HP StorageWorks Fabric OS 5.3.x administrator guide (5697-0244, November 2009)

144 Configuring advanced security
Distributing ACL policies to other switches
This section explains how to manually distribute local ACL policy databases to other Fabric 5.2.0 and later
switches. The distribute command has the following dependencies:
• All target switches must be running Fabric OS 5.2.0 or later.
• All target switches must accept the database distribution (see ”Configuring the database distribution
settings” on page 140).
• The fabric must have a tolerant or no (absent) fabric-wide consistency policy (see ”Setting the
consistency policy fabric-wide” on page 142).
If the fabric-wide consistency policy for a database is strict, the database cannot be manually
distributed. When you set a strict fabric-wide consistency policy for a database, the distribution
mechanism is automatically invoked whenever the database changes.
• The local distribution setting must be accepted. To be able to initiate the distribute command, set the
local distribution to accept.
Figure 41 on page 144 describes how the target switch database distribution settings affect the
distribution:
To distribute the local ACL policies:
1. Connect to the switch and log in as admin.
2. Enter the following command:
distribute -p <database_id> -d <switch_list>
Setting the consistency policy fabric-wide
The fabric-wide consistency policy enforcement setting determines the distribution behavior when changes
to a policy are activated. Using the tolerant or strict fabric-wide consistency policy ensures that changes to
local ACL policy databases are automatically distributed to other switches in the fabric.
When you set the fabric-wide consistency policy using the fddCfg command with the
--fabwideset <database_id> option, both the fabric-wide consistency policy and specified database
are distributed to the fabric.The active policies of the specified databases overwrite the corresponding
active and defined policies on the target switches.
Policy changes that are saved but not activated are stored locally until a policy database change is
activated. Activating a policy automatically distributes the Active policy set for that policy type (SCC, DCC,
or both), to the other switches in the fabric.
Table 41 ACL policy database distribution behavior
Target switch Distribution Results
Fabric OS
version
Database
setting
v5.1.0 or
earlier
NA Fails An error is returned. The entire transaction is aborted and no
databases are updated.
5.2.0 Reject Fails The target switch explicitly refuses the distribution.
The entire transaction is aborted and no databases are
updated.
Accept Succeeds The target switch accepts the distribution.
database_id A semicolon-separated list of the local databases to be distributed: SCC, DCC, or both.
switch_list A semicolon-separated list of switch Domain IDs, switch names, or switch WWN addresses of
the target switches that will received the distribution.
Use an asterisk (*) to distribution the database to all Fabric OS 5.2.0 and later switches in the
fabric. For example, entering the command: distribute -p SCC -d “*”
distributes the
SCC policy to all 5.2.0 and later switches in the fabric.