Hardware Reference Manual
6 Brocade M6505 16 Gbps Fibre Channel SAN I/O Module Hardware Reference Manual
53-1002576-02
Optional Brocade licenses
1
Native Fabric mode
Native Fabric mode can be accessed by disabling the default AG mode. Once the SAN I/O Module is
in Native Fabric mode, it provides support for the following:
• Up to 8 external auto-sensing and auto-negotiating (4, 8, or 16 Gbps) Fibre Channel ports.
These universal and self-configuring ports are capable of becoming one of the following port
types:
- E_Port (expansion port)
- F_Port (fabric-enabled)
- U_Port (self-discovery based on switch type)
These external ports are capable of ISL trunking with appropriate licensing.
• Frame filtering that augments the hardware zoning capabilities of the Brocade ASIC, which
implements hardware zoning at the port level of the SAN I/O Module.
• Brocade ASIC expanded capabilities, including World Wide Name (WWN) and device-level
zoning.
• Hardware zoning implemented by firmware-accessible table per output port.
• Zoning enhancements that allow a switch with the default zone “no access” to merge with a
fabric.
• Buffer credit loss detection and automatic recovery on ISLs.
Optional Brocade licenses
Table 2 lists optional licenses that are available for use on the Brocade M6505 16 Gbps Fibre
Channel SAN I/O Module.
TABLE 2 Optional supported features
License Description
Adaptive Networking A suite of tools and capabilities that optimize behavior in the SAN. Even
under the worst congestion conditions, Adaptive Networking features can
maximize the fabric behavior and provide necessary bandwidth for
high-priority, mission-critical applications and connections.
Advanced Performance Monitoring Enables more effective end-to-end SAN performance analysis to enhance
performance tuning, increase productivity, optimize resource utilization,
and reduce costs.
Fabric Watch Continuously monitors SAN fabrics for potential faults based on thresholds
set for a variety of SAN fabric elements and events, automatically alerting
administrators to potential problems before they become costly failures.
ISL Trunking Optimizes the performance and availability of SAN fabrics while simplifying
ISL management.
Ports on Demand Allows you to obtain additional ports by way of license key upgrade.