HP StorageWorks C-Series Fabric Switches for NX-OS 4.2(1a) Release Notes (AA-RWEHV-TE, October 2009)

12 MDS 9000 Series Multilayer Director & Multilayer Fabric Switches Release Notes
CISCO MDS 9000 N-PORT VIRTUALIZATION (NPV)
MODE
N-Port Virtualization (NPV) Mode is a software feature that can be optionally enabled on the C-
series MDS 9124, MDS 9134, and the MDS 9124e Fabric Switches. Switches operating in NPV
mode do not join a fabric; rather, they pass traffic between NPV core switch links and end
devices.
NPV technology addresses the increase in the number of domain IDs needed to deploy a large
number of ports by making the MDS 9124, MDS 9134, and the MDS 9124e behave as a host to
the core FC switch. NPV aggregates multiple locally connected N-ports into one or more
external NP link(s), which share the domain ID of the NPV core switch. NPV also allows
multiple devices to attach to the same port on the NPV core switch, thereby reducing the need for
more ports on the core switch. NPV makes use of N-port ID virtualization (NPIV) to receive
multiple FCIDs allocated from the core switch on the NP port. Refer to the Cisco MDS 9000
Family Configuration Guide for instructions on how to configure NPV.
In addition to being supported in Cisco fabrics, NPV is supported for connectivity to B-Series and
M-Series fabrics. Refer to the hp StorageWorks Fabric Interoperability: Merging Fabrics Based
on C-series and B-Series Fibre Channel Switches and hp StorageWorks Fabric Interoperability:
Merging Fabric Based on C-series and M-Series Fibre Channel Switches for specific supported
B-Series and M-Series software versions.
CISCO MDS 9000 FLEXATTACH
FlexAttach is supported on the Cisco MDS 9124e Fabric Switch for HP c-Class BladeSystem, the
Cisco MDS 9124 switch, and the Cisco MDS 9134 switch, when NPV mode is enabled. The
FlexAttach feature reduces the time and coordination effort required by SAN and server
administrators when installing and replacing servers. The use of FlexAttach alleviates the need
for re-zoning and LUN reconfiguration changes when a new server is installed or when an
existing server needs replacement. For information on FlexAttach, refer to the Configuring
FlexAttach Virtual pWWN chapter in the Cisco MDS 9000 Family Configuration Guide.
With FlexAttach, you can perform the following tasks:
 Preconfiguration – You can preconfigure the SAN for the addition of new servers whose
WWPNs are unknown, using the virtual WWPNs. Once the servers are available, you
can bring them online and into the fabric.

Replacement (new server) – You can replace an existing server with a new server.
FlexAttach assigns a virtual WWPN to the server port.

Replacement (spare server) – You can bring a spare server online by moving the virtual
WWPN from the current server port to the spare server port.
 Server redeployment – You can move a server to a different NPV switch (in the same
fabric or VSAN). FlexAttach allows you to manually create and transfer virtual
WWPNs from one server port to another server port.