Merging Switch SAN Connectrix DS 6610B to the existing Fabric

Hello simovic,

It is best to open a support case for this issue.  In most cases when customers setup a ISL, they normally don’t stop using them unless they get a larger switch.  However, that is a customer by customer decision.  Here are the release notes for version9 that lays out all the changes. https://dell.to/3zfngif

thank you for your answer.

it's not an issue, I'm just asking if the ISL needs in my configuration if we have one port for each switch, and the steps that I need to follow to merge my new switch to the existing fabric.

Yes i agreed. that is a customer by customer decision. But before that try some troubleshooting steps.

Hi Simovic,

Yes, to connect a DS-6610 to “a” fabric you need an ISL. Best practices, is always to connect any switch with 2 ISL’s for the obvious reasons.

My worry is that your fabric is not capable of having a DS-6610 in your fabric. You are mentioning OS9, the DS-6610 does not have OSx, but it runs Fabric OS (FOS).

If that is the case you cannot connect a DS-6610B to a OS running fabric.

On the other hand, if you have the fabric running with Fabric OS 7.4.1d, then you are running un-supported Fabric OS.

Or you have unsupported switches, because everything with 7.4 code is beyond End of Support Life, except the DS-300B and 7800 and a couple of bladed switches.

If you have DS-300B, MP-7800B or the bladed switches, you need to upgrade to the latest 7.4.x code then check the release notes of the 8.x code running on the 6610, if they are compatible. (8.2.2d4 for example is compatible with 7.4.2x or later.)

If you have Fabric OS 9.x on the new switch, then NO they are not compatible, and you can find that in the release notes of Fabric OS under the chapter “Fabric OS Compatibility”, you should connect then via FCR or use the 7.4 switches in Access Gateway mode.

My best advise is to talk to your local team and get professional Services to look at your specific requests.

Support will tell you to do the same if you open a support ticket.

Regards,

Ed Schulte

hello edschulte, 

many thanks for your response, 

I have a question what do you mean by My worry is that your fabric is not capable of having a DS-6610 in your fabric. You are mentioning OS9, the DS-6610 does not have OSx, but it runs Fabric OS (FOS).

you mean the version that we have in the existing fabric OS is not supported by FOS 9 right or there are other raison !!

Hi,

I think there is a miss understanding. When you wrote "OS9" that is normally the code running on switches with "Open Networking" code... So when you refer to Brocade fibre channel switches they are running "Fabric OS" code or "FOS". and not "OS".

Coming back to my comment, correct. 7.4.1d is NOT supported anymore since 31 Oct 2019. AND it is not compatible with FOS 9.x

Regards,

Ed