HP StorageWorks Fabric OS 6.x administrator guide (5697-7344, March 2008)

246 Using the FC-FC routing service
For the exact RASLog message descriptions, see the following RASLogs: FCR_1055, FCR_1056, and
FCR_1073. For further information on these messages, refer to Fabric OS Message Reference.
Backward compatibility
In a fabric with Secure Fabric OS enabled, the edge fabric must have Fabric OS 3.2, 4.4.0, or later
because only DH-CHAP authentication is supported.
For a nonsecure fabric, the hardware and firmware compatibility is described in Table 57.
Front domain consolidation
The FCR switch is connected to the edge fabrics using EX_Ports or VEX_Ports. On prior FCR releases (XPath
7.1.2, 7.3, 7.4 and Fabric OS 5.1) every EX_Port connecting to an edge fabric projects its own front
domain. For example, if there are three EX_Ports connected from the router to the edge fabric, there will be
three front domains projected to the edge fabric.
The Front Domain Consolidation is when one front domain from a single FCR is projected to the edge
fabric regardless of the number of EX_Ports connected from that router to the edge fabric. The front domain
is consolidated only within the FCR switch. Another router connected to the same edge fabric projects a
different front domain.
Front domain consolidation conserves resources on the FCR switch. Expanded use of FCR switches with
multiple EX_Ports connected to the same edge fabric raises the overhead of projecting a front domain for
each EX_Port and quickly uses up resources within the edge fabric and resource consumption on the FC
router.
In releases prior to 5.2.0, every EX_Port connected to the same edge fabric had a unique domain and
unique domains require separate WWNs. With front domain consolidation, the domain is the same for all
ports connected to the same edge fabric from the FC router, so in this case the WWN will be the same.
Using front domain consolidation
To support the consolidated front domain feature, existing CLI and API commands are used to manage and
configure the router. Existing CLI commands offer additional options to support the front domain
consolidation feature.
Table 57 Hardware and firmware compatibility for nonsecure fabrics
Model Supported version
2Gb SAN Switches Fabric OS 2.6.1 or later
SAN Switch 2/8 EL, SAN Switch 2/16 EL, SAN
Switch 2/16
Fabric OS 3.1.0 or later
SAN Switch 2/32, Core Switch 2/64 Fabric OS 4.1.0x or later
SAN Switch 2/8V, SAN Switch 2/16V, SAN Director
2/128
Fabric OS 4.2.0x or later
SAN Switch 4/32 Fabric OS 4.4.0 or later
4/8 SAN Switch, 4/16 SAN Switch, 4/256 SAN
Director
Fabric OS 5.0.1 or later
4/64 SAN Switch, 400 MP Router Fabric OS 5.1.0 or later
Brocade 4Gb SAN Switch for HP p-Class
BladeSystem, Brocade 4Gb SAN Switch for HP
c-Class BladeSystem
Fabric OS 5.2.0 or later
4/256 SAN Director with FC4-16, FC4-48, or
FC4-16IP blades
Fabric OS 5.2.0 or later
4/256 SAN Director with FC10-6 Fabric OS 5.3.0 or later
SAN Switch 4/32B Fabric OS 5.3.0 or later