagnostic

tools to better understand why it is not visible to the switch. If the storage can be detected by the switch, and the host still cannot detect

the storage device, then there is still a problem between the host and the switch.

Network Time Protocol

One of the most frustrating parts of troubleshooting is trying to synchronize a switch’s message logs and portlogs with other switches in

the fabric. If you do not have Network Time Protocol (NTP) set up on your switches, then trying to synchronize log files to track a

problem is more difficult.

Most common problem areas

Table 1

identifies the most common problem areas that arise within SANs and identifies tools to use to resolve them.

TABLE 1

Common troubleshooting problems and tools

Problem area

Investigate

Tools

Fabric

∙

Missing devices

∙

Marginal links (unstable connections)

∙

Incorrect zoning configurations

∙

Incorrect switch configurations

∙

Switch LEDs

∙

Switch commands (for example,

switchShow

or

nsAllShow

) for

diagnostics

∙

Web or GUI-based monitoring and

management software tools

Storage Devices

∙

Physical issues between switch and

devices

∙

Incorrect storage software

configurations

∙

Device LEDs

∙

Storage diagnostic tools

∙

Switch commands (for example,

switchShow

or

nsAllShow

) for

diagnostics

Brocade Fabric OS Troubleshooting and Diagnostics Guide

53-1004126-01

13

Section	Page
Brocade Fabric OS Troubleshooting and Diagnostics Guide	1
Preface	7
Document conventions	7
Text formatting conventions	7
Command syntax conventions	7
Notes, cautions, and warnings	8
Brocade resources	8
Contacting Brocade Technical Support	8
Brocade customers	8
Brocade OEM customers	9
Document feedback	9
About This Document	11
Supported hardware and software	11
Brocade Gen 5 (16-Gbps) fixed-port switches	11
Brocade Gen 5 (16-Gbps) DCX 8510 Directors	11
Brocade Gen 6 fixed-port switches	11
Brocade Gen 6 Directors	12
What's new in this document	12
Introduction	13
Troubleshooting overview	13
Network Time Protocol	13
Most common problem areas	13
Questions for common symptoms	14
Gathering information for your switch support provider	17
Setting up your switch for FTP	17
Using the supportSave command	17
Changing the supportSave timeout value	18
Capturing output from a console	18
Capturing command output	19
Building a case for your switch support provider	19
Basic information	19
Detailed problem information	20
Gathering additional information	21
General Troubleshooting	23
Licenses	23
Time	23
Frame Viewer	23
Switch message logs	24
Switch boot	25
Rolling Reboot Detection	25
Reboot classification	25
Restrictions	26
Collecting limited supportSave output on the Rolling Reboot Detection	27
FC-FC routing connectivity	27
Generating and routing an ECHO	27
Superping	29
Restrictions	31
Routing and statistical information	32
Performance issues	33
Connectivity	35
Port initialization and FCP auto-discovery process	35
Link issues	36
Connection problems	37
Checking the physical connection	37
Checking the logical connection	37
Checking the Name Server	38
Link failures	39
Determining a successful speed negotiation	39
Checking for a loop initialization failure	40
Checking for a point-to-point initialization failure	40
Correcting a port that has come up in the wrong mode	41
Marginal links	41
Troubleshooting a marginal link	42
Device login issues on Fabric switch	43
Pinpointing problems with device logins	44
Device login issues on Access Gateway	45
Media-related issues	46
Testing the external transmit and receive path of a port	46
Testing the internal components of a switch	46
Testing components to and from the HBA	47
Segmented fabrics	47
Reconciling fabric parameters individually	48
Downloading a correct configuration	48
Reconciling a domain ID conflict	48
Reconciling incompatible software features	50
Configuration	51
Configuration upload and download issues	51
Gathering additional information	53
Messages captured in the logs	54
Brocade configuration form	54
Firmware Download Errors	55
Blade troubleshooting tips	55
Firmware download issues	56
Troubleshooting with the firmwareDownload command	58
Gathering additional information	59
USB error handling	59
Considerations for downgrading firmware	59
Preinstallation messages	60
Blade types	61
Firmware versions	61
Platform	62
Routing	62
Security	63
Passwords	63
Password recovery options	63
Device authentication	64
Protocol and certificate management	64
Gathering additional information	65
SNMP	65
Gathering additional information	66
FIPS	66
Virtual Fabrics	67
General Virtual Fabrics troubleshooting	67
Fabric identification issues	68
Logical Fabric issues	68
Base switch issues	68
Logical switch issues	69
Switch configuration blade compatibility	71
Gathering additional information	71
ISL Trunking	73
Link issues	73
Buffer credit issues	74
Getting out of buffer-limited mode	74
Zoning	75
Overview of corrective action	75
Verifying a fabric merge problem	75
Verifying a TI zone problem	75
Segmented fabrics	76
Zone conflicts	77
Resolving zoning conflicts	78
Correcting a fabric merge problem quickly	78
Changing the default zone access	79
Editing zone configuration members	79
Reordering the zone member list	79
Checking for Fibre Channel connectivity problems	80
Checking for zoning problems	81
Gathering additional information	81
Diagnostic Features	83
Fabric OS diagnostics	83
Diagnostic information	83
Power-on self-test	84
Disabling POST	85
Enabling POST	85
Switch status	85
Viewing the overall status of the switch	86
Displaying switch information	86
Displaying the uptime for a switch	87
Using the spinFab and portTest commands	88
Debugging spinFab errors	88
Link errors	89
Tx/Rx errors	89
Clearing the error counters	90
Enabling a port	90
Disabling a port	90
Port information	90
Viewing the status of a port	90
Displaying the port statistics	91
Displaying a summary of port errors for a switch	92
Equipment status	93
Checking the temperature, fan, and power supply	93
Checking the status of the fans	94
Checking the status of a power supply	94
Checking temperature status	94
System message log	95
Displaying the system message log with no page breaks	95
Displaying the system message log one message at a time	95
Clearing the system message log	96
Port log	96
Viewing the port log	96
Syslogd configuration	97
Configuring the host	97
Configuring the switch	98
Specifying syslogd hosts	98
Setting the facility level	98
Removing a syslogd host from the list	99
Automatic trace dump transfers	99
Specifying a remote server	99
Enabling the automatic transfer of trace dumps	99
Setting up periodic checking of the remote server	99
Saving comprehensive diagnostic files to the server	100
Multiple trace dump files support	100
Auto FTP support	100
Trace dump support	101
Switch Type and Blade ID	103
Hexadecimal Conversion	105
Hexadecimal overview	105
Example conversion of the hexadecimal triplet Ox616000	105

Dell Brocade G620 Brocade 8.0.1 Fabric OS Troubleshooting and Diagnostics Guid - Page 13

Introduction, Troubleshooting overview, Network Time Protocol, Most common problem areas

Page 13 highlights