FX8-24 extension blade installation questions

[jmacdonald1]

Hi all

We are going to install some FX8-24 extension blades into DCX8510-8 chassis.

Site A has 2 of these DCX (s1fabA, s1fabB)

Site B has 2 of the DCX (s2fabA, s2fabB)

we are going to put one of the extension blades in s1fabA at site1 and one in s2fabA at site 1

From there SVC's will be plugged into them for SVC storage replication.

my question(s) is once the blade is installed, does it become part of the existing switch, i mean these add additional FC ports, so in theory they could be used to add more port capacity to the switch for more devices to connect to other that what is to be connected to them for extension purposes, or does it act as a separate entity within the DCX, is it considered an edge fabric withing the DCX?

The next question, is when it comes time to configure the FCIP tunnel, i dont want s1fabA and s2fabA to merge, so i assume i will need to use VEX ports and ensure that the integrated routing license is applied on both sides - i am not sure if EX ports are required in this  (i can see EX ports being used if i had a 7800 connected to a regular port in the DCX and didnt have the extension blades and didnt want merged fabrics)

Then to connect the two SVC's together i would need to use a LSAN config on both sides.

I am mostly familiar the small 7800's, where i have set them up where they sit in their own fabric independant of any core switch connectivity - ie the storage array replication ports connected directly to 7800's, tunnels created and a small fabric created between sites dedicated to FCIP and am not sure how to translate what i know about these setups to the FX8-24 blades.

thanks in advance

[Antonio Bongiorno T…]

@jmacdonald1

--->>>my question(s) is once the blade is installed,.....

yes, all  FX8 blade Ports will become a part of DS = Default Switch 128, excepted you would create a LS = Logical Switch and the put the port from FX8 in the LS

--->>>The next question,..... so i assume i will need to use VEX ports.....

VEX Port are FCIP interconnected EX Ports, where routing is needed trough a LSAN zone to connect intitiator and target

Both EX and VEX Ports allow communication between devices in independent fabrics without having to merge the fabrics.

BTW. there is no difference beetwen 7800 and FX8-24 Blade, excepted the FX8 blade have 2x XGE Port where the 7800 have not.

--->>>Then to connect the two SVC's together i would need to use a LSAN config on both sides.

If the SVC should be not merge, then the answer is yes, and LSAN is needed.

[dtocci]

- The fc ports on the FX8-24 will become part of the overall DCX fc ports, assuming you are not using Virtual Fabrics.

- To prevent the local and remote fabrics from attempting to merge together you will need Integrated Routing License

   and  VEX to VE connection and "LSAN" zone the SVC ports used for replication.  The VEX port will create the FCR firewall

   to allow only devices in LSAN zones to traverse. 

- You can see a representation of VEX-VE in the Brocade FOS 8.1.0 Fabric Extension Config Guide page 33.

   If possible, dedicate at least 2 SVC ports for global mirroring (1 per fabric) and configure partnership masking (partnerfcportmask)   appropriately.

[jmacdonald1]

one other question

The SVC's at both sites will be replicating to each other, so i dont want fabrics to merge at all on either side, so do i set VEX ports on both sides of the tunnel?  IE Config VEX on site1 blade and also on site 2 blade? or only on 1 side.

thanks

[Antonio Bongiorno T…]

@jmacdonald1

if you don't want to merge on both site, then you have to create VEX on both site 1 + 2

[ussenterprise-bda]

"...so i assume i will need to use VEX ports and ensure that the integrated routing license is applied on both sides..."

Its been a while since I've done FCR, but as I recall, the IR License is only needed on one device (in this case).

[Marian Bezeg]

If you will have router (base switch ) only on one side, than you will have edge to backbone routing topology. So you have to ensure that all switches in backbone fabric will have same BBFID. There is some limitation for backbone which you have to check.

I think better way is to use two base switches, one at each side.