Brocade Fabric OS Administrators Guide (Supporting Fabric OS v7.3.0) - Manual (Page 425)

D_Port configuration mode and nature of test TABLE 79
D_Port mode/nature of
test Description
Mode Static You need to configure the port explicitly. Port remains as D_Port until
you remove the configuration.
Dynamic No user configuration is required. D_Port mode is initiated by external
request from the remote port. The remote port can either be a static or
on-demand D_Port.
On-demand No user configuration is required. D_Port mode is initiated by internal
request within the local switch. The port becomes a D_Port and then
requires the other end of the connection to be a dynamic D_Port.
Nature of test Automatic Test automatically starts when the port comes online.
Manual User starts test from switch side (using the portdporttest --start/restart
command) or from HBA side (refer to
BCU D_Port commands on page
433).
When the tests complete, the port behavior depends on the mode:
• For static D_Ports, you must remove the D_Port configuration at either or both ends of the link to
bring up the port as a regular E_Port or F_Port.
• For a switch port in dynamic D_Port mode, the port automatically reverts back to an F_Port or an
E_Port if the port at the other end reverts to a regular port.
• For a switch in on-demand D_Port mode, the port automatically reverts back to an E_Port after the
tests are completed successfully.
General limitations and considerations for D_Port
• The link to be tested must be marginally functional and able to carry a minimal number of frames
before it can become a D_Port link. The D_Port feature is useful for diagnosing marginal faults only;
it cannot detect the complete failure of any component.
• On ICL ports and FC16-64 blade ports that are configured as D_Ports, only link traffic can be run.
Electrical loopback and optical loopback tests are not supported.
• In case of switch-HBA or AG-HBA connections with HBA v3.2.3 or later, Brocade recommends that
D_Port tests be limited to a maximum of eight D_Ports at once. Otherwise, there is a possibility of
false alarms.
• When a large number of D_Ports are configured, the test is run on one port per blade at a time, and
other ports wait until the test is completed. No test begins until the fabric is stable.
• Note the following High Availability (HA) considerations:
‐ There is no HA support for D_Port test options and results. Any information from a previous
test is lost following a failover.
‐ During an HA failover and reboot on one side of the link, the link goes through reinitialization
and may restart the test. However, the test cannot proceed if the remote port is not ready to
proceed further (the remote port may already be done with the D_Port test and in the final
state). In such a case, the test will eventually fail with "Remote port not ready". Restarting
the test from either side will recover the port.
• D_Ports on an Access Gateway are supported only when there is no mapping between F_Ports and
N_Ports; this includes static mapping and preferred port mapping. In addition, device (WWN)
mapping is also not retained when a D_Port is used. If an Access Gateway port to be tested is
General limitations and considerations for D_Port
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