Deployment Guide

• There should a maximum of 64 server fabric login (FLOGI) requests or fabric discovery (FDISC) requests per server MAC address
before forwarded by the FC Flex IO module to the FC core switch. Without user conguration, only 32 server login sessions are
permitted for each server MAC address. To increase the total number of sessions to 64, use the max sessions command.
• A distance of up to 300 meters is supported at 8 Gbps for Fibre Channel trac.
• Multiple domains are supported in an NPIV proxy gateway (NPG).
• If the switch contains FC Flex IO module, you cannot create a stack and a log message states that %Error: cannot configure
stack group when FC module is enabled
. Similarly, FC Flex IO modules do not function when you insert them into a stack
of I/O Aggregator switches.
Guidelines for Working with FC Flex IO Modules
The following guidelines apply to the FC Flex IO module:
• All the ports of FC Flex IO modules operate in FC mode, and do not support Ethernet mode.
• FC Flex IO modules are not supported in the chassis management controller (CMC) GUI.
• The only supported FCoE functionality is NPIV proxy gateway. Congure the other FCoE services, such as name server, zone server,
and login server on an external FC switch.
• With the FC Flex IO module, the FN IOM continues to support bare metal provisioning (BMP) on any Ethernet port. BMP is not
supported on FC ports. BMP improves accessibility to the FN IOM by automatically loading pre-dened congurations and boot images
that are stored in le servers. You can use BMP on a single switch or on multiple switches.
• FC Flex IOM module is a eld-replaceable unit (FRU). Its memory type is electrically erasable programmable read-only memory
(EEPROM), which enables it to save manufacturing information, such as the serial number. It is hot-swappable, assuming that the
module that is removed is replaced by the same type of module in that same slot.
• The FC Flex IO does not have persistent storage for any runtime conguration. All the persistent storage for runtime conguration is on
the FN IOM baseboard.
• With both FC Flex IO modules present in the FN IOM switches, the power supply requirement and maximum thermal output are the
same as these parameters needed for the M1000 chassis.
• Each port on the FC Flex IO module contains status indicators to denote the link status and transmission activity. For trac that is
being transmitted, the port LED shows a blinking green light. The Link LED displays solid green when a proper link with the peer is
established. If there is no connectivity, the LEDs are not lit
• The FN IOM switches continue to operate in FCoE Gateway mode even if connectivity to a ToR switch does not exist.
• Active fabric manager (AFM) is compatible with FC Flex IO modules.
• All SNMP MIBs that are supported for FN IOM switches apply equally for FC Flex IO modules. The interface MIB indicates the FC
interface when you install the FC ex IO module. The interface MIB statistical counters compute and display the FC interface metrics.
• When the Dell Networking OS sends FC frames (the initial FLOGI or FLOGO messages), or converts FLOGI to FDISC messages or
processes any internally generated FC frames, the software computes and veries the FC cyclic redundancy check (CRC) value before
sending the frame to FC ports.
• Fabric worldwide name (WWN) verication is available for eight FC ports. Single-switching WWN capability is provided when the
switch operates in NPIV mode.
• Ensure that the NPIV functionality is enabled on the upstream switches that operate as FC switches or FCoE forwarders (FCF) before
you connect the FC port of the FN IOM to these upstream switches.
• While storage trac traverses through FC Flex IO modules and the Ethernet uplink port-channel status changes (with DCB enabled on
an adjacent switch), FCoE trac is disrupted. This problem does not occur if Ethernet trac is not involved and only FCoE trac is
transmitted. Also, if DCB on the ToR switch is disabled, trac disruption does not occur.
940
FC Flex IO Modules