Deployment Guide

Refer to Inter-chassis Links on page 483 for detailed information about ICL trunking.
• EX_Port trunking is configured on an inter-fabric link (IFL) between an FC router (EX_Port) and an
edge fabric (E_Port). The trunk ports are EX_Ports connected to E_Ports.
Refer to EX_Port trunking on page 516 for additional information about EX_Port trunking.
• F_Port trunking is configured on a link between a switch and either an Access Gateway module or a
Brocade adapter. The trunk ports are F_Ports (on the switch) connected to N_Ports (on the Access
Gateway or adapter).
• N_Port trunking is configured on a link between a switch and either an Access Gateway module or
a Brocade adapter. It is similar to F_Port trunking. The trunk ports are N_Ports (on the Access
Gateway or adapter) connected to F_Ports (on the switch).
For more information, refer to Configuring F_Port trunking for a Brocade adapter on page 521, the
Access Gateway Administrator's Guide, and the Brocade Adapters Administrators Guide .
NOTE
This chapter uses the term F_Port trunking to refer to a trunk between the F_Ports on a switch and the
N_Ports on either an Access Gateway module or a Brocade adapter. This type of trunk might be
referred to as N_Port trunking in the Access Gateway Administrator's Guide or Brocade Adapters
Administrator’s Guide
Masterless trunking
Masterless trunking means that if the master port goes offline, one of the slave ports automatically
becomes the new master port, thus avoiding traffic disruption. The new master port uses the old
master port area and the old master port is assigned a new, unused area. In this way, the port
identifier (PID) of the trunk does not change if the master port goes offline.
If trunking is not masterless, and if the master port goes offline, traffic disruption can occur because
the slave ports in the trunk group go offline to select the new master port and then come back online.
Masterless trunking is supported for most platforms and trunking types:
• All F_Port trunking is masterless.
• ISL and ICL trunking are masterless.
• EX_Port trunking is masterless, except on Brocade DCX or DCX 8510 Backbones with Virtual
Fabrics disabled.
License requirements for trunking
Trunking of non-ICL ports (E_Ports, EX_Ports, and F_Ports) requires the Trunking license. This
license must be installed on each switch that participates in trunking.
Trunking of ICL ports (E_Ports and EX_Ports) does not require a Trunking license.
ATTENTION
After you add the Trunking license, to enable trunking functionality, you must disable and then re-
enable each port to be used in trunking, or disable and re-enable the switch.
Refer to the Fabric OS Software Licensing Guide for information about activating licenses.
Masterless trunking
510 Fabric OS Administrators Guide
53-1003130-01