Installation guide

Fabric cluster mode is defined as a fabric in which the data path for nodes is distributed each member
in the fabric, but the configuration path is not distributed. Each node keeps its configuration database
independently. Fabric cluster mode has three major characteristics:
• The fabric is self-forming. When two or more VCS-enabled devices with unique RBridge IDs are
connected to form a VCS fabric, the fabric is automatically created and the devices discover the
common fabric configuration.
• The fabric is masterless. No single device stores configuration information or controls fabric
operations. Any device can fail or be removed without causing disruptive fabric downtime or
delayed traffic.
• The fabric is aware of all members, devices, and Virtual Machines (VMs). Automatic Migration of
Port Profiles (AMPP) supports VM migration to another physical server. If the VM moves, it is
automatically reconnected to all of its original resources.
When the device connects with a VCS cluster, negotiation protocols determine which device in the
fabric is the principal switch an makes sure that all domain IDs, and therefore RBridge IDs, are unique.
Once the domain IDs are determined to be unique, they are equated to the RBridge IDs. The device
with the lowest World Wide Name (WWN) becomes the principal switch, primarily for purposes of
determining the uniqueness of the ID of the other devices in the fabric. The WWN is a unique identifier
burned into the device at the factory.
If necessary you can change the VCS ID.for the device using the vcs vcsidvcsid command, where the
vcsid is a value from 1 to 8192. By default, the device VCS ID is 1. Change the VCS ID if you need to
create a new, separate VCS fabric.
In order to retain the changes made during configuration, you must copy the running configuration file
to the startup configuration file using the copy running-config startup-config command. This will
ensure that the device reboots to your preferred configuration.
Configuration tasks
The following figureillustrates the flow of the basic configuration tasks.
Configuration tasks
36 Brocade VDX 8770-8 Hardware Installation Guide
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