Brocade 6505 Hardware Reference Manual - Manual (Page 27)

Fabric OS Native and Access Gateway modes
The Brocade 6505 can function in either Fabric OS Native mode or Brocade Access Gateway mode.
The switch is shipped in Fabric OS Native mode by default.
• You can enable Access Gateway mode using Fabric OS commands or Web Tools.
• All additional POD licenses must be installed before you can enable Access Gateway mode.
• When you enable Access Gateway, you can use the default F_Port-to-N_Port mappings or change
this mapping using the command line interface (CLI) or Web Tools (after you configure an IP address
using instructions under
Switch IP address on page 22).
• Access Gateway simplifies SAN deployment by using N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV). NPIV provides
Fibre Channel switch functions that improve switch scalability, manageability, and interoperability.
For more information on Access Gateway, refer to the following:
‐ For a list of F_Ports mapped to N_Ports by default, refer to Access Gateway default port
mapping on page 50.
‐ For general information and details on using Access Gateway, refer to the Brocade Access
Gateway Administrator’s Guide
‐ For specific instructions to prepare the edge fabric before connecting it to Access Gateway
(because Access Gateway relies on NPIV technology for its connection to the edge fabric),
refer to the Brocade Access Gateway Administrator’s Guide .
NOTE
Access Gateway cannot be connected directly into an array; it requires a fabric to support NPIV.
• Fabric OS features available to the Brocade 6505 depend on whether the switch is configured in
Access Gateway or Fabric OS Native mode. For a list of available features for each mode, refer to
the Brocade Access Gateway Administrator’s Guide
• In Access Gateway mode, cascading is not available for the Brocade 6505. Refer to the Brocade
Access Gateway Administrator’s Guide for details on any other restrictions specific to the Brocade
6505.
• In Fabric OS Native mode, the switch provides up to 24 external Fibre Channel ports. These
universal and self-configuring ports are capable of becoming one of the following port types:
‐ F_Port (fabric enabled)
‐ E_Port (expansion port)
‐ M_Port (mirror port)
‐ D_Port (diagnostic port)
• In Access Gateway mode, the switch provides up to 24 external Fibre Channel ports. However, these
ports are configured as N_Ports, and you cannot reconfigure these as any other port type.
Disabling and enabling Access Gateway mode
This section provides steps to disable and enable Access Gateway mode using Fabric OS commands.
For more information on using these commands, refer to the Brocade Access Gateway Administrator’s
Guide or the Brocade Fabric OS Administrator’s Guide .
NOTE
You can also disable and enable Access Gateway mode using Web Tools. Refer to the Web Tools
Administrator’s Guide for more information.
Fabric OS Native and Access Gateway modes
Brocade 6505 Hardware Reference Manual 27
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