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IP address
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LUN zoning-When combined with N port zoning, logical unit number (LUN) zoning helps ensure that
LUNs are accessible only by specific hosts, providing a single point of control for managing heterogeneous
storage-subsystem access.
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Read-only zones-An attribute can be set to restrict I/O operations in any zone type to SCSI read-only
commands. This feature is useful for sharing volumes across servers for backup, data warehousing, and
so on.
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Broadcast zones-An attribute can be set for any zone type to restrict broadcast frames to members of
the specific zone.
To provide strict network security, zoning is always enforced per frame using access control lists (ACLs) that
are applied at the ingress switch. All zoning polices are enforced in the hardware, and none of them cause
performance degradation. Enhanced zoning session-management capabilities further enhance security by
allowing only one user at a time to modify zones.
Device Alias Services
The software supports Device Alias Services (device alias) on per VSAN and fabric wide. Device alias
distribution allows you to move host bus adapters (HBAs) between VSANs without manually reentering alias
names.
Fibre Channel Routing
Fabric Shortest Path First (FSPF) is the protocol used by Fibre Channel fabrics. FSPF is enabled by default
on all Fibre Channel switches. You do not need to configure any FSPF services except in configurations that
require special consideration. FSPF automatically calculates the best path between any two switches in a
fabric. Specifically, FSPF is used to perform these functions:
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Dynamically compute routes throughout a fabric by establishing the shortest and quickest path between
any two switches.
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Select an alternative path if a failure occurs on a given path. FSPF supports multiple paths and
automatically computes an alternative path around a failed link. FSPF provides a preferred route when
two equal paths are available.
SCSI Targets
Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) targets include disks, tapes, and other storage devices. These targets
do not register logical unit numbers (LUNs) with the name server. The SCSI LUN discovery feature is initiated
on demand, through CLI or SNMP. This information is also synchronized with neighboring switches, if those
switches belong to the Cisco Nexus device.
Advanced Fibre Channel Features
You can configure Fibre Channel protocol-related timer values for distributed services, error detection, and
resource allocation.
You must uniquely associate the WWN to a single switch. The principal switch selection and the allocation
of domain IDs rely on the WWN. Cisco Nexus devices support three network address authority (NAA) address
formats.
Fibre Channel standards require that you allocate a unique FC ID to an N port that is attached to an F port in
any switch. To conserve the number of FC IDs used, Cisco Nexus devices use a special allocation scheme.
FC-SP and DHCHAP
Cisco Nexus 5500 Series NX-OS SAN Switching Configuration Guide, Release 7.x
OL-30895-01
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Overview
SAN Switching Overview
