Users Guide

Table Of Contents
Using FlexAddress and FlexAdress Plus Cards
This section provides information about FlexAddress and FlexAddress Plus cards, how to configure and use these cards.
Related concepts
About Flexaddress on page 161
About FlexAddress Plus on page 162
FlexAddress and FlexAddress Plus Comparison on page 162
Topics:
About Flexaddress
About FlexAddress Plus
FlexAddress and FlexAddress Plus Comparison
Activating FlexAddress
Activating FlexAddress Plus
Verifying FlexAddress Activation
Deactivating FlexAddress
Configuring FlexAddress
Viewing WWN or MAC Address Information
Viewing Basic WWN or MAC Address Information Using Web Interface
Viewing Advanced WWN or MAC Address Information Using Web Interface
Viewing WWN or MAC Address Information Using RACADM
Viewing World Wide Name or Media Access Control IDs
Command Messages
FlexAddress DELL SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT
About Flexaddress
If a server is replaced, the FlexAddress for the slot remains the same for the given server slot. If the server is inserted in a
new slot or chassis, the server-assigned WWN/MAC is used unless that chassis has the FlexAddress feature enabled for the
new slot. If you remove the server, it reverts to the server-assigned address. You need not reconfigure deployment frameworks,
DHCP servers, and routers for various fabrics for identifying the new server.
Every server module is assigned unique WWN and/or MAC IDs as part of the manufacturing process. Before FlexAddress, if you
had to replace one server module with another, the WWN/MAC IDs changes and Ethernet network management tools and SAN
resources had to be reconfigured to identify the new server module.
FlexAddress allows CMC to assign WWN/MAC IDs to a particular slot and override the factory IDs. Hence, if the server module
is replaced, the slot-based WWN/MAC IDs remain the same. This feature eliminates the need to reconfigure Ethernet network
management tools and SAN resources for a new server module.
Additionally, the override action only occurs when a server module is inserted in a FlexAddress enabled chassis; no permanent
changes are made to the server module. If a server module is moved to a chassis that does not support FlexAddress, the
factory-assigned WWN/MAC IDs is used.
The FlexAddress feature card contains a range of MAC addresses. Before installing FlexAddress, you can determine the range of
MAC addresses contained on a FlexAddress feature card by inserting the SD card into an USB Memory Card Reader and viewing
the pwwn_mac.xml file. This clear text XML file on the SD card contains an XML tag mac_start that is the first starting hex
MAC address that is used for this unique MAC address range. The mac_count tag is the total number of MAC addresses that
the SD card allocates. The total MAC range allocated can be determined by:
<mac_start> + 0xCF (208 - 1) = mac_end
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Using FlexAddress and FlexAdress Plus Cards 161