HP StorageWorks Fabric Interoperability: Merging Fabrics Based on M-series and B-series Fibre Channel Switches Application Notes (AA-RUQQL-TE, November 2009)

Changes since the last version
Changes since the December 2008 version of this document include:
• Added support information for the HP StorageWorks DC04 SAN Director
• Added information about Port Authentication
• Added Frame Redirection section
• Updated router-based interoperability support information
• Updated M-EOS support information
• Reformatted McDATA legacy and Brocade switch information
Implementing an interoperable fabric with Brocade Fabric OS
6.1.0a or later
Fabric OS 6.0 introduced interoperability on new platforms with zone activation, FCR SANtegrity,
Fabric OS SANtegrity, and coordinated HCL.
With earlier versions of Fabric OS, you could configure switches for interoperability mode (Open
Fabric 1.0) by enabling interopmode 1, which supported non-B-series switches, such as M-series
switches (Open Fabric mode only).
Fabric OS 6.1.0a replaced interopmode 1 with McDATA Open Fabric mode (interopmode 3).
McDATA Open Fabric mode allows you to add Fabric OS-based products to M-series fabrics that
are using Open Fabric mode. Fabrics containing only Fabric OS switches in Open Fabric mode are
not supported.
HP requires M-series switch firmware 9.7.2 or later to support interoperability with Brocade switches
running Fabric OS 6.1.0a or later.
NOTE:
For up-to-date information about supported Brocade and McDATA firmware versions, contact HP
support. The list of supported versions is updated periodically as new versions are added and older
versions are removed.
Overview
Changing the interopmode is not a toggle operation. The interopmode command enables you to
change between McDATA Fabric and McDATA Open Fabric interoperability modes, and to Brocade
Native mode. You must issue the interopmode command on all Fabric OS switches in the fabric to
ensure that all switches are set to the same mode.
IMPORTANT:
Before changing the fabric interoperability mode, ensure that the switch is disabled or offline and
that all platform management functions are disabled.
HP StorageWorks Fabric Interoperability: Merging Fabrics Based on M-series and B-series Fibre
Channel Switches Application Notes 3