Configuring N Port Virtualization
This chapter contains the following sections:
Supported Hardware, page 1
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FC NPV Overview, page 2
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FC NPV Mode, page 2
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Server Interfaces, page 3
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NP Uplinks, page 3
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SAN Port Channels, page 4
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FLOGI Operation, page 9
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NPV Traffic Management, page 10
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FC NPV Traffic Management Guidelines, page 11
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FC NPV Guidelines and Limitations, page 11
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Licensing Requirements for FC NPV, page 13
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Configuring NPV, page 13
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Verifying FC NPV, page 19
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FC NPV Core Switch and FC NPV Edge Switch Configuration Example, page 22
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Supported Hardware
FC NPV is supported on the N9K-C93180YC-FX switch and only the following FC SFPs are supported:
DS-SFP-FC8G-SW
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DS-SFP-FC16G-SW
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DS-SFP-FC32G-SW
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FC NPV Overview
FC NPV Overview
A switch is in NPV mode after enabling NPV. NPV mode applies to an entire switch. All end devices connected
to a switch that are in NPV mode must log in as an N port to use this feature (loop-attached devices are not
supported). All links from the edge switches (in NPV mode) to the NPV core switches are established as NP
ports (not E ports), which are used for typical inter-switch links. NPIV is used by the switches in NPV mode
to log in to multiple end devices that share a link to the NPV core switch.
The following figure shows an interface-level view of an FC NPV configuration.
Figure 1: FC NPV Interface Configuration
Configuring N Port Virtualization
DS-SFP-FC32G-SW operates at 16G speed.Note
FC NPV Benefits
FC NPV provides the following:
Increased number of hosts that connect to the fabric without adding domain IDs in the fabric
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Connection of FC and FCoE hosts and targets to SAN fabrics using FC interfaces
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Automatic traffic mapping
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Static traffic mapping
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FC NPV Mode
In FC NPV mode, the edge switch relays all traffic to the core switch and shares the domain ID of the core
switch.
FC NPV is enabled by installing and enabling feature-set fcoe-npv. You cannot configure FC NPV mode
on a per-interface basis. FC NPV mode applies to the entire switch.
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Configuring N Port Virtualization
Server Interfaces
In Cisco Nexus 9000 Series switches, server interfaces can be FC or vFC interfaces.
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Server interfaces are F ports on the edge switch that connect to the servers. A server interface may
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support multiple end devices by enabling the N port identifier virtualization (NPIV) feature. NPIV
provides a means to assign multiple FC IDs to a single N port, which allows the server to assign unique
FC IDs to different applications.
Server Interfaces
NP Uplinks
Note
FC server interfaces should be in trunk mode off. Trunk mode on is not supported.
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vFC server interfaces should be in trunk mode on.
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Server interfaces are automatically distributed among the NP uplinks to the core switch. All of the end
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devices connected to a server interface are mapped to the same NP uplink.
8 G speed is not supported for server and target interfaces.
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The default speed is 16 G.
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In Cisco Nexus 9000 Series switches, NP uplink interfaces can be native Fibre Channel interfaces, virtual
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fiber channel interfaces, SAN port channel interfaces, or virtual ethernet port-channel interfaces.
All interfaces from the edge switch to the core switch are configured as proxy N ports (NP ports).
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An NP uplink is a connection from an NP port on the edge switch to an F port on the core switch. When
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an NP uplink is established, the edge switch sends a fabric login message (FLOGI) to the core switch
then (if the FLOGI is successful) registers itself with the name server on the core switch. Subsequent
FLOGIs from end devices connected to this NP uplink are forwarded as-is to the core switch. Subsequent
flags from the same VSAN are forwarded as fdisc.
To use NPIV, enable the NPIV feature and reinitialize the server interfaces that will
support multiple devices.
Note
The features below must be enabled on the core switch:
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If the FC uplink speed is 8 G, the fill pattern should be configured as IDLE on the core switch.
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In the switch CLI configuration commands and output displays, NP uplinks are called
External Interfaces.
feature npiv
◦
feature fport-channel-trunk
◦
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SAN Port Channels
Configuring N Port Virtualization
Note
Note
For the FLOGI from NP uplink of Cisco Nexus 9000 Series switches to be successful on the core
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Following is an example of configuring IDLE fill pattern on a Cisco MDS switch:
Switch(config)# int fc2/3
Switch(config)# switchport fill-pattern IDLE speed 8000
Switch(config)# sh run int fc2/3
interface fc2/3
switchport speed 8000
switchport mode NP
switchport fill-pattern IDLE speed 8000
no shutdown
switch, the core should be configured with the OUI of a Cisco Nexus 9000 Series switch. Configure
the OUI on the core only if the core has not registered the OUI by default.
The OUI is found and configured as follows:
N9K(config-if)# show wwn switch
Switch WWN is 20:00:2c:d0:2d:50:ea:64
N9K(config-if)#
On the core, we see the output below if the OUI (0x2cd02d) is already registered.
MDS9710(config-if)# sh wwn oui | i 2cd02d
0x2cd02d Cisco Default
MDS9710(config-if) #
If the OUI is not registered with the core, configure it manually.
MDS9710(config-if)# wwn oui 0x2cd02d
Beginning in Cisco NX-OS Release 7.3(3)N1(1), the OUI is configurable on a Cisco Nexus 6000
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Series core switch.
SAN Port Channels
About SAN Port Channels
A SAN port channel is a logical interface that combines a set of FC interfaces connected to the same
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fibre channel node and operates as one link.
SAN port channels support bandwidth utilization and availability.
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SAN port channels on Cisco Nexus 9000 Series switches are mainly used to connect to MDS cores and
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to provide optimal bandwidth utilization and transparent failover between the uplinks of a VSAN.
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Configuring N Port Virtualization
Configuring SAN Port Channels
SAN port channels are created with default values. You can change the default configuration just as any other
physical interface.
If the following requirements are not met, a SAN port channel error is detected:
Each switch on either side of a SAN port channel must be connected to the same number of interfaces.
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Each interface must be connected to a corresponding interface on the other side.
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Links in a SAN port channel cannot be changed after the port channel is configured. If you change the
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links after the port channel is configured, be sure to reconnect the links to interfaces within the port
channel and reenable the links.
Configuring SAN Port Channels
Note
If all three conditions are not met, the faulty link is disabled. Enter the show interface command for that
interface to verify that the SAN port channel is functioning as required.
SAN Port Channel Guidelines and Limitations
The number of SAN port channels and virtual FC port channels, together, can be only 8 on the Cisco
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Nexus 9000 Series switch.
The maximum number of FC interfaces that can be combined into a SAN port channel is limited to 16.
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The default channel mode on Cisco Nexus 9000 Series switches for SAN port channels is active; this
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cannot be changed.
Creating a SAN Port Channel
This section explains how to create a SAN port channel.
Procedure
Step 1
switch# configuration terminal
Enters the global configuration mode.
Step 2
switch(config)# interface san-port-channel channel-number
Creates the specified SAN port channel using the default mode (on). The SAN port channel number is in the
range of 1 to 256
The following example shows the SAN port channel creation:
switch(config)# interface san-port-channel 1
switch(config-if)#
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Interfaces in a SAN Port Channel
About SAN Port Channel Modes
A SAN port channel is configured with channel mode active by default. When active, the member ports initiate
port-channel-protocol negotiation with the peer port(s) regardless of the channel-group mode of the peer port.
If the peer port, while configured in a channel group, does not support the port-channel protocol, or responds
with a nonnegotiable status, the port channel will be disabled. The active port -channel mode allows automatic
recovery without explicitly enabling and disabling the port-channel-member ports at either end.
About Deleting SAN Port Channels
When you delete the SAN port channel, the corresponding channel membership is also deleted.
If you delete the SAN port channel for one port, then the individual ports within the deleted SAN port channel
retain the compatibility parameter settings (speed, mode, port VSAN, allowed VSAN, and port security). You
can explicitly change those settings as required.
Deleting SAN Port Channels
Configuring N Port Virtualization
This section explains how to delete a SAN port channel.
Procedure
Step 1
Step 2
switch# configuration terminal
Enters global configuration mode.
switch(config)#no interface san-port-channel channel-number
Deletes the specified port channel, its associated interface mappings, and the hardware associations for this
SAN port channel.
The following example demonstrates how to delete a SAN port channel:
switch(config)# no interface san-port-channel 1
The SAN port channel 1 is deleted and all its members are disabled. Please do the same operation on the
switch at the other end of the SAN port channel.
Interfaces in a SAN Port Channel
You can add or remove a physical Fibre Channel interface (or a range of interfaces) to an existing SAN port
channel. The compatible parameters on the configuration are mapped to the SAN port channel. Adding an
interface to a SAN port channel increases the channel size and bandwidth of the SAN port channel. Removing
an interface from a SAN port channel decreases the channel size and bandwidth of the SAN port channel.
Virtual Fibre Channel interfaces cannot be added to SAN port channels.Note
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Configuring N Port Virtualization
Adding an Interface to a SAN Port Channel
This section explains how to add an interface to a SAN port channel.
Procedure
Interfaces in a SAN Port Channel
Step 1
switch#configuration terminal
Enters global configuration mode.
Step 2
switch(config)# interface type slot /port
Enters configuration mode for the specified interface.
Step 3
switch(config-if)#channel-group channel-number
Adds the Fibre Channel interface to the specified channel group. If the channel group does not exist, it is
created. The port is shut down.
The following example adds an interface to a SAN port channel:
switch(config)# interface fc2/3
switch(config-if)# channel-group 15
fc2/3 is added to san-port-channel 15 and is disabled. Please do the same operation on the switch at the other
end of the san-port-channel, then do “no shutdown” at both ends to bring them up
Forcing an Interface Addition
You can force the port configuration to be overwritten by the SAN port channel. In this case, the interface is
added to a SAN port channel.
When SAN port channels are created from within an interface, the force option cannot be used.Note
This section explains how to force the addition of a port to a SAN port channel.
Procedure
Step 1
switch# configuration terminal
Enters global configuration mode.
Step 2
switch(config)#interface type slot / port
Enters configuration mode for the specified interface.
Step 3
switch(config-if)# channel-group channel-number force
Forces the addition of the interface into the specified channel group. The E port is shut down.
The following example adds an interface to a SAN port channel:
switch(config)# interface fc2/3
switch(config-if)# channel-group 15 force
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Verifying SAN Port Channel Configurations
fc2/3 added to san-port-channel 15 and disabled. Please do the same operation on the switch at the other end
of the san-port-channel, then perform a no shutdown at both ends to bring them up
About Interface Deletion from a SAN Port Channel
When a physical interface is deleted from the SAN port channel, the channel membership is automatically
updated. If the deleted interface is the last operational interface, then the port channel status is changed to a
down state. Deleting an interface from a SAN port channel decreases the channel size and bandwidth of the
SAN port channel.
Deleting an Interface from a SAN Port Channel
This section explains how to delete a physical interface (or a range of physical interfaces) from a SAN port
channel.
Procedure
Configuring N Port Virtualization
Step 1
Step 2
switch(config)# interface type slot /port
Enters configuration mode for the specified interface.
switch(config)#no channel-group channel-number
Deletes the physical Fibre Channel interface from the specified channel group.
The following example deletes an interface from a SAN port channel:
switch(config)# interface fc2/3
witch(config-if)# no channel-group 15
fc2/1 is removed from the SAN port-channel 2 and disabled.
Please do the same operation on the switch at the other end of the san-port-channel
Verifying SAN Port Channel Configurations
You can view specific information about existing SAN port channels at any time from EXEC mode. The
following show commands provide further details on existing SAN port channels.
The show san-port-channel summary command displays a summary of SAN port channels within the switch.
A one-line summary of each SAN port channel provides the administrative state, the operational state, the
number of attached and active interfaces (up), and the first operational port (FOP), which is the primary
operational interface selected in the SAN port channel to carry control-plane traffic (no load-balancing). The
FOP is the first port that comes up in a SAN port channel and can change if the port goes down. The FOP is
also identified by an asterisk ( *).
To display VSAN configuration information, perform one of the following tasks:
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