Enabling a Active Zone config on a live Brocade SAN switch

[Abdul Rashid]

Just a quick question, I hope someone can help. I have just added a new zone into my active zone configuration on a live Brocade SAN switch and have saved the configuration but have not enabled the config. What are the implications/consequences of enabling the active config on a live SAN switch, will all my other connections go offline while I enable the config or just the new zone members that I have just added. I do not want to make any changes if it will disrupt the traffic to other live zones.

Thanks

[IBaltay]

Hi,
this could help you (page 21)
http://www.brocadekorea.com/download/resource/53_0000213_01.pdf.
You must be cautious, especially in the situation of the zone change. In that case it cannot be enabled online and you need to first stop the IO to the zone. But if you add new zones and the original ones stay untouched, it can be done in the off-peak hours (low IO)

[Abdul Rashid]

Thanks, but the link you have sent does not work.

[IBaltay]

sorry it is without the "." sign :-)
http://www.brocadekorea.com/download/resource/53_0000213_01.pdf

[Daniel_279]

First off you need to verify the defined configuration you are going to enable has the configuration you want (you can have several define configs). But once you enable the effective config, if it's not in the defined config you could potentially cause access issues to hosts.

Enabling a zone in a Brocade Fabric

When a zone configuration is enabled, all zones within the configuration are enabled. All devices
within an enabled zone are visible to one another; however, they cannot communicate outside
their zone. Zones can overlap within a zone configuration.

When a zone configuration is enabled, the following happens:

1. All aliases are expanded if any are defined in the zone configuration.
2. Inconsistencies are checked, If inconsistencies are found, an error occurs and the previous
state of the Fabric is preserved. For example, if zoning has been disabled, it will remain
disabled.
3. Switch hardware is loaded with the zoning information.
4. Zone members are then loaded.
5. A Registered State Change Notification (RSCNs) are generated and sent out to the entire
Fabric to notify the other switches in Fabric of the changes.