Dell Brocade 815 Troubleshooting Manual

53-1002145-01

®

5 August 2011

Brocade Adapters

Troubleshooting Guide

Supporting CNA models 1741, 1020, 1010, 1007
Supporting HBA models 825, 815, 804, 425, 415
Supporting Fabric Adapter model 1860

Copyright © 2011 Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Brocade, the B-wing symbol, BigIron, DCFM, DCX, Fabric OS, FastIron, IronView, NetIron, SAN Health, ServerIron, TurboIron, and
Wingspan are registered trademarks, and Brocade Assurance, Brocade NET Health, Brocade One, Extraordinary Networks,
MyBrocade, VCS, and VDX are trademarks of Brocade Communications Systems, Inc., in the United States and/or in other
countries. Other brands, products, or service names mentioned are or may be trademarks or service marks of their respective
owners.

Brocade, the B-wing symbol, BigIron, DCFM, DCX, Fabric OS, FastIron, IronView, NetIron, SAN Health, ServerIron, TurboIron, and
Wingspan are registered trademarks, and Brocade Assurance, Brocade NET Health, Brocade One, Extraordinary Networks,
MyBrocade, VCS, and VDX are trademarks of Brocade Communications Systems, Inc., in the United States and/or in other
countries. Other brands, products, or service names mentioned are or may be trademarks or service marks of their respective
owners.

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://.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: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]

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: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]

Asia-Pacific Headquarters
Brocade Communications Systems China HK, Ltd.
No. 1 Guanghua Road
Chao Yang District
Units 2718 and 2818
Beijing 100020, China
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]

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: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]

Document History

Title Publication number Summary of changes Date

Brocade Adapters Troubleshooting Guide 53-1001253-01 New document June 2009

Brocade Adapters Troubleshooting Guide 53-1001253-02 New document September 2009

Brocade Adapters Troubleshooting Guide 53-1001253-03 Updates for Release 2.2 May 2010

Brocade Adapters Troubleshooting Guide 53-1001582-01 Updates to suppor t the

Brocade 804 adapter

Brocade Adapters Troubleshooting Guide 53-1001253-04 Updates to suppor t the

Brocade 1007 Adapter

Brocade Adapters Installation and
Reference Manual

Brocade Adapters Installation and
Reference Manual

Brocade Adapters Installation and
Reference Manual

53-1001925-01 Updates to suppor t Release

2.3

53-1001925-02 Updates to support Brocade

1741 adapte r

53-1002145-01 Updates to support Release

3.0 and Brocade 1860
Adapter

June 2010

September 2010

October 2010

December 2010

August 2011

Brocade Adapters Troubleshooting Guide iii
53-1002145-01

iv Brocade Adapters Troubleshooting Guide

53-1002145-01

Table of Contents

About this Document

In this chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi

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

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

Fabric Adapters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii

CNAs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii

HBAs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii

Fabric OS and switch support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii

Host operating system support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiv

Host operating system support for adapter drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiv

Fibre Channel support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiv

FCoE support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv

Ethernet support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv

Hypervisor support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvi

Host operating system support for HCM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvi

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

Document conventions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xviii

Text formatting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xviii

Command syntax conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xviii

Command examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xviii

Notes, cautions, and warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xix

Key terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xix

Notice to the reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xix

Additional information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xx

Brocade resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx

Other industry resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxi

Providing details for support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxi

Document feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxiii

Chapter 1 Introduction to Troubleshooting

In this chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

How to use this manual for troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Gathering problem information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Chapter 2 Isolating Problems

Brocade Adapters Troubleshooting Guide v
53-1002145-01

In this chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

How to use this chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

General adapter problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Adapter not reported under server’s PCI subsystem. . . . . . . . . . 9

No adapters reported though BCU adapter --list command . . . 10

Port link is not active . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Device drivers not loading for all adapter instances . . . . . . . . .11

Installer program does not autorun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Host system freezes or crashes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Operating system errors (blue screen). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Driver event messages appearing in host system log files. . . . 13

BCU version mismatch warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Errors or problems when entering BCU commands . . . . . . . . . 14

bcu pcifn --list and vhba --query commands return errors . . . . 14

I/O data traffic issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Support Save file is too large (Windows only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Host system running Microsoft Windows fails to hibernate . . . 16

Driver incompatible with CNA drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Brocade BCU desktop shortcut missing (Windows only). . . . . .16

Driver installation fails and system cannot be booted . . . . . . . 17

Cannot remove Linux driver with uninstaller application or

scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Removing Ethernet (network) drivers causes error . . . . . . . . . . 17

Files needed for bfad.sys message appears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Cannot roll back driver on all adapter instances using Device

Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Device drivers not loading due to lack of MSI-X interrupt

vectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Driver installation fails on ESX systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Errors when using GUI-based software installer . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Errors when installing brocade_driver_linux_<versions>.tar.gz

package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

UEFI boot problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

BIOS boot problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Fabric Adapter problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

VLANs and teams persist after changing port to HBA mode . .27

HCM not discovering all Ethernet ports for vNICs . . . . . . . . . . .28

vi Brocade Adapters Troubleshooting Guide

HBA problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

No adapters found on local host” message in HCM . . . . . . . . .28

Quality of Service performance issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Quality of Service not functioning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Trunking problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Unable to create more than 126 Virtual (NPIV) ports for

adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

CNA problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Cannot manage CNAs after attempting upgrade to 3.0

drivers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

VMQs not created for virtual network adapter instances . . . . . 31

53-1002145-01

Network interface problems (CNA or NIC). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Ethernet loopback test problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Ethernet link ports or LOM not coming up on reboot in Linux .33

Loss of adapter hardware address in Linux. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Loss of adapter IP address in Linux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Network stack runs out of heap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

NIC numbering unexpected on VMware systems . . . . . . . . . . .34

Ping to remote host is failing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Receive-side scaling disables unexpectedly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Applications using TDI driver stop responding. . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

RSS network throughput decreases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

SNMP MIB browser not displaying information on VLAN

-related OIDs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Teaming errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

VLAN creation and operation problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Teaming or VLAN operations through HCM fail . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Poor network performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Binding issues after Hyper-V enabled with teaming . . . . . . . . .39

FCoE and Fibre Channel problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Loss of sync and loss of signal errors in port statistics . . . . . . 41

Fabric authentication failures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Adapter is not showing in the fabric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Virtual devices not listed in name server. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Adapter not registering with the name server or cannot

access storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

FCoE link is down. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

I/O problem on connected FCoE device. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

I/Os are not failing over immediately on path failure in MPIO

setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Disk I/O requests cause low throughput and high latency on

Linux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Disk I/O requests cause low throughput and high latency on

VMware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Brocade Adapters Troubleshooting Guide vii
53-1002145-01

DCB network problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

DCB is not enabled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

HCM and HCM Agent problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Failed to connect to agent on host... error when using HCM . .46

HCM Agent service cannot start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

HCM Agent not auto starting if 3.0 driver updated with 2.3

HCM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Unable to completely uninstall HCM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Time on HCM screens does not match system time . . . . . . . . .50

Verifying Fibre Channel and DCB links (stand-up adapters) . . . . . .50

Adapter driver installation verification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Confirming driver package installation with HCM . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Confirming driver package installation in Windows systems . . 52

Confirming driver package installation in Linux systems . . . . .53

Confirming driver package installation in Solaris systems . . . .54

Confirming driver package installation in VMware systems . . .54

Troubleshooting mezzanine card problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Additional references for isolating problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Chapter 3 Tools for Collecting Data

In this chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

For detailed information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Data to provide technical support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Data collection using host system commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Data collection using BCU commands and HCM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

Support Save . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Using BCU commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

Data collection using Fabric OS commands (Brocade switches

only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

Adapter event messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

Host system logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

HCM logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

Logging levels adjustment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

Authentication statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

DCB statistics (CNA only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

DCB query (CNA only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

FCoE statistics (CNA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

Fabric statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Displaying FCP initiator mode statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

FCP initiator mode statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Firmware statistics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78

I/O performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

Logical port statistics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80

Performance data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

PHY module statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Port Performance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82

Port statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Real-time and historical performance statistics . . . . . . . . . . . .83

Remote port statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

Quality of Service statistics (HBA). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85

Trunking attributes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85

vHBA statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86

vNIC statistics (CNA or NIC). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86

Virtual port statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

VLAN statistics for a team (CNA and NIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88

VLAN statistics for a port (CNA and NIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

viii Brocade Adapters Troubleshooting Guide

53-1002145-01

Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89

Beaconing (stand-up adapters). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89

Internal and external loopback tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90

Ethernet port loopback test (CNA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91

PCI loopback test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Memory test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93

Pinging Fibre Channel end points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Adapter temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94

Queue test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94

SCSI test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95

Trace route . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Echo test. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96

Collecting BIOS data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Displaying BIOS data through BCU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Display BIOS data through HCM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Collecting LLDP data (CNA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Collecting SFP data (stand-up adapters). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98

SFP properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98

Predictive optical monitoring (POM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98

Collecting port data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99

Displaying port properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99

Displaying DCB port properties (CNA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99

Displaying Ethernet port properties (CNA or NIC) . . . . . . . . . .100

Displaying FCoE port properties (CNA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100

Displaying FC port properties (HBA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101

Displaying remote port properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101

Displaying logical port properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102

Displaying virtual port properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102

Displaying the port log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102

Displaying the port list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103

Performing a port query . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103

Displaying port speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103

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FCP-IM I/O profiling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104

Enabling FCP-IM profile through HCM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104

Collecting teaming information (CNA or NIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104

Displaying team data and statistics through HCM . . . . . . . . .104

Displaying configured team data through BCU . . . . . . . . . . . .105

Authentication settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105

Displaying authentication settings through HCM . . . . . . . . . .105

Displaying authentication settings through BCU . . . . . . . . . . .106

PHY module data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106

QoS settings (HBA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106

Determining QoS settings through HCM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107

Target rate limiting settings (HBA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107

Determining target rate limiting settings through BCU . . . . . .107

Determining settings through HCM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108

Persistent binding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108

Displaying Persistent Binding settings through BCU . . . . . . . .109

Displaying Persistent Binding settings through HCM . . . . . . .109

Adapter properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109

CNA Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109

HBA Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110

Adapter queries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111

Chapter 4 Performance Optimization

In this chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113

Tuning storage drivers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113

Linux tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113

Solaris tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114

Windows tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114

VMware tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116

Tuning network drivers (CNA or NIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116

Windows tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116

Linux tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117

VMware tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117

Solaris tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119

Appendix A Adapter BIOS and Event Message Reference

Adapter BIOS messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121

Adapter driver event messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122

Appendix B HCM and Installer Message Reference

Index

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About this Document

In this chapter

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

•Host operating system support for adapter drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiv

•Host operating system support for HCM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvi

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

•Document conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xviii

•Notice to the reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xix

•Additional information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx

•Providing details for support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxi

•Document feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxiii

How this document is organized

This manual provides troubleshooting information on Brocade host bus adapters (HBAs),
converged network adapters (CNAs), and Fabric Adapters. It is organized to help you find the
information that you want as quickly and easily as possible.

The document contains the following components:

• Chapter 1, “Introduction to Troubleshooting” provides an introduction and approach to

troubleshooting adapter problems, as well as tips for gathering problem information. A
checklist is also provided to verify that required procedures have been followed during
installation.

• Chapter 2, “Isolating Problems” provides information on common adapter problems and

procedures to diagnose and recover from these problems.

• Chapter 3, “Tools for Collecting Data” provides a summary of diagnostic and monitoring tools

available through the Host Connectivity Manager (HCM), Brocade Command Line Utility (BCU),
Fabric OS commands, and host system to help you isolate and resolve adapter-related
problems.

• Chapter 4, “Performance Optimization” contains guidelines for optimizing adapter

performance on your host system.

• Appendix A, “Adapter BIOS and Event Message Reference” contains details on all event

messages generated by adapter drivers.

• Appendix B, “HCM and Installer Message Reference” lists all error messages that may display

during operation of HCM and the Brocade Adapter Software Installer application. Causes of
each message and actions to perform to resolve problems are also included.

Brocade Adapters Troubleshooting Guide xi
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NOTE

This publication is a companion guide to be used with the Brocade Adapters Administrator’s Guide.

NOTE

NOTE

That publication provides detailed information on adapter monitoring and diagnostic tools in the
HCM and the BCU.

Supported adapter hardware and software

This section provides an overview of Brocade adapter supported hardware and software.

Fabric Adapters

Brocade 1860 Fabric Adapter ports can be configured for CNA, NIC, or HBA operation using
Brocade Command Utility (BCU) commands. Ports configured in CNA or NIC mode require
appropriate 10GbE SFPs or direct-attached copper cables and operate at a 10 Gbps maximum
rate. Those configured in HBA mode require appropriate 8 or 16 Gbps Fibre Channel SFPs and
operate at an 8 or 16 Gbps maximum rate depending on the installed small form factor pluggable
transceiver (SFP+).

Brocade 1860 single or dual-port adapter models can ship in the following configurations:

• Single-port model - 16 Gbps Fibre Channel SFP, 10GbE SFP, or no optics.

• Dual-port model - Two 16 Gbps Fibre Channel, two 10 GbE, or no optics.

Note that although adapters may ship with specific optics installed, you can install any compatible
component, such as 8 Gbps FC SFPs, long-wave SFPs, and direct-attached SFP+ copper cables.
Refer to the appropriate “Hardware Compatibility” section for the adapter in the Brocade Adapters
Installation and Reference Manual for more information.

Install only Brocade-branded small form factor pluggables (SFPs) in stand-up Fabric Adapters.

CNAs

The following Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) CNAs are supported:

• Brocade 1007. Dual-port mezzanine CNA with a per-port maximum of 10 Gbps. This is an IBM

compact form factor horizontal (CFFh) mezzanine-type adapter that installs on supported
server blade.

• Brocade 1010. Single-port stand-up CNA with a per-port maximum of 10 Gbps.

• Brocade 1020. Dual-port stand-up CNA with a per-port maximum of 10 Gbps.

• Brocade 1741. Dual-port mezzanine card CNA with a per-port maximum of 10 Gbps. This is a

small-form-factor (SFF) mezzanine card that mounts in a Dell blade server.

Install only Brocade-branded small form factor pluggables (SFPs) in stand-up CNAs. Mezzanine CNAs
do not have SFPs and external port connectors, but utilize internal ports and connections to switch
and I/O modules installed in the blade system enclosure.

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HBAs

NOTE

The following Fibre Channel host bus adapters (HBAs) are supported:

• Brocade 415. Single-port stand-up HBA with a per-port maximum of 4 Gbps using a 4 Gbps

SFP.

• Brocade 425. Dual-port stand-up HBA with a per-port maximum of 4 Gbps using a 4 Gbps SFP.

• Brocade 804. Dual-port mezzanine HBA with a per-port maximum of 8 Gbps. This HBA installs

on Hewlett Packard blade servers.

• Brocade 815. Single-port stand-up HBA with a per-port maximum of 8 Gbps using an 8 Gbps

SFP+.

• Brocade 825. Dual-port stand-up HBA with a per-port maximum of 8 Gbps using an 8 Gbps

SFP+.

Install only Brocade-branded small form factor pluggables (SFPs) in stand-up HBAs. Mezzanine
HBAs do not have SFPs and external port connectors, but utilize internal ports and connections to
switch and I/O modules installed in the blade system enclosure.

Note the following about HBA support

• This publication only supports the HBA models listed under “HBAs” and does not provide

information about the Brocade 410 and 420 Fibre Channel HBAs, also known as the Brocade
400 Fibre Channel HBAs.

• Although you can install an 8 Gbps SFP+ into a Brocade 415 or 425 HBA, only 4 Gbps

maximum port speed is possible.

Fabric OS and switch support

Brocade adapters support Brocade Fabric OS and switches.

Fabric Adapters

• Ports on Fabric Adapters configured in CNA mode can connect to Fibre Channel SANs and

Ethernet data networks through a compatible FCoE switch. These ports can also connect to an
Ethernet data network as a NIC. For a current list of compatible switches, refer to the latest
interoperability matrices on the adapters website a www.brocade.com/adapters.

• Ports configured in HBA mode support the Fabric OS and connect to SANs through fabric

switches or connect directly to storage. For a current list of compatible switches, refer to the
latest interoperability matrices on the adapters website at www.brocade.com/adapters.

• Ports configured in NIC mode fully support the Ethernet protocol and connect directly to the

Ethernet LAN.

CNAs

Brocade CNAs must connect to Fibre Channel SANs and Ethernet data networks through a
compatible FCoE switch. These ports can also connect to standard Ethernet LAN switch. For a
current list of compatible switches, refer to the latest interoperability matrices on the adapters
website at

www.brocade.com/adapters.

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HBAs

NOTE

NOTE

Brocade HBAs connect to Fibre Channel SANs through compatible fabric switches or connect
directly to storage. For a current list of compatible switches, refer to the latest interoperability
matrices on the adapters website at www.brocade.com/adapters.

Host operating system support

Refer to “Host operating system support for adapter drivers” for information on operating systems
that support the Brocade Host Connectivity Manager (HCM), Brocade Command Line Utility (BCU),
and adapter drivers.

Host operating system support for adapter drivers

This section lists operating system support for all models of the following types of Brocade
adapters:

• Fabric Adapters - Refer to the following subsections depending on your port configurations:

- “FCoE support” on page xv and “Ethernet support” on page xv for ports configured in CNA

mode.

- “Fibre Channel support” on page xiv, for ports configured in HBA mode.

- “Ethernet support” on page xv for ports configured in NIC mode.

• CNAs- Refer to the following subsections:

- “FCoE support” on page xv

- “Ethernet support” on page xv.

• HBAs - Refer to “Fibre Channel support” on page xiv.

Specific operating system release levels, service pack levels, and other patch requirements are
detailed in the current adapter release notes.

Also refer to the latest Brocade interoperability matrices on the Brocade website at

www.brocade.com/adapters for a list of supported host systems and operating systems.

Fibre Channel support

The following lists operating systems that support Fibre Channel operation for HBAs and for Fabric
Adapter ports configured in HBA mode:

• Windows 2003 R2/SP2 (x86 and x64)

• Windows Server 2008 (Longhorn) (x86 and x64)

• Windows Server 2008 R2/SP1 (x64)

• Microsoft Hyper V for Windows 2008 x86, x64

• Windows 7 (x86 and x64)

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• Windows Server Core for Windows 2008 (x86 and x64)

NOTE

NOTE

NOTE

NOTE

• Microsoft WinPE 3.0 for Windows 2008 (x86 and x64)

• Linux RHEL 4.9, 5.5, 5.6, 6.0, 6.1

• SLES 10 and 11 (x86 and x64)

• Solaris 10 (x86, x64, and SPARC)

Solaris is not supported on Brocade 804 or 1007 adapters.

• VMware ESX Server 4.0, 4.1, 5.0 (x64)

Drivers and BCU are supported on the VMware ESX platforms. HCM is supported only on the
guest system on VMware.

• Oracle Enterprise Linux (OEL) 5.6, 6.0 (x86 and x64), Oracle VM 3.0

FCoE support

The following lists operating systems that support FCoE operation for Brocade CNAs and Fabric
Adaptor ports configured in CNA mode:

• Windows Server 2008 (x86 and x64)

• Windows Server 2008 R2/SP1 (x64)

• Microsoft Hyper V for Windows 2008 x86, x64

• Windows 7 (x86 and x64)

• Windows Server Core for Windows 2008 (x86 and x64)

• Microsoft WinPE 3.0 for Windows 2008 (x86 and x64)

• Linux RHEL4.9, 5.5, 5.6, 6.0, 6.1 (x86 and x64)

• Linux SLES 10 and 11(x86 and x64)

• Solaris 10 (x86, x64, and SPARC)

Solaris is not supported on Brocade 804 or 1007 adapters.

• VMware ESX Server 4.0, 4.1, 5.0 (x64)

Drivers and BCU are supported on the VMware ESX platforms. HCM is supported only on the
guest system on VMware.

• Oracle Enterprise Linux (OEL) 5.6, 6.0 (x86 and x64)

Ethernet support

The following lists operating systems that support Ethernet operation for Brocade CNAs and Fabric
Adaptor ports configured in CNA or NIC modes:

• Windows Server 2008 (x86 and x64)

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• Windows 2008 R2/SP1 (x64)

NOTE

NOTE

• Windows Server Core for Windows 2008 (x86 and x64)

• Windows 7 (x86 and x64)

• Microsoft WinPE 3.0 for Windows 2008 (x86 and x64)

• Linux RHEL 4.9, 5.5, 5.6, 6.0, 6.1 (x86 and x64)

• Linux SLES 10 and 11 (x86 and x64)

• Solaris 10 (x86, x64, and SPARC)

Solaris is not supported on Brocade 804 or 1007 adapters.

• Xen Hypervisor (x86 and x64)

Refer to “Hypervisor support” on page xvi.

• VMware ESX Server 4.0, 4.1, and 5.0 (x64)

Drivers and BCU are supported on the VMware ESX platforms. HCM is supported only on the
guest system on VMware. Network drivers are not supported on IA-64 systems.

• Oracle Enterprise Linux (OEL) 5.6, 6.0 (x86 and x64)

Hypervisor support

The following lists operating systems that support hypervisor operation for Brocade adapters:

• Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V (x64)

• Linux RHEVH 6.x (x64)

• Linux XEN (x86 and x64)

• Linux KVM (x64)

• VMware ESX 4.0, 4.1, and 5.0 (x64)

• Oracle VM 3.0 (x64)

• Citrix XenServer 6.0 (x64)

Host operating system support for HCM

The following operating systems support HCM management for adapters.

• Windows Server 2008 (x86 and x64)

• Windows Server 2008 R2/SP1 (x86 and x64)

• Windows SBS 2011 (x64)

• Windows XP

• Windows Vista

• Windows 7 SP1 (x86 and x64)

• Linux 5.5, 5.6, 6.0, 6.1 (x86 and x64)

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NOTE

HCM is a 32-bit application. To use HCM on Linux RHEL 6.0 x64 systems, you must install the

NOTE

NOTE

NOTE

x32-compatible libraries because they are not installed by default.

• Linux SLES 10 and 11 (x86 and x64)

• Solaris 11, except Open Solaris (x86, x64, and SPARC)

• VMware ESX Server 4.0, 4.1, 5.0 (x64)

HCM is not supported in ESXi systems.

HCM is supported only on the guest operating system for VMware.

• Oracle Enterprise Linux (OEL) 5.6, 6.0 (x86 and x64)

Specific operating system service patch levels and other patch requirements are detailed in the
current release notes for your adapter software version.

What’s new in this document

This document adds details on adapter release 3.0 and the Brocade 1860 Fabric Adapter. For
further information about new features not covered in this document and documentation updates,
refer to the release notes for your adapter software version.

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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

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.

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 syntax conventions

Command syntax in this manual follows these conventions:

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

or

Command examples

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

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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, see the technical glossaries on MyBrocade.
See “Brocade resources” on page xx for instructions on accessing MyBrocade.

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

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

Notice to the reader

This document may contain references to the trademarks of the following corporations. These
trademarks are the properties of their respective companies and corporations.

These references are made for informational purposes only.

Corporation Referenced Trademarks and Products

Microsoft Corporation Windows, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Vista,

Oracle Corporation Solaris

Red Hat Inc. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

XP, PE for Windows, Hyper V for Windows, Windows Automated
Installation Kit (WAIK), and Windows 7.

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Corporation Referenced Trademarks and Products

Novell, Inc. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES)

VMware, Inc. ESX Server

SPARC International, Inc. SPARC

Hewlett Packard Corp. BladeSystem

IBM BladeCenter

Dell PowerEdge

Additional information

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

1. Go to the adapters website at www.brocade.com/adapters.

2. Navigate to the adapters Downloads page.

3. Select your operating system from the Downloads list to display appropriate downloads or
download the ISO image.

Brocade resources

To get up-to-the-minute information, go to http://my.brocade.com to register at no cost for a user ID
and password. A variety of resources for Brocade products is available.

Adapters

For adapter resources, such as product information, software, firmware, and documentation, visit

the adapters website at www.brocade.com/adapters.

For additional information on Brocade adapters, refer to the following publications:

• The Brocade Quick Installation Guide (provided with your adapter model).

• Brocade Adapters Troubleshooting Guide

• Brocade Adapters Administrator’s Guide

• CIM Provider for Brocade Adapters Installation Guide

FCoE Switch

For information on the Brocade FCoE Switch for connecting stand-up CNAs, refer to the following
publications:

• Brocade 8000 Hardware Reference Manual

• WebTools Administrator’s Guide

• EZSwitchSetup Administrator’s Guide

• Fabric OS Command Reference Manual

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Blade servers and blade system enclosure components

Brocade mezzanine and expansion card adapters are compatible with blade servers, switch
modules, interconnect modules, I/O modules, and other components that install in supported
blade system enclosures. For compatibility information, visit the compatible blade server and blade
system enclosure manufacturer’s website. Also refer to the Hardware Compatibility section in
Chapter 1 of the Brocade Adapters Installation and Reference Manual.

SAN information

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

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

Providing details for support

Contact your Brocade FCoE CNA support supplier for hardware, firmware, and software support,
including product repairs and part ordering. Provide the following information:

1. General information:

• Brocade adapter model number.

• Host operating system version.

• Software name and software version, if applicable.

• syslog message logs

• bfa_supportsave output.

To expedite your support call, use the bfa_supportsave feature to collect debug
information from the driver, internal libraries, and firmware. You can save valuable
information to your local file system and send it to support personnel for further
investigation. For details on using this feature, refer to “Support Save” on page 61.

• 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.

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2. Adapter serial number:

The adapter serial number and corresponding bar code are provided on the serial number
label illustrated below. This label is affixed to the adapter card.

*FT00X0054E9*

FT00X0054E9

You can also display the serial number through the following HCM dialog boxes and BCU
commands:

• Adapter Properties tab in HCM.

Select an adapter in the device tree, then click the Properties tab in the right pane.

• BCU adapter --list command.

This command lists all adapters in the system and information such as model and serial
numbers.

3. Port World-Wide Name (PWWN).

Determine this through the following resources:

• Label affixed on adapter card provides the WWPN for each port.

• Brocade BIOS Configuration Utility.

Select the appropriate adapter port from the initial configuration utility screen, then select
Adapter Settings to display the WWNN and PWWN for the port. For details, refer to the Boot
Code chapter in the Brocade Adapters Installation and Reference Manual.

• Port Properties tab in HCM.

Select a port for a specific adapter in the device tree, then click the Properties tab in the
right pane.

• The following BCU commands:

Command Function

port --query <port_id> Displays port information, including the PWWN

for the FCoE port. The port_id parameter is the
port number.

port --list Lists all the physical ports on the adapter along

with their basic attributes, such as the PWWN.

4. Media access control (MAC) addresses. These are applicable to CNAs and Fabric Adapter ports
configured in CNA mode only.

The adapter MAC address can be found in HCM by selecting the adapter in the device tree and
clicking the Properties tab in the right pane to display the adapter Properties panel. Look for
the MAC Address field.

Each port has a “burned-in” local port MAC address. This is the source MAC for LLDP
communications between the adapter and FCoE switch. To find this MAC address, select a CEE
port in the HCM device tree, then click the Properties tab in the right pane to display the port
Properties panel. Look for the Local port MAC field.

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The Ethernet MAC address is used for normal Ethernet operations. To find this MAC address

NOTE

NOTE

using HCM, select an Ethernet port in the HCM device tree, then click the Properties tab in the
right pane to display the port Properties panel. Look for the Current MAC address and Factory
MAC address fields.

Each enode logging in to the fabric through a local adapter port is assigned a MAC address
during FCoE Initialization Protocol (FIP) operations. This MAC is assigned for the current FCoE
communication only. To find this MAC address, perform one of the following tasks:

• Select an FCoE port in the HCM device tree, then click the Properties tab in the right

pane to display the port Properties panel. Look for the FCoE MAC field.

• Enter the port --query port_id BCU command. Look for the FCoE MAC.

MAC addresses assigned during FCoE initialization operations cannot be changed using device
management applications.

The FCoE Forwarder (FCF) MAC address is the address of the attached FCoE switch. Select an
FCoE port in the HCM device tree, then click the Properties tab in the right pane to display the
port Properties panel. Look for the FCF MAC field.

You can also determine port MAC addresses using the following BCU commands:

Command Function

port ---query port_id Displays port information, including the MAC

addresses. The <port_id> parameter is the
port number.

port ---list Lists all the physical ports on the adapter along

with their Ethernet and FCoE MAC addresses.

For details on using HCM and BCU commands, refer to the Brocade Adapters
Administrator’s Guide.

Document feedback

Quality is our first concern at Brocade and we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy and
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xxiv Brocade Adapters Troubleshooting Guide

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Chapter

Introduction to Troubleshooting

In this chapter

•How to use this manual for troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

•Gathering problem information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

How to use this manual for troubleshooting

An adapter, such as an HBA, CNA, or Fabric Adapter is one component of a larger network
consisting of switches, storage devices, host systems and the cabling and connections to these
components. Although there may be a problem in the adapter or an adapter component, the
problem could also originate in another network component or connections between components.
Before removing and replacing adapters, launching adapter diagnostics, or even gathering
statistics on adapter operation, it is important that you perform the following tasks:

1. Fully describe the problem and gather complete information about the symptoms that suggest
a problem exists. Refer to “Gathering problem information” on page 3.

1

2. Isolate or resolve the problem by using information in Chapter 2, “Isolating Problems”.

Adapter problems are organized under the following categories:

Search through the list of problems in Table 2 on page 5. Problems are organized in the table
by problem title, category, and whether the problem is operating-system-specific. Click on a
problem to go to the chapter section containing details of possible causes and actions for
resolution.

• “General adapter problems”

• “HBA problems”

• “Network interface problems (CNA or NIC)”

• “FCoE and Fibre Channel problems”

• “DCB network problems”

• “HCM and HCM Agent problems”

Each problem section in Chapter 2 provides a complete description of the problem, possible
causes, and actions for resolution. Fixes and actions may reference BCU commands, HCM
features, and host operating system commands. These are described in Chapter 3, “Tools for

Collecting Data”.

Other helpful sections in Chapter 2 include the following:

• “Verifying Fibre Channel and DCB links (stand-up adapters)” on page 50.

• “Adapter driver installation verification” on page 51.

• “Troubleshooting mezzanine card problems” on page 55.

• “Additional references for isolating problems” on page 56

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How to use this manual for troubleshooting

NOTE

1

3. Use the BCU commands, HCM features, and host operating system commands described in

Chapter 3, “Tools for Collecting Data” to gather data for resolving problems.These tools include

event logs, operating statistics, and diagnostics.

4. Consider these factors when isolating and resolving the problem:

• Can the issue be resolved using the latest supported combination of host system BIOS,

operating system, operating system updates, or adapter drivers?

• Refer to “Software installation and driver packages” and “Operating system support” in

Chapter 1 of the Adapters Installation and Reference Manual for details on driver
packages and operating system support. Also download the latest release notes from the
Brocade adapters website using the following steps:

a. Go to the adapters website at www.brocade.com/adapters.

b. Navigate to the adapters Downloads page.

c. Select your operating system from the Downloads list to display appropriate

downloads.

d. Download the release notes from the “Documentation” section.

• Does the issue persist when the adapter is installed in a different platform or blade server

or connected to a different switch port?

• Does the problem persist if using a different SFP or cable (stand-up adapters)?

• Can this problem be reproduced on one or more adapters, ports, or host system? Can you

identify specific steps that consistently reproduce this problem on one or more hosts?

• Is the problem documented in release notes for the adapter, operating system, or host

system BIOS?

• Is the problem documented in release notes for the switch and target storage system?

• Is unexpected behavior intermittent or always present?

If the problem is in a Fibre Channel or FCoE switch, storage device, or in connectivity between
these components, refer to the documentation, help systems, or service providers for that
equipment.

5. If you cannot resolve the problem, gather and provide problem information to your adapter
support provider for resolution.

If troubleshooting information in this manual does not resolve problems, check the installed version
of the adapter (chip revision) and driver (firmware version) using the BCU adapter --query command.
To use this command, refer to “Using BCU commands” on page 65. Also download the latest release
notes from the Brocade adapters website
problems relating to the adapter and driver versions.
Downloads page, and then select your operating system from the Downloads list to display
appropriate downloads or download the ISO image.

2 Brocade Adapters Troubleshooting Guide

at www.brocade.com/adapters and look for known

On the adapter website, navigate to the adapters

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Gathering problem information

Perform the following tasks to obtain as much information as possible before contacting technical
support. Be sure to take careful notes for use as a record and reference.

• Describe the symptoms that you are observing. Be specific. Here are some examples:

- User experiences, such as slow performance or file access.

- Expected storage devices not visible from the HCM or host system’s storage management

application.

- Adapter not recognized by host system BIOS.

- Adapter not recognized as PCI device by host system operating system.

- LEDs not functioning on an adapter port that is connected to the fabric (stand-up

adapters).

- All LEDs on adapter port flashing amber (stand-up adapters).

• What happened prior to the observed symptoms?

• Describe all observed behavior that is unexpected and compare against expected behavior.

• Gather information for support:

- Use appropriate tools on storage targets to gather information such as disk, tape, and

controller model and firmware levels.

- Use the Support Save feature. This feature captures all driver, internal libraries, firmware,

and other information needed to diagnose suspected system issues. You can save
captured information to the local file system and send it to support personnel for further
investigation. For details on using the Support Save feature, refer to “Support Save” on
page 61.

• Draw a topology map of the SAN from the adapters to the storage targets. Include the

components described in Table 1.

l

TABLE 1 Topology map details

Gathering problem information

1

Component How to identify

adapter Model, World-Wide Name (WWN),

and driver release level.

Fibre Channel switches Model, WWN, and Fabric OS

version.

Fiber optic links between
adapter, switches, and storage
ports

Host hardware Model and hardware revision.

The bfa_supportsave and FOS supportsave commands can provide current information for the
topology map. Also, consider using the Brocade SAN Health products to provide information on
your SAN environment, including an inventory of devices, switches, firmware versions, and SAN
fabrics, historical performance data, zoning and switch configurations, and other data. Click
the Services & Support tab on www.brocade.com for more information on these products.

Port WWNs connected to all links.

• Run appropriate diagnostic tools for storage targets.

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Gathering problem information

1

• Determine what has changed in the SAN. For example, if the SAN functioned without problems

• Record the time and frequency of symptoms and the period of time symptoms have been

• Determine if unexpected behavior is intermittent or always present.

• List steps that have been taken to troubleshoot the problem, including changes attempted to

before installing the adapter, then the problem is most likely in the adapter installation or
configuration, adapter hardware, or adapter driver package. Other examples of things to
investigate might be changes in the connected switch or storage system firmware, or an offline
switch.

For stand-up adapters, investigate disconnected or faulty cables between the adapter, switch,
or storage controller fiber optic ports. Check if target storage devices are correctly connected
to the switch and are turned on.

For mezzanine or expansion card adapters, make sure that the adapter, the blade server
where the adapter is installed, and the modules in the blade system enclosure that support
adapter operation are compatible. Verify that the blade server and modules that support
adapter operation are installed in the appropriate enclosure bays. Also check whether target
storage devices are connected to the appropriate switch, interconnect module, or I/O module
in the blade system enclosure and are turned on.

observed.

isolate the problem.

4 Brocade Adapters Troubleshooting Guide

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Chapter

Isolating Problems

In this chapter

•How to use this chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

•General adapter problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

•Fabric Adapter problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

•HBA problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

•CNA problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

•Network interface problems (CNA or NIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

•FCoE and Fibre Channel problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

•DCB network problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

•HCM and HCM Agent problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

•Verifying Fibre Channel and DCB links (stand-up adapters). . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

•Adapter driver installation verification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

•Troubleshooting mezzanine card problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

•Additional references for isolating problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

2

How to use this chapter

Operation problems are arranged in this chapter in these categories:

• “General adapter problems”

• “Fabric Adapter problems”

• “HBA problems”

• “Network interface problems (CNA or NIC)”

• “FCoE and Fibre Channel problems”

• “DCB network problems”

Use Table 2 to quickly navigate to sections in this chapter that cover specific adapter problems.
Each problem section in this chapter contains a description of the problem, possible causes, and
actions for resolution. Click on the problem to link to the appropriate problem section.

TABLE 2 Isolate adapter problems

Problem Category OS Specific

“Adapter not reported under server’s PCI subsystem” “General adapter problems” All

“No adapters reported though BCU adapter --list
command”

“Port link is not active” “General adapter problems” All

“General adapter problems” All

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How to use this chapter

2

TABLE 2 Isolate adapter problems (continued)

Problem Category OS Specific

“Host system freezes or crashes” “General adapter problems” All

“Operating system errors (blue screen)” “General adapter problems” All

“Driver event messages appearing in host system log
files”

“BCU version mismatch warning” “General adapter problems” All

“Errors or problems when entering BCU commands” “General adapter problems” All

“bcu pcifn --list and vhba --query commands return errors” “General adapter problems” All

“I/O data traffic issues” “General adapter problems” All

“Support Save file is too large (Windows only)” “General adapter problems” Windows

“Host system running Microsoft Windows fails to
hibernate”

“Driver incompatible with CNA drivers” “General adapter problems” Windows

“Brocade BCU desktop shortcut missing (Windows only)” “General adapter problems” Windows

“Driver installation fails and system cannot be booted” “General adapter problems” Windows

“Device drivers not loading for all adapter instances” “General adapter problems” Windows

“Installer program does not autorun” “General adapter problems” Windows

“Cannot remove Linux driver with uninstaller application
or scripts”

“Removing Ethernet (network) drivers causes error” “General adapter problems” Windows

“Files needed for bfad.sys message appears” “General adapter problems” Windows

“Cannot roll back driver on all adapter instances using
Device Manager”

“Driver preinstallation problems” “General adapter problems” Windows

“Errors when installing
brocade_driver_linux_<versions>.tar.gz package”

“Device drivers not loading due to lack of MSI-X interrupt
vectors”

“Driver installation fails on ESX systems” “General adapter problems” VMware

“Errors when using GUI-based software installer” “General adapter problems” All

“System will not boot over SAN or on local disk in Legacy
BIOS mode”

“Host not booting from remote LUN” “General adapter problems”

“Boot devices not available in host’s Boot Manager menu” “General adapter problems”

“Driver and operating system installation failure on boot
LUN”

“General adapter problems” All

“General adapter problems” Windows

2003

2008

“General adapter problems” Windows

“General adapter problems” Windows

“General adapter problems” Linux

“General adapter problems” VMware

“General adapter problems”
“UEFI boot problems”

“UEFI boot problems”

“UEFI boot problems”

“General adapter problems”
“UEFI boot problems”

All

All

All

All

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