Brocade Communications Systems 53-1001763-02, Administrator'S Manual

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Fabric OS Administrator’s Guide 263
53-1001763-02
Security and zoning
11
A merge is not possible if any of the following conditions exist:
-
Configuration mismatch: Zoning is enabled in both fabrics and the zone configurations
that are enabled are different in each fabric.
-
Type mismatch: The name of a zone object in one fabric is used for a different type of zone
object in the other fabric.
-
Content mismatch: The definition of a zone object in one fabric is different from the
definition of zone object with the same name in the other fabric.
-
Zone Database Size: If the zone database size exceeds the maximum limit of another
switch.
NOTE
If the zoneset members on two switches are not listed in the same order, the configuration is
considered a mismatch, resulting in the switches being segmented from the fabric. For
example:
cfg1 = z1; z2
is different from
cfg1 = z2; z1 ,
even though members of the
configuration are the same. If zoneset members on two switches have the same names
defined in the configuration, make sure zoneset members are listed in the same order.
Fabric segmentation and zoning
If the connections between two fabrics are no longer available, the fabric segments into two
separate fabrics. Each new fabric retains the same zone configuration.
If the connections between two fabrics are replaced and no changes have been made to the zone
configuration in either of the two fabrics, then the two fabrics merge back into one single fabric. If
any changes that cause a conflict have been made to either zone configuration, then the fabrics
might segment.
Security and zoning
Zones provide controlled access to fabric segments and establish barriers between operating
environments. They isolate systems with different uses, protecting individual systems in a
heterogeneous environment; for example, when zoning is in secure mode, no merge operations
occur.
Brocade Advanced Zoning is configured on the primary Fabric Configuration Server (FCS). The
primary FCS switch makes zoning changes and other security-related changes. The primary FCS
switch also distributes zoning to all other switches in the secure fabric. All existing interfaces can
be used to administer zoning (depending on the policies; see the
Secure Fabric OS Administrator’s
Guide for information about security policies).
You must perform zone management operations from the primary FCS switch using a zone
management interface, such as Telnet or Advanced Web Tools. You can alter a zoning database,
provided you are connected to the primary FCS switch.