Cisco SN5428 to HP SanSwitch 2/8-EL and MSA1000

[Orjan Jerijervi]

Hi!

I have four Proliant servers connected to MSA1000 through a HP Storageworks San Switch 2/8-EL. That configuration works fine.
Im now trying to connect a new Cisco SN5428 iScsi router to the switch, but thats not easy. The FC-gbics have links, but on the SN5428 one green light (log) is flashing. In enable mode it´s repeated a message that says it´s trying to connect to a switch in non-interoperability mode. When i Telnet to the HP San switch it says somthing like its not licensed for Wan...
Can this be the problem or is these components just not compatible?
HP has the SR2122 iScsi router wich is similar to Ciscos SN5420 (2 FC ports insted of 8 on the SN5428) so i think this should work.
Tried to seek on the web about upgrade licenses for the HP switch, but i can´t figure out if some of them is the right one.
I Found:
324505-B21 EXTENDED FABRIC FOR SAN SWITCH 2/8-EL
324506-B21 ISL TRUNKING FOR SAN SWITCH 2/8-EL

Nothing is mentioned about a scenario with a iScsi router.

The domain id is the same on the router and the switch. The SN5424 is not configured for transparent iScsi routing. Maybe it should?
After hours of search on the web and the vendors sites im feeling like walking on untouched soil in the field of iScsi (at least in Norway). I can´t be the first to do this, can i? Hope anybode can give me some hints.

Thanks in advance

Orjan Je

[Ronald Hendriks · Accepted solution]

Hi,

I have not worked with this setup, but i think this applies anyway.

When connecting FC switches the domain ID should be different. (addressing)

[Ronald Hendriks]

Not in interoperability mode could also mean that the cisco doesn`t support the PID addressing scheme. You can try to make the 2Gb switch compatible with the 1Gb ones.

telnet:

Switch disable
configure
fabric parameters
PID = 0


It might help.

[Mike Naime]

As has been said before, you will want to set the domain ID on the new switch prior to connecting the two switches together.

You will most likely need to set both the HP/Brocade SAN switch, and the Cisco SAN switch for interoperability mode before they will talk to each other. Otherwise, the switch is expecting a like-vendor switch to talk to when you connect an ISL.

[Orjan Jerijervi]

Quick response:)

Well, in the configuration manual for the Cisco SN5428 its clearly stated you should set the same domain id that the switch you are connecting to.
SN5428 also supports 2Gb FC connections, but i can anyway try to set the switch to support both speeds.

I had open a telnet session to the HP-switch and tried to plug in and out the fiber between it and the Cisco. Then the message "not licensed for Wan" came.
Could the HP-switch be aware of its a iScsi router that came in? The iScsi router can indeed give me a SAN Wan.

And at last when using the command "disable switch". Will all connections go down? Should i shut down the servers and the MSA1000 before configuring the switch?

Orjan

[Orjan Jerijervi]

Hi again!

I had misunderstood the manual about domain id. Now domain id is 2, but still same message about non-interoperability mode from the Cisco SN5428.
The port is also set to type GL_Port and selfdiscovers what type to use (E_Port (ISL), F_Port (N_Port), FL_Port (NL_Port) or G_Port). What type use the HP switch as default? Maybe both devices now autosense for ISL?

Orjan

[Peter Mattei]

Check out the this site: www.hp.com/go/sandesign
The SAN Design Reference Guide talks about the iSCSI router in chapter 8 and you'll also find some documentation and reference material for the SR2122.

Good luck
Peter

[Orjan Jerijervi]

I have found a solution for our problem.
Ditch the HP switch!
I shut down the hole system and pulled out fc-gbics and cables from the HP 2/8EL. Then put all fc-gbics and cables in the Cisco SN5428.
Fired nervously up one server after another and everything runs like normal:)
Got helpful tips on a Cisco forum to try this out, but hadnt bothered to try this before because HP Norway had said it wasnt possible to use the Cisco SN5428 directly to MSA1000 without having a switch between.
Well u can.. the Cisco is also a 8 port FC-switch + iscsi router.

Orjan

[Mels de Zeeuw]

When you set the HP SAN switches in interoperability mode by using the interopmode command at the CLI.

Today I tried and it works.

Regards,

Mels de Zeeuw

[Orjan Jerijervi]

OK!
Have heard about to try to set the HP-switch in interop mode, but didnt try it myself. Fine to know it can be done by knowing someone actually have tried it.

Then maybe someday i can use the HP switch with the Cisco SN5428, but at the moment i have no use for more FC ports than the 8 that is there.

Another case is performance. Can anyone tell if HP 2/8EL or Cisco SN5428 is preferred for FC switching?

Orjan

[Peter Mattei]

Well one thing is support.
The Cisco SN5424 is not supported in a SAN by HP. So if you experience problems you will have to coordinate Cisco and HP support.

From a performance perspective: The 2/8-el is a non-blocking switch which allows for concurrent IO at full 200MB/sec on all ports.
Don't know about the Cisco.
But anyway, the port to the MSA will be the bottleneck not the switch!

Peter