Dell Brocade 300 Troubleshooting and Diagnostics Guide

53-1002751-01

14 December 2012

Fabric OS

Troubleshooting and Diagnostics Guide

Supporting Fabric OS v7.1.0

Brocade, the B-wing symbol, BigIron, DCX, Fabric OS, FastIron, IronPoint, IronShield, IronView, IronWare, JetCore, NetIron, SecureIron, ServerIron, StorageX, and TurboIron are registered trademarks, and Brocade Network Advisor (formerly Data Center Fabric Manager or DCFM), Extraordinary Networks, and SAN Health are trademarks of Brocade Communications Systems, Inc., in the United States and/or in other countries. All other brands, products, or service names are or may be trademarks or service marks of, and are used to identify, products or services of their respective owners.

Notice: This document is for informational purposes only and does not set forth any warranty, expressed or implied, concerning any equipment, equipment feature, or service offered or to be offered by Brocade. Brocade reserves the right to make changes to this document at any time, without notice, and assumes no responsibility for its use. This informational document describes features that may not be currently available. Contact a Brocade sales office for information on feature and product availability. Export of technical data contained in this document may require an export license from the United States government.

The authors and Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. shall have no liability or responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss, cost, liability, or damages arising from the information contained in this book or the computer programs that accompany it.

The product described by this document may contain “open source” software covered by the GNU General Public License or other open source license agreements. To find out which open source software is included in Brocade products, view the licensing terms applicable to the open source software, and obtain a copy of the programming source code, please visit

http://www.brocade.com/support/oscd.

Brocade Communications Systems, Incorporated

Corporate and Latin American Headquarters Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. 130 Holger Way San Jose, CA 95134 Tel: 1-408-333-8000 Fax: 1-408-333-8101 E-mail: info@brocade.com

Asia-Pacific Headquarters Brocade Communications Systems China HK, Ltd. No. 1 Guanghua Road Chao Yang District Units 2718 and 2818 Beijing 100020, China Tel: +8610 6588 8888 Fax: +8610 6588 9999 E-mail: china-info@brocade.com

European Headquarters Brocade Communications Switzerland Sàrl Centre Swissair Tour B - 4ème étage 29, Route de l'Aéroport Case Postale 105 CH-1215 Genève 15 Switzerland Tel: +41 22 799 5640 Fax: +41 22 799 5641 E-mail: emea-info@brocade.com

Asia-Pacific Headquarters Brocade Communications Systems Co., Ltd. (Shenzhen WFOE) Citic Plaza No. 233 Tian He Road North Unit 1308 – 13th Floor Guangzhou, China Tel: +8620 3891 2000 Fax: +8620 3891 2111 E-mail: china-info@brocade.com

Document History

Title Publication number Summary of changes Date

Fabric OS Troubleshooting and Diagnostics Guide

53-0000853-01 First released edition. March 2008

53-1001187-01 Added support for Vir tual Fabrics, fcPing,

pathInfo, and additional troubleshooting tips.

53-1001340-01 Added support for checking physical

connections, updated commands, removed obsolete information, and moved the FCIP and FICON chapters into their respective books.

53-1001769-01 Added support for the Rolling Reboot

Detection feature and the Superping tool; added enhancements for supportSave and spinFab; updated commands; transferred the iSCSI chapter into its respective book.

53-1002150-01 Added Frame Viewer and Diagnostics port

features.

53-1002150-02 Updated the Diagnostics port feature. June 2011

53-1002751-01 Updated for Fabric OS v7.1.0. December 2012

November 2008

July 2009

March 2010

April 2011

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53-1002751-01

Contents

About This Document

How this document is organized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi

Supported hardware and software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii

What’s new in this document. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii

Document conventions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii

Text formatting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii

Command syntax conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii

Command examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii

Notes, cautions, and warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiv

Key terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiv

Additional information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiv

Brocade resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiv

Other industry resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv

Getting technical help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv

Document feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvi

Chapter 1 Introduction

Troubleshooting overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Network time protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Most common problem areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Questions for common symptoms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Gathering information for your switch support provider. . . . . . . . . . . 5

Setting up your switch for FTP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Capturing a supportSave. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Capturing output from a console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Capturing command output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Building a case for your switch support provider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Basic information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Detailed problem information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Gathering additional information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Chapter 2 General

Licenses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Frame Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Switch message logs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Fabric OS Troubleshooting and Diagnostics Guide v 53-1002751-01

Switch boot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Rolling Reboot Detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

FC-FC routing connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Generating and routing an ECHO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Superping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Route and statistical information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Performance issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Chapter 3 Connectivity

Port initialization and FCP auto-discovery process. . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Link issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Connection problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Checking the physical connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Checking the logical connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Checking the Name Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Link failures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Determining a successful speed negotiation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Checking for a loop initialization failure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Checking for a point-to-point initialization failure . . . . . . . . . . .29

Correcting a port that has come up in the wrong mode . . . . . .30

Marginal links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Troubleshooting a marginal link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Device login issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Pinpointing problems with device logins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Media-related issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Testing a port’s external transmit and receive path . . . . . . . . .36

Testing a switch’s internal components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Testing components to and from the HBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Segmented fabrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Reconciling fabric parameters individually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Downloading a correct configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Reconciling a domain ID conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Reconciling incompatible software features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Port mirroring. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

In-Order Delivery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Port mirroring considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Supported platforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Maximum mirror connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Configuring a port to be a mirror port. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Adding a port mirror connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Deleting a port mirror connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Displaying port mirror connections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Chapter 4 Configuration

Configuration upload and download issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Gathering additional information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

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Brocade configuration form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Chapter 5 Firmware Download Errors

Blade troubleshooting tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Firmware download issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Troubleshooting with the firmwareDownload command . . . . . . . . . 54

Gathering additional information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

USB error handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Considerations for downgrading firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Preinstallation messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Blade types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Firmware versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Chapter 6 Security

Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Password recovery options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

Device authentication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Protocol and certificate management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Gathering additional information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

SNMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Gathering additional information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

FIPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Chapter 7 Virtual Fabrics

General Virtual Fabrics troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

Fabric identification issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

Logical Fabric issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

Base switch issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

Logical switch issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Switch configuration blade compatibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

Gathering additional information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

Chapter 8 ISL Trunking

Link issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Buffer credit issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Getting out of buffer-limited mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

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Chapter 9 Zoning

Overview of corrective action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

Verifying a fabric merge problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Verifying a TI zone problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

Segmented fabrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Zone conflicts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

Correcting a fabric merge problem quickly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Changing the default zone access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Editing zone configuration members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

Reordering the zone member list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

Checking for Fibre Channel connectivity problems . . . . . . . . . .78

Checking for zoning problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

Gathering additional information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80

Chapter 10 Diagnostic Features

About Fabric OS diagnostics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81

Diagnostic information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81

Power-on self test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Disabling POST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Enabling POST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

Switch status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

Viewing the overall status of the switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

Displaying switch information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Displaying the uptime for a switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Using the SpinFab and portTest commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Debugging spinFab errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Clearing the error counters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Enabling a port. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89

Disabling a port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90

Diagnostic Port (D_Port) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Understanding D_Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Supported topologies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93

Using D_Port without HBAs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95

Using D_Port with HBAs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Controlling testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100

Example test scenarios and output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100

Port information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105

Viewing the status of a port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105

Displaying the port statistics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106

Displaying a summary of port errors for a switch . . . . . . . . . .107

Equipment status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108

Checking the temperature, fan, and power supply . . . . . . . . .108

Checking the status of the fans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108

Checking the status of a power supply. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109

Checking temperature status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109

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System message log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110

Displaying the system message log, with no page breaks . . . 110 Displaying the system message log

one message at a time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111

Clearing the system message log. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111

Port log. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111

Viewing the port log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111

Syslogd configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113

Configuring the host . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113

Configuring the switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114

Automatic trace dump transfers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115

Specifying a remote server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115

Enabling the automatic transfer of trace dumps. . . . . . . . . . .115

Setting up periodic checking of the remote server . . . . . . . . .115

Saving comprehensive diagnostic files to the server . . . . . . .116

Appendix A Switch Type and Blade ID

Appendix B Hexadecimal Conversion

Example conversion of the hexadecimal triplet Ox616000 . .121

Decimal-to-hexadecimal conversion table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122

Index

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About This Document

In this chapter

•How this document is organized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi

•Supported hardware and software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii

•What’s new in this document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii

•Document conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii

•Additional information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiv

•Getting technical help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv

•Document feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvi

How this document is organized

The document contains the following chapters:

• Chapter 1, “Introduction,” gives a brief overview of troubleshooting the Fabric OS, and provides

procedures for gathering basic information from your switch and fabric to aid in troubleshooting.

• Chapter 2, “General,” provides information on licensing, hardware, and syslog issues.

• Chapter 3, “Connectivity,” provides information and procedures on troubleshooting various link

issues.

• Chapter 4, “Configuration,” provides troubleshooting information and procedures for

configuration file issues.

• Chapter 5, “Firmware Download Errors,” provides procedures for troubleshooting firmware

download issues.

• Chapter 6, “Security,” provides procedures for user account and security issues.

• Chapter 7, “Virtual Fabrics,” provides procedures for troubleshooting Virtual Fabrics.

• Chapter 8, “ISL Trunking,” provides procedures for resolving trunking issues.

• Chapter 9, “Zoning,” provides preparations and procedures for performing firmware

downloads, as well troubleshooting information.

• Chapter 10, “Diagnostic Features,” provides procedures for the use of the diagnostics

commands for the chassis, ports, and other chassis equipment. Provides information on the system messages.

• Appendix A, “Switch Type and Blade ID,” provides reference information to guide you in

understanding switch output.

• Appendix B, “Hexadecimal Conversion,” provide reference information for translating

hexadecimal output.

Fabric OS Troubleshooting and Diagnostics Guide xi 53-1002751-01

Supported hardware and software

In those instances in which procedures or parts of procedures documented here apply to some switches but not to others, this guide identifies which switches are supported and which are not.

Although many different software and hardware configurations are tested and supported by Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. for Fabric OS v7.1.0, documenting all possible configurations and scenarios is beyond the scope of this document.

The following hardware platforms are supported by this release of Fabric OS:

• Brocade 300 switch

• Brocade 5100 switch

• Brocade 5300 switch

• Brocade 5410 embedded switch

• Brocade 5424 embedded switch

• Brocade 5450 embedded switch

• Brocade 5460 embedded switch

• Brocade 5470 embedded switch

• Brocade 5480 embedded switch

• Brocade 6505 switch

• Brocade 6510 switch

• Brocade 6520 switch

• Brocade 7800 extension switch

• Brocade 8000 FCoE switch

• Brocade VA-40FC

• Brocade Encryption Switch

• Brocade DCX

• Brocade DCX-4S

• Brocade DCX 8510-4

• Brocade DCX 8510-8

What’s new in this document

Updated for Brocade Fabric OS v7.1.0, including the following:

• Updated system messages related to firmware downloads. (Refer to Chapter 5, “Firmware

Download Errors,” on page 51.)

• Introduced new features available with the D_Port diagnostic tool. (Refer to Chapter 10,

“Diagnostic Features,” on page 81.)

For further information about documentation updates for this release, refer to the release notes.

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Document conventions

This section describes text formatting conventions and important notice formats used in this document.

TEXT FORMATTING

The narrative-text formatting conventions that are used are as follows:

bold text Identifies command names

italic text Provides emphasis

code text Identifies CLI output

COMMAND SYNTAX CONVENTIONS

For readability, command names in the narrative portions of this guide are presented in mixed lettercase: for example, switchShow. In actual examples, command lettercase is often all lowercase. Otherwise, this manual specifically notes those cases in which a command is case sensitive. Command syntax in this manual follows these conventions:

Identifies the names of user-manipulated GUI elements Identifies keywords and operands Identifies text to enter at the GUI or CLI

Identifies variables Identifies paths and Internet addresses Identifies document titles

Identifies command syntax examples

command Commands are printed in bold.

--option, option Command options are printed in bold.

-argument, arg Arguments.

[ ] Optional element.

variable Variables are printed in italics. In the help pages, values are underlined

enclosed in angled brackets < >.

... Repeat the previous element, for example “member[;member...]”

value Fixed values following arguments are printed in plain font. For example,

--show WWN

| Boolean. Elements are exclusive. Example:

--show -mode egress | ingress

COMMAND EXAMPLES

This book describes how to perform configuration tasks using the Fabric OS command line interface, but does not describe the commands in detail. For complete descriptions of all Fabric OS commands, including syntax, operand description, and sample output, refer to the Fabric OS Command Reference.

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NOTES, CAUTIONS, AND WARNINGS

NOTE

ATTENTION

CAUTION

DANGER

The following notices and statements are used in this manual. They are listed below in order of increasing severity of potential hazards.

A note provides a tip, guidance, or advice, emphasizes important information, or provides a reference to related information.

An Attention statement indicates potential damage to hardware or data.

A Caution statement alerts you to situations that can be potentially hazardous to you or cause damage to hardware, firmware, software, or data.

A Danger statement indicates conditions or situations that can be potentially lethal or extremely hazardous to you. Safety labels are also attached directly to products to warn of these conditions or situations.

KEY TERMS

For definitions specific to Brocade and Fibre Channel, refer to the Brocade Glossary.

For definitions of SAN-specific terms, visit the Storage Networking Industry Association online dictionary at:

http://www.snia.org/education/dictionary

Additional information

This section lists additional Brocade and industry-specific documentation that you might find helpful.

BROCADE RESOURCES

To get up-to-the-minute information, go to http://my.brocade.com and register at no cost for a user ID and password.

For practical discussions about SAN design, implementation, and maintenance, you can obtain Building SANs with Brocade Fabric Switches through:

http://www.amazon.com

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White papers, online demonstrations, and data sheets are available through the Brocade website at:

http://www.brocade.com/products-solutions/products/index.page

For additional Brocade documentation, visit the Brocade website:

http://www.brocade.com

Release notes are available on the MyBrocade website and are also bundled with the Fabric OS firmware.

OTHER INDUSTRY RESOURCES

For additional resource information, visit the Technical Committee T11 website. This website provides interface standards for high-performance and mass storage applications for Fibre Channel, storage management, and other applications:

http://www.t11.org

For information about the Fibre Channel industry, visit the Fibre Channel Industry Association website:

http://www.fibrechannel.org

Getting technical help

Contact your switch support supplier for hardware, firmware, and software support, including product repairs and part ordering. To expedite your call, have the following information available:

1. General Information

• Switch model

• Switch operating system version

• Error numbers and messages received

• supportSave command output

• Detailed description of the problem, including the switch or fabric behavior immediately

following the problem, and specific questions

• Description of any troubleshooting steps already performed and the results

• Serial console and Telnet session logs

• syslog message logs

2. Switch Serial Number

The switch serial number and corresponding bar code are provided on the serial number label, as illustrated below.:

*FT00X0054E9*

FT00X0054E9

The serial number label is located as follows:

• Brocade 5424 — On the bottom of the switch module.

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• Brocade 300, 5100, and 5300 — On the switch ID pull-out tab located on the bottom of the

port side of the switch.

• Brocade 6505, 6510, and 6520— On the switch ID pull-out tab located inside the chassis

on the port side on the left.

• Brocade 7800 and 8000 — On the bottom of the chassis.

• Brocade DCX Backbone — On the bottom right on the port side of the chassis.

• Brocade DCX-4S Backbone — On the bottom right on the port side of the chassis.

• Brocade DCX 8510-4 — On the nonport side of the chassis, on the left just below the left

power supply.

• Brocade DCX 8510-8 — On the bottom right on the port side of the chassis and directly

above the cable management comb.

3. World Wide Name (WWN)

Use the licenseIdShow command to display the chassis’ WWN.

If you cannot use the licenseIdShow command because the switch is inoperable, you can get the WWN from the same place as the serial number, except for the Brocade DCX. For the Brocade DCX, access the numbers on the WWN cards by removing the Brocade logo plate at the top of the nonport side of the chassis.

Document feedback

Quality is our first concern at Brocade and we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy and completeness of this document. However, if you find an error or an omission, or you think that a topic needs further development, we want to hear from you. Forward your feedback to:

documentation@brocade.com

Provide the title and version number of the document and as much detail as possible about your comment, including the topic heading and page number and your suggestions for improvement.

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Chapter

Introduction

In this chapter

•Troubleshooting overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

•Most common problem areas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

•Questions for common symptoms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

•Gathering information for your switch support provider. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

•Building a case for your switch support provider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

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 switch.

Network time protocol

One of the most frustrating parts of troubleshooting is trying to synchronize switch’s message logs and portlogs with other switches in the fabric. If you do not have NTP set up on your switches, then trying to synchronize log files to track a problem is more difficult.

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Most common problem areas

Tab le 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

Storage Devices

• Physical issues between switch and

devices

• Incorrect storage software

configurations

Hosts

• Physical issues between switch and

devices

• Downgrade HBA firmware

• Incorrect device driver installation

• Incorrect device driver configuration

Storage Management Applications

• Incorrect installation and

configuration of the storage devices that the software references. For example, if using a volume-management application, check for:

- Incorrect volume installation

- Incorrect volume

configuration

• Switch LEDs

• Switch commands (for example,

switchShow or nsAllShow) for diagnostics

• Web or GUI-based monitoring and

management software tools

• Device LEDs

• Storage diagnostic tools

• Switch commands (for example,

switchShow or nsAllShow) for diagnostics

• Device LEDs

• Host operating system diagnostic

tools

• Device driver diagnostic tools

• Switch commands (for example,

switchShow or nsAllShow) for diagnostics

Also, make sure you use the latest HBA firmware recommended by the switch supplier or on the HBA supplier's website

• Application-specific tools and

resources

Questions for common symptoms

You first must determine what the problem is. Some symptoms are obvious, such as the switch rebooted without any user intervention, or more obscure, such as your storage is having intermittent connectivity to a particular host. Whatever the symptom is, you must gather information from the devices that are directly involved in the symptom.

Tab le 2 lists common symptoms and possible areas to check. You may notice that an intermittent

connectivity problem has lots of variables to look into, such as the type of connection between the two devices, how the connection is behaving, and the port type involved.

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Questions for common symptoms

TABLE 2 Common symptoms

Symptom Areas to check Chapter or Document

Blade is faulty Firmware or application download

Hardware connections

Blade is stuck in the “LOADING” state Firmware or application download Chapter 5, “Firmware Download Errors”

Configupload or download fails FTP or SCP server or USB availability Chapter 4, “Configuration”

E_Port failed to come online Correct licensing

Fabric parameters Zoning

EX_Port does not form Links Chapter 3, “Connectivity”

Fabric merge fails Fabric segmentation Chapter 2, “General”

Fabric segments Licensing

Zoning Virtual Fabrics Fabric parameters

FCIP tunnel bounces FCIP tunnel, including the network between FCIP

tunnel endpoints

FCIP tunnel does not come online FCIP tunnel, including the network between FCIP

tunnel endpoints

FCIP tunnel does not form Licensing

Fabric parameters

FCIP tunnel is sluggish FCIP tunnel, including the network between FCIP

tunnel endpoints

Feature is not working Licensing Chapter 2, “General”

FCR is slowing down FCR LSAN tags Chapter 2, “General”

FICON switch does not talk to hosts FICON settings FICON Administrator’s Guide

FirmwareDownload fails FTP or SCP server or USB availability

Firmware version compatibility Unsupported features enabled Firmware versions on switch

Host application times out FCR LSAN tags

Marginal links

Intermittent connectivity Links

Tru nkin g Buffer credits FCIP tunnel

LEDs are flashing Links Chapter 3, “Connectivity”

LEDs are steady Links Chapter 3, “Connectivity”

Chapter 2, “General” Chapter 5, “Firmware Download Errors” Chapter 7, “Virtual Fabrics”

Chapter 2, “General” Chapter 3, “Connectivity” Chapter 7, “Virtual Fabrics” Chapter 9, “Zoning”

Chapter 7, “Virtual Fabrics”

Chapter 3, “Connectivity” Chapter 7, “Virtual Fabrics” Chapter 9, “Zoning”

Chapter 2, “General” Chapter 3, “Connectivity” Chapter 7, “Virtual Fabrics” Chapter 9, “Zoning”

Fibre Channel over IP Administrator’s Guide

Chapter 2, “General”

Fibre Channel over IP Administrator’s Guide

Chapter 5, “Firmware Download Errors” Chapter 7, “Virtual Fabrics”

Chapter 2, “General” Chapter 3, “Connectivity”

Chapter 3, “Connectivity” Chapter 8, “ISL Trunking”

Fibre Channel over IP Administrator’s Guide

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Questions for common symptoms

TABLE 2 Common symptoms (Continued)

Symptom Areas to check Chapter or Document

License issues Licensing Chapter 2, “General”

LSAN is slow or times-out LSAN tagging Chapter 2, “General”

Marginal link Links Chapter 3, “Connectivity”

No connectivity between host and storage Cables

SCSI timeout errors SCSI retry errors Zoning

No connectivity between switches Licensing

Fabric parameters Segmentation Virtual Fabrics Zoning, if applicable

No light on LEDs Links Chapter 3, “Connectivity”

Performance problems Links

FCR LSAN tags FCIP tunnels

Port cannot be moved Virtual Fabrics Chapter 7, “Virtual Fabrics”

SCSI retry errors Buffer credits

FCIP tunnel bandwidth

SCSI timeout errors Links

HBA Buffer credits FCIP tunnel bandwidth

Switch constantly reboots Rolling reboot detection

FIPS Chapter 6, “Security”

Switch is unable to join fabric Security policies

Zoning Fabric parameters

Switch reboots during configup/download Configuration file discrepancy Chapter 4, “Configuration”

Syslog messages Hardware

SNMP management station

Trunk bounces Cables are on same port group

SFPs Tru nk ed po r ts

Trunk failed to form Licensing

Cables are on same port group SFPs Tru nk ed po r ts Zoning E_Port QoS configuration mismatch

User forgot password Password recovery Chapter 6, “Security”

Chapter 3, “Connectivity” Chapter 8, “ISL Trunking” Chapter 9, “Zoning”

Fibre Channel over IP Administrator’s Guide

Chapter 2, “General” Chapter 3, “Connectivity”

Chapter 7, “Virtual Fabrics” Chapter 9, “Zoning”

Chapter 3, “Connectivity” Chapter 2, “General”

Fibre Channel over IP Administrator’s Guide

Chapter 3, “Connectivity” Chapter 8, “ISL Trunking”

Fibre Channel over IP Administrator’s Guide

Chapter 3, “Connectivity” Chapter 7, “Virtual Fabrics” Chapter 9, “Zoning”

Chapter 2, “General” Chapter 6, “Security”

Chapter 8, “ISL Trunking”

Chapter 2, “General” Chapter 3, “Connectivity”

Chapter 8, “ISL Trunking” Chapter 9, “Zoning”

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Gathering information for your switch support provider

NOTE

TABLE 2 Common symptoms (Continued)

Symptom Areas to check Chapter or Document

User is unable to change switch settings RBAC settings

Account settings

Virtual Fabric does not form FIDs Chapter 7, “Virtual Fabrics”

Zone configuration mismatch Effective configuration Chapter 9, “Zoning”

Zone content mismatch Effective configuration Chapter 9, “Zoning”

Zone type mismatch Effective configuration Chapter 9, “Zoning”

Chapter 6, “Security”

Gathering information for your switch support provider

If you are troubleshooting a production system, you must gather data quickly. As soon as a problem is observed, perform the following tasks. For more information about these commands and their operands, refer to the Fabric OS Command Reference.

1. Enter the supportSave command to save RASlog, TRACE, supportShow, core file, FFDC data, and other support information from the switch, chassis, blades, and logical switches.

2. Gather console output and logs.

To execute the supportSave command on the chassis, you must log in to the switch on an account with the admin role that has the chassis role permission.

Setting up your switch for FTP

1. Connect to the switch and log in using an account with admin permissions.

2. Type the supportFtp command and respond to the prompts.

Example of supportFTP command

switch:admin> supportftp -s Host IP Addr[1080::8:800:200C:417A]: User Name[njoe]: userFoo Password[********]: <hidden> Remote Dir[support]: supportftp: parameters changed

Capturing a supportSave

The supportSave command uses the default switch name to replace the chassis name regardless if the chassis name has been changed to a non-factory setting. If Virtual Fabrics is enabled, the supportSave command uses the default switch name for each logical fabric.

1. Connect to the switch and log in using an account with admin permissions.

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Gathering information for your switch support provider

2. Type the appropriate supportSave command based on your needs:

• If you are saving to an FTP or SCP server, use the following syntax:

supportSave

When invoked without operands, this command goes into interactive mode. The following operands are optional:

-n Does not prompt for confirmation. This operand is optional; if omitted, you are prompted for confirmation.

-c Uses the FTP parameters saved by the supportFtp command. This operand is optional; if omitted, specify the FTP parameters through command line options or interactively. To display the current FTP parameters, run supportFtp (on a dual-CP system, run supportFtp on the active CP).

• On platforms that support USB devices, you can use your Brocade USB device to save the

support files. To use your USB device, use the following syntax:

supportsave [-U -d remote_dir]

-d Specifies the remote directory to which the file is to be transferred. When saving to a USB device, the predefined

/support directory must be used.

• While running the supportSave command you may encounter a timeout. A timeout occurs

if the system is in busy state due to CPU or I/O bound from a lot of port traffic or file access. If this occurs, an SS-1004 is generated to both the console and the RASlog to report the error. You must rerun the supportSave command with the -t option.

Example of SS-1004 message:

SS-1004: “One or more modules timed out during supportsave. Please retry supportsave with -t option to collect all logs.”

Changing the supportSave timeout value

1. Connect to the switch and log in using an account with admin permissions.

2. Enter the supportSave command with the -t operand, and specify a value between 1 through

The following example increases the supportSave modules timeout to two times of the original timeout setting.

switch:admin> supportSave –t 2

Capturing output from a console

Some information, such as boot information is only outputted directly to the console. In order to capture this information you have to connect directly to the switch through its management interface, either a serial cable or an RJ-45 connection.

1. Connect directly to the switch using hyperterminal.

2. Log in to the switch using an account with admin permissions.

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3. Set the utility to capture output from the screen.

Some utilities require this step to be performed prior to opening up a session. Check with your utility vendor for instructions.

4. Type the command or start the process to capture the required data on the console.

Capturing command output

1. Connect to the switch through a Telnet or SSH utility.

2. Log in using an account with admin permissions.

3. Set the Telnet or SSH utility to capture output from the screen.

Some Telnet or SSH utilities require this step to be performed prior to opening up a session. Check with your Telnet or SSH utility vendor for instructions.

4. Type the command or start the process to capture the required data on the console.

Building a case for your switch support provider

The questions listed “Basic information” should be printed out and answered in its entirety and be ready to send to your switch support provider when you contact them. Having this information immediately available expedites the information gathering process that is necessary to begin determining the problem and finding a solution.

Basic information

1. What is the switch’s current Fabric OS level?

To determine the switch’s Fabric OS level, type the firmwareShow command and write down the information.

2. What is the switch model?

To determine the switch model, type the switchshow command and write down the value in the switchType field. Cross-reference this value with the chart located in Appendix A, “Switch Type

and Blade ID”.

3. Is the switch operational? Yes or no.

4. Impact assessment and urgency:

• Is the switch down? Yes or no.

• Is it a standalone switch? Yes or no.

• Are there VE, VEX, or EX ports connected to the chassis? Yes or no.

• Use the switchShow command to determine the answer.

• How large is the fabric?

• Use the nsAllShow command to determine the answer.

• Do you have encryption blades or switches installed in the fabric? Yes or no.

• Do you have Virtual Fabrics enabled in the fabric? Yes or no.

• Use the switchShow command to determine the answer.

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• Do you have IPsec installed on the switch’s Ethernet interface? Yes or no.

• Use the ipsecConfig --show command to determine the answer.

• Do you have Inband Management installed on the switches GigE ports? Yes or no.

• User the portShow iproute geX command to determine the answer.

• Are you using NPIV? Yes or no.

• Use the switchShow command to determine the answer.

• Are there security policies turned on in the fabric? If so, what are they? Gather the output from

the following commands:

- secPolicyShow

- fddCfg --showall

- ipFilter --show

- authUtil --show

- secAuthSecret --show

- fipsCfg --showall

• Is the fabric redundant? If yes, what is the MPIO software? (List vendor and version.)

5. If you have a redundant fabric, did a failover occur?

6. Was POST enabled on the switch?

7. Which CP blade was active? (Only applicable to Brocade DCX, DCX 8510 family, and DCX-4S enterprise-class platforms.)

Detailed problem information

Obtain as much of the following informational items as possible prior to contacting the SAN technical support vendor.

Document the sequence of events by answering the following questions:

• When did problem occur?

• Is this a new installation?

• How long has the problem been occurring?

• Are specific devices affected?

- If so, what are their World Wide Node Names?

• What happened prior to the problem?

• Is the problem reproducible?

- If so, what are the steps to produce the problem?

• What configuration was in place when the problem occurred?

• A description of the problem with the switch or the fault with the fabric.

• The last actions or changes made to the system environment:

- settings

- supportShow output

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• Host information:

- OS version and patch level

- HBA type

- HBA firmware version

- HBA driver version

- Configuration settings

• Storage information:

- Disk/tape type

- Disk/tape firmware level

- Controller type

- Controller firmware level

- Configuration settings

- Storage software (such as EMC Control Center, Veritas SPC, etc.)

• If this is a Brocade DCX, DCX 8510 family, and DCX-4S enterprise-class platforms, are the CPs

in-sync? Yes or no.

• Use the haShow command to determine the answer.

• List out when and what were the last actions or changes made to the switch, the fabric, and

the SAN or metaSAN.

• In Tab le 3, list the environmental changes added to the network.

TABLE 3 Environmental changes

Type of Change Date when change occurred

Gathering additional information

Below are features that require you to gather additional information. The additional information is necessary in order for your switch support provider to effectively and efficiently troubleshoot your issue. Refer to the chapter or document specified for the commands whose data you must capture:

• Configurations, see Chapter 3, “Connectivity”.

• Firmwaredownload, see Chapter 5, “Firmware Download Errors”.

• Trunking, see Chapter 8, “ISL Trunking”.

• Zoning, see Chapter 9, “Zoning”.

• FCIP tunnels, refer to the Fibre Channel over IP Administrator’s Guide.

• FICON, refer to the FICON Administrator’s Guide.

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Chapter

General

In this chapter

Licenses

Some features need licenses in order to work properly. To view a list of features and their associated licenses, refer to the Fabric OS Administrator’s Guide. Licenses are created using a switch’s License Identifier so you cannot apply one license to different switches. Before calling your switch support provider, verify that you have the correct licenses installed by using the licenseShow command.

•Licenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

•Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

•Frame Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

•Switch message logs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

•Switch boot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

•FC-FC routing connectivity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Time

Symptom A feature is not working.

Probable cause and recommended action

Refer to the Fabric OS Administrator’s Guide to determine if the appropriate licenses are installed on the local switch and any connecting switches.

Determining installed licenses

1. Connect to the switch and log in using an account with admin permissions.

2. Type the licenseShow command.

A list of the currently installed licenses on the switch is displayed.

Symptom Time is not in-sync.

Probable cause and recommended action

NTP is not set up on the switches in your fabric. Set up NTP on your switches in all fabrics in your SAN and metaSAN.

For more information on setting up NTP, refer to the Fabric OS Administrator’s Guide.

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Frame Viewer

Symptom Frames are being dropped.

Frame Viewer

When a frame is unable to reach its destination due to timeout, it is discarded. You can use Frame Viewer to find out which flows contained the dropped frames, which can help you determine which applications might be impacted. Using Frame Viewer, you can see exactly what time the frames were dropped. (Timestamps are accurate to within one second.) Additionally, this assists in the debug process.

You can view and filter up to 20 discarded frames per chip per second for 1200 seconds using a number of fields with the framelog command.

Probable cause and recommended action

Frames are timing out.

Viewing frames.

1. Connect to the switch and log in using an account with admin permissions.

2. Type the framelog --show command.

Switch message logs

Switch message logs (RAS logs) contain information on events that happen on the switch or in the fabric. This is an effective tool in understanding what is going on in your fabric or on your switch. Weekly review of the RAS logs is necessary to prevent minor problems from becoming larger issues, or in catching problems at an early stage.

Below are some common problems that can occur with or in your system message log.

Symptom Inaccurate information in the system message log

Probable cause and recommended action

In rare instances, events gathered by the track change feature can report inaccurate information to the system message log.

For example, a user enters a correct user name and password, but the login was rejected because the maximum number of users had been reached. However, when looking at the system message log, the login was reported as successful.

If the maximum number of switch users has been reached, the switch still performs correctly, in that it rejects the login of additional users, even if they enter the correct user name and password information.

However, in this limited example, the Track Change feature reports this event inaccurately to the system message log; it appears that the login was successful. This scenario only occurs when the maximum number of users has been reached; otherwise, the login information displayed in the system message log reflects reality.

Refer to the Fabric OS Administrator’s Guide for information regarding enabling and disabling track changes (TC).

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Switch boot

Symptom MQ errors are appearing in the switch log.

Probable cause and recommended action

An MQ error is a message queue error. Identify an MQ error message by looking for the two letters MQ followed by a number in the error message:

2004/08/24-10:04:42, [MQ-1004], 218,, ERROR, ras007, mqRead, queue = raslog-test- string0123456-raslog, queue I D = 1, type = 2

MQ errors can result in devices dropping from the switch’s Name Server or can prevent a switch from joining the fabric. MQ errors are rare and difficult to troubleshoot; resolve them by working with the switch supplier. When encountering an MQ error, issue the supportSave command to capture debug information about the switch; then, forward the supportSave data to the switch supplier for further investigation.

Symptom I

Symptom Core file or FFDC warning messages appear on the serial console or in the system log.

Switch boot

C bus errors are appearing in the switch log.

Probable cause and recommended action

C bus errors generally indicate defective hardware or poorly seated devices or blades; the specific item is listed in the error message. Refer to the Fabric OS Message Reference for information specific to the error that was received. Some Chip-Port (CPT) and Environmental Monitor (EM) messages contain I

If the I hardware, as this is the most likely cause. The next sections provide procedures for debugging the hardware.

Probable cause and recommended action

Issue the supportSave command. The messages can be dismissed by issuing the supportSave -R command after all data is confirmed to be collected properly.

Error example:

*** CORE FILES WARNING (10/22/08 - 05:00:01 ) *** 3416 KBytes in 1 file(s) use "supportsave" command to upload

C message does not indicate the specific hardware that may be failing, begin debugging the

C-related information.

Symptom The enterprise-class platform model rebooted again after an initial bootup.

Probable cause and recommended action

This issue can occur during an enterprise-class platform boot up with two CPs. If any failure occurs on active CP, before the standby CP is fully functional and has obtained HA sync, the Standby CP may not be able to take on the active role to perform failover successfully.

In this case, both CPs reboot to recover from the failure.

Fabric OS Troubleshooting and Diagnostics Guide 13 53-1002751-01

ATTENTION

Switch boot

Rolling Reboot Detection

A rolling reboot occurs when a switch or enterprise-class platform has continuously experienced unexpected reboots. This behavior is continuous until the rolling reboot is detected by the system. Once the Rolling Reboot Detection (RRD) occurs, the switch is put into a stable state so that a minimal supportSave can be collected and sent to your service support provider for analysis. Not every reboot activates the Rolling Reboot Detection feature.

If a rolling reboot is caused by a panic inside Linux kernel, then the RRD feature is not activated.

Reboot classification

There are two types of reboots that occur on a switch and enterprise-class platform, expected and unexpected. Expected reboots occur when the reboots are initialized by commands, these types of reboots are ignored by the Rolling Reboot Detection (RRD) feature. They include the following:

• reboot

• haFailover

• fastBoot

• firmwareDownload

The RRD feature is activated and halts rebooting when an unexpected reboot reason is shown continuously in the reboot history within a certain period of time. The period of time is switch dependent. The following are considered unexpected reboots:

• Reset

A reset reboot may be caused by one of the following:

- Power-cycle of the switch or CP.

- Linux reboot command.

- Hardware watchdog timeout.

- Heartbeat loss-related reboot.

• Software Fault:Kernel Panic

- If the system detects an internal fatal error from which it cannot safely recover, it outputs

an error message to the console, dumps a stack trace for debugging, and then performs an automatic reboot.

- After a kernel panic, the system may not have enough time to write the reboot reason

causing the reboot reason to be empty. This is treated as an Unknown/reset case.

• Software fault

- Software Fault:Software Watchdog

- Software Fault:ASSERT

• Software recovery failure

14 Fabric OS Troubleshooting and Diagnostics Guide

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+ 116 hidden pages

Dell Brocade 300 Troubleshooting and Diagnostics Guide

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

About This Document

How this document is organized

Supported hardware and software

What’s new in this document

Document conventions

TEXT FORMATTING

COMMAND SYNTAX CONVENTIONS

COMMAND EXAMPLES

NOTES, CAUTIONS, AND WARNINGS

KEY TERMS

Additional information

BROCADE RESOURCES

OTHER INDUSTRY RESOURCES

Getting technical help

Document feedback

Introduction

Troubleshooting overview

Network time protocol

Most common problem areas

Questions for common symptoms

Gathering information for your switch support provider

Setting up your switch for FTP

Capturing a supportSave

Capturing output from a console

Building a case for your switch support provider

Capturing command output

Basic information

Detailed problem information

Gathering additional information

General

Licenses

Time

Frame Viewer

Switch message logs

Switch boot

Rolling Reboot Detection