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Connectrix Brocade B-Series: What is the Best Practice for 16G and 32G SFP Monitoring?

Summary: Recently released TSBs, 274-A and 276-A, require system level monitoring as part of their corrective action steps. This KB article outlines a best practice for implementing the monitoring process, using MAPS and the tools that are provided as part of the TSB, to minimize the workload and data pull requirements of the support team. ...

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Instructions

Issue:
TSB 2019-274-A and TSB 2019-276-A corrective action steps require on-going monitoring of the user's network for optics that have their Tx Power degrading to the level of potentially causing link and system errors. 

Although multiple options are presented, they all require the capture of data from each switch in the network to be fed into tools for analysis. 

What is needed is a means for the system to monitor the Tx Power value for each of the optics. The Administrator is alerted when any degrade to a level of action requires an alert to capture the data (as outlined in step 2 of the Recommended process) from that switch for analysis by the Administrator.

Recommended Process:
The recommended process has two parts to it.
  1. The first part is the setup on each of the switches in the network with the trigger action event.
This can be accomplished by adding a couple of new rules to the Monitoring and Alerting Policy Suite (MAPS) configuration. 

MAPS has been supported since Fabric OS 7.4.0. For each of the TSBs 274-A and 276-A, a new rule must be added. When a rule triggers, messages and alerts to the Administrator is generated. This flags any optic encountered on the switch that has crossed the alert threshold.
  1. Upon receipt of the alert message, the Administrator moves to the second part of the monitoring process to run the approved actions as outlined in the following KB articles:
    1. 16G:
      1. KB 77893: Connectrix B-Series: Optic laser failure or low transmit (Tx) power levels in certain 16G SWL optics, TSB 2019-276-A. 
    2. 32G:
      1. KB 77898: Connectrix B-Series: Network performance degradation reported due to low transmit (Tx) power levels in 32G SWL optics, TSB 2019-274-A. 

MAPS Rule Definition:
For a complete understanding, the user should reference the document, Brocade Fabric OS MAPS User Guide, 8.2.1x, FOS-821-MAPS-UG102.

The two new rules to apply to the MAPS configuration are defined below.

These define a threshold trigger, and a series of reporting actions.

If a MAP trigger is logged once this rule is created, the optic should be replaced as soon as possible to avoid it degrading worse and possibly causing link errors. 

On a system that has the Fabric Vision License installed, the following are commands with explanation as to what the command is setting up: 

Determine the policies in use and which is active:
mapspolicy --show  summary

Example: 
sw0:FID128:admin> mapspolicy --show -summary
               Policy Name                                         Number of Rules
------------------------------------------------------------
dflt_aggressive_policy            :               328
dflt_moderate_policy              :               331
dflt_conservative_policy          :               331
dflt_base_policy                  :                50
 
Active Policy is 'dflt_moderate_policy .
Note the  Active Policy  in the output.

Clone the Active policy:
Clone the current active policy that is used to add the new rules to the clone being made.
mapspolicy --clone <Active Policy> -name <Unique Name for clone>

Example:
mapspolicy --clone dflt_moderate_policy -name monitor_sfp_error_policy_1_0

Validate the clone has been made.
mapspolicy --show  summary

Enable the new policy:
Enable the newly cloned policy, currently only a copy of previously enabled policy. 
mapspolicy --enable <Unique Name for clone>

Example:
mapspolicy --enable monitor_sfp_error_policy_1_0

Verify current configured actions:
Verify current configured actions and make note of Configured Notifications."
mapsconfig --show

Example:
sw0:FID128:root> mapsconfig --show        
Configured Notifications:               SW_CRITICAL,SW_MARGINAL

RASLOG and SFP_MARGINAL Configured Notifications check: 
If RASLOG or SFP_MARGINAL are not part of Configured Notifications, add these actions.

Example:
mapsconfig --action SW_CRITICAL,SW_MARGINAL,RASLOG,SFP_MARGINAL 

Verify that the actions have been added to Configured Notifications:
mapsconfig --show

Example:
sw0:FID128:admin> mapsconfig --show
Configured Notifications: RASLOG,SW_CRITICAL,SW_MARGINAL,SFP_MARGINAL

16G rule:
In case the new rule is already present, delete it so we do not try and make duplicate rules:
mapsrule --delete monitor_ALL_16GSWL_SFPTXP_251

Enter the new rule for 16G optics to add it to the current active policy, and set the rule to trigger only once in a 24-hour period so that it does not fill up the RASlog:
mapsrule --create monitor_ALL_16GSWL_SFPTXP_251 -monitor TXP -group ALL_16GSWL_SFP -value 251 -op LE -qt 86400 -action SFP_MARGINAL,RASLOG -policy <unique name for clone>

Example:
sw0:FID128:admin> mapsrule --create monitor_ALL_16GSWL_SFPTXP_251 -monitor TXP -group ALL_16GSWL_SFP -value 251 -op LE -qt 86400 -action SFP_MARGINAL,RASLOG -policy monitor_sfp_error_policy_1_0

WARNING: The policy configuration for the active policy has changed because of addition/deletion/modification of rule(s). The active policy has to be re-enabled to apply these new changes. 

Change of Severity in FOS 8.1.0 and later:
Use this command in FOS versions 8.1.0 and later to change the severity of the RASlog message. This is an invalid command in earlier versions:
mapsrule --config monitor_ALL_16GSWL_SFPTXP_251  severity ERROR

Be sure the new command that is entered is correctly in place:
mapsrule --show monitor_ALL_16GSWL_SFPTXP_251

Example:
sw0:FID128:admin> mapsrule --show monitor_ALL_16GSWL_SFPTXP_251
Rule Data:
----------
RuleName: monitor_ALL_16GSWL_SFPTXP_251
Condition: ALL_16GSWL_SFP(TXP/none<=251)
Actions: SFP_MARGINAL,RASLOG qt=1 day severity=ERROR  
Associated Policies: monitor_sfp_error_policy_1_0

32G rule:
If the new rule is already present, delete it so we do not try and make duplicate rules:
mapsrule --delete monitor_ALL_32GSWL_SFPTXP_251

Enter the new rule for 32G optics, tie it to the policy in use, and set the rule to trigger only once in a 24-hour period so it does not to fill up the RASlog:
mapsrule --create monitor_ALL_32GSWL_SFPTXP_251 -monitor TXP -group ALL_32GSWL_SFP -value 251 -op LE -qt 86400 -action SFP_MARGINAL,RASLOG -policy <Unique name for clone>

Example:
sw0:FID128:admin> mapsrule --create monitor_ALL_32GSWL_SFPTXP_251 -monitor TXP -group ALL_32GSWL_SFP -value 251 -op LE -qt 86400 -action SFP_MARGINAL,RASLOG -policy monitor_sfp_error_policy_1_0

WARNING: The policy configuration for the active policy has changed because of addition/deletion/modification of rule(s). The active policy has to be re-enabled to apply these new changes.
 
Change of Severity in FOS 8.1.0 and later:
Use this command in FOS versions 8.1.0 and later to change the severity of the RASlog message. This is an invalid command in earlier versions.
mapsrule --config monitor_ALL_32GSWL_SFPTXP_251 -severity ERROR

Be sure the new command that is entered is correctly in place.
mapsrule --show monitor_ALL_32GSWL_SFPTXP_251

Example:
sw0:FID128:root> mapsrule --show monitor_ALL_32GSWL_SFPTXP_251
Rule Data:
----------
RuleName: monitor_ALL_32GSWL_SFPTXP_251
Condition: ALL_32GSWL_SFP(TXP/none<=251)
Actions: SFP_MARGINAL,RASLOG qt=1 day severity=ERROR  
Associated Policies: monitor_sfp_error_policy_1_0

Activate NEW rules in the policy.
Now that new rules have been added to the monitor policy, it must be enabled again in order to become active:
mapspolicy --enable <Unique name for clone>

Example:
mapspolicy --enable monitor_sfp_error_policy_1_0

Monitor:
Earlier FOS versions, before severity setting capabilities, displays the RASlog message as INFO. For these versions, user must use the --all argument. 

Example:
sw0:FID128:root>errdump --all

After FOS 8.1.0 and use of severity, you can only display the messages that are marked as ERROR to find if any optics triggered the rule.

Example:
sw0:FID128:root>errdump --severity ERROR

If a rule triggers, then it also shows the optic as "Yellow" in the command:
sfpshow -health

Example:
sw0:FID128:root> sfpshow -health
Port  4: --
Port  5: id (sw) Vendor: BROCADE          Serial No: HAA111411031G82  Speed: 4,8,16_Gbps Health: Yellow
Port  6: --
Port  7: id (sw) Vendor: BROCADE          Serial No: HAA1114110322D2  Speed: 4,8,16_Gbps Health: Green

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Affected Products

Connectrix

Products

Connectrix, Connectrix DS-6505B, Connectrix DS-6510B, Connectrix DS-6520B, Connectrix DS-6610B, Connectrix DS-6620B, Connectrix DS-6630B, Connectrix ED-DCX6-4B, Connectrix ED-DCX6-8B, Connectrix ED-DCX8510-4B, Connectrix ED-DCX8510-8B , Connectrix MP-7840B ...