The work mechanism of NPIV without port-uplink SAN configuration in VC-FC

[liuyl_it]

We have some BL890c i4 with QLogic QMH2562 8Gb FC HBA for HP BladeSystem c-Class, and its NPIV can work fine without any Fabric configuration！
Anyone could explain such phenomenon？

Mezzanine 1: QLogic QMH2562 8Gb FC HBA for HP BladeSystem c-Class
                     Port 1: 50:01:43:80:26:65:96:8c
                     Port 2: 50:01:43:80:26:65:96:8e

->
->
->show fabric
No FC SAN fabrics exist

->
->
->show fc-connection
ERROR: No FC-connections exist

->
->

[Sharis]

Hello,

Hope the below link describes NPIV in VC FC.
https://support.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docId=emr_na-c03086068

[liuyl_it]

1)  Could you tell me what ever the effect with the fabric configuration in VC-FC modules？
2)  Why the PWWN of VC-FC ports cannot be seen either in VC or in OA, except for NPIVs?
     Notes: but they indeed can be seen in the SAN switch side！   For example:

admin>
admin>
admin> portloginshow 2/4
Type PID World Wide Name credit df_sz cos
=====================================================
fd 014401 50:01:43:80:26:65:95:f8 16 2112 c scr=0x3
fe 014400 20:00:74:46:a0:71:1a:0b 16 2112 c scr=0x0
admin>
admin>
admin> portloginshow 2/5
Type PID World Wide Name credit df_sz cos
=====================================================
fd 014501 50:01:43:80:26:65:96:e4 16 2112 c scr=0x3
fe 014500 20:11:74:46:a0:71:1a:0b 16 2112 c scr=0x0
admin>
admin>

[Sharis]

Hello,

When it comes to C7000 and Blade servers, The servers Mezz card physical port info would be listed in the below command from OA.

OA> show server info (Blade number)

example: show server info 1    >>> to see the blade details with Integrated / Mezz ports WWN numbers

OA> show server port map   >> This would show the port mapping details of Server ports and VC port mappings.

However, the NPIV ports that are created under OS will not be listed here in OA / VC..
But those ports will sow you on the switches as logged in with the details as they are capable of listing the NPIV port details.

Hope this helps.

[liuyl_it]

I have reviewed the outputs of the OA and the corresponding host,  and find that the PWWNs on OA are just the same as the host's PFC PWWNs！
So what are the PWWNs for 20:00:74:46:a0:71:1a:0b/20:11:74:46:a0:71:1a:0b that seen on the SAN switch side？   NPIVs？

------------------------------- Blade 001 -------------------------------

1 QLogic QMH2562 8Gb FC HBA for HP BladeSystem c-Class
Port 1 OK Bay 3 Port 1 50:01:43:80:26:65:95:f8
Port 2 OK Bay 4 Port 1 50:01:43:80:26:65:95:fa

root@jcyxfam2:/tmp#
root@jcyxfam2:/tmp#
root@jcyxfam2:/tmp#
root@jcyxfam2:/tmp# fcdutil /dev/fcd4 npiv_info
PFC Hardware Path = 0/0/0/5/0/0/0
PFC DSF = /dev/fcd4
PFC Class Instance = 4
PFC Driver state = ONLINE
PFC Port WWN = 0x50014380266595f8
PFC Node WWN = 0x50014380266595f9
PFC Switch Port WWN = 0x2045c4f57cca2ec4
PFC Switch Node WWN = 0x1000c4f57cca2ec4

FlexFC Virtual Fibre Channel (VFC)
----------------------------------
Maximum Supported FlexFC VFC = 16
Number Active FlexFC VFC = 0

HPVM Virtual Fibre Channel (VFC)
----------------------------------
Maximum Supported HPVM VFC = 48
Number Active HPVM VFC = 0

root@jcyxfam2:/tmp#
root@jcyxfam2:/tmp#
root@jcyxfam2:/tmp#
root@jcyxfam2:/tmp# fcdutil /dev/fcd5 npiv_info
PFC Hardware Path = 0/0/0/5/0/0/1
PFC DSF = /dev/fcd5
PFC Class Instance = 5
PFC Driver state = ONLINE
PFC Port WWN = 0x50014380266595fa
PFC Node WWN = 0x50014380266595fb
PFC Switch Port WWN = 0x20440027f8e7490c
PFC Switch Node WWN = 0x10000027f8e7490c

FlexFC Virtual Fibre Channel (VFC)
----------------------------------
Maximum Supported FlexFC VFC = 16
Number Active FlexFC VFC = 0

HPVM Virtual Fibre Channel (VFC)
----------------------------------
Maximum Supported HPVM VFC = 48
Number Active HPVM VFC = 0

root@jcyxfam2:/tmp#
root@jcyxfam2:/tmp#
root@jcyxfam2:/tmp#

[Sharis]

Hello,

Yes. those should be NPIVs.

Sometimes, we see the ports logged in as Physical port PWWNs+number of NPIVs logged.

Example:  F-Port  1 N port + 1 NPIV Public  in switchshow output.

Hope this helps.

[liuyl_it]

Could you tell me how to understand such phenomenon that the NPIVs cannot be seen in the OA/VC environments？

[Sharis]

Hello,

I would say thats how it is designed. 

I may be wrong as well.. 

As per my understanding, The OA and VC would only shows the physical ports WWNs / MAC addresses.

The NPIV is something that getting created or assigned to Guest OS running on a Particular Host and it has its own mecahnisam to connect to the switches and displays as a NPIV public ids and communicated via Physical Host.

You would be able to see the NPIV PWWNs on the switch side only.

# port show (port number)  >>> should show the physical WWNs and its NPIV WWNs.

For more clarification, i Would suggest you to get a support case logged with HPE VC  support to get this more clarified.

Hope this helps.

[liuyl_it]

Sorry,  I still have another corresponding question about the VC-FC  !

Why the NPIVs do never failover,  but only the PWWNs do everytime when the fc link is broken-down ?

SNS5192_1:admin>
SNS5192_1:admin>
SNS5192_1:admin> portloginshow 2/4 -history
Type PID World Wide Name logout time
===========================================================
fd 014401 50:01:43:80:26:65:95:f8 02/01/2018 14:46:59
fd 014402 50:01:43:80:26:65:96:e4 02/01/2018 14:46:59
fd 014401 50:01:43:80:26:65:95:f8 02/01/2018 14:58:48
fd 014401 50:01:43:80:26:65:95:f8 02/01/2018 15:12:41
fd 014401 50:01:43:80:26:65:95:f8 02/01/2018 15:23:38
fd 014401 50:01:43:80:26:65:95:f8 12/14/2018 07:58:18
fe 014400 20:00:74:46:a0:71:1a:0b 12/14/2018 07:58:18
fd 014401 50:01:43:80:26:65:95:f8 12/14/2018 08:05:13
fe 014400 20:00:74:46:a0:71:1a:0b 12/14/2018 08:05:13
fd 014401 50:01:43:80:26:65:95:f8 12/14/2018 08:28:04
fe 014400 20:00:74:46:a0:71:1a:0b 12/14/2018 08:28:04
SNS5192_1:admin>
SNS5192_1:admin>
SNS5192_1:admin>
SNS5192_1:admin> portloginshow 2/5 -history
Type PID World Wide Name logout time
===========================================================
fd 014501 50:01:43:80:26:65:96:e4 02/01/2018 14:59:06
fd 014501 50:01:43:80:26:65:96:e4 02/01/2018 15:12:41
fd 014501 50:01:43:80:26:65:96:e4 02/01/2018 15:23:56
fd 014501 50:01:43:80:26:65:96:e4 12/14/2018 08:38:24
fe 014500 20:11:74:46:a0:71:1a:0b 12/14/2018 08:38:24
SNS5192_1:admin>
SNS5192_1:admin>

[Sharis]

Hello,

It is expected that Physical PWWN failover when a FC link failure.

NPIVs are vitual ports of the physical  ports.

So whenever a FC - link failure, The actual physical PWWNs is getting failvered to other connections along with the NPIVs.

Again, for more clarification, it is advisable to log a support case.

Regards,