FCIP/IVR San extension license question

dps23 · ‎03-12-2009

Hi,

I have a 9509 with 1 18/4 blade with a SAN extension license connected over FCIP to a 9222i in our DR site. I have 2 servers connected to the 9509 that will be talking to 4 tape drives connected to the 9222i using 4 1g links and tape write acceleration. I planned to use IVR to control what links were in use for specific tape drives since I can't trunk with tape acceleration on. I do not have an enterprise license on the switches.

My understanding from the docs is that IVR is included in the SAN extension license for this type of connectivity. When I enabled IVR for this it started the timer for the grace license and logging license errors.

Am I missing something on how IVR should be enabled for this or on my configuration in relationship to the licensing?

Thanks

Michael Brown · ‎03-12-2009

Which MDS are you seeing the license timer messages. From what I understand about your setup, I agree that enabling IVR for the FCIP traffic should not start the IVR license expiry counter.

Can you advise what code is on each end, and also paste in the output from 'show license usage'?

I believe that you can port-channel the 4 GE links, and still run tape-accel, if the port-channel mode is 'active' versus 'on' or 'off'.

- Mike

dps23 · ‎03-12-2009

I have only enabled IVR on the 9509. Both switches are running 3.2(3a).

Here is the show license usage from the 9509

Feature Ins Lic Status Expiry Date Comments

Count

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FM_SERVER_PKG Yes - In use never -

MAINFRAME_PKG No - Unused -

ENTERPRISE_PKG No - In use Grace 112D 21H

DMM_FOR_SSM_PKG No 0 Unused -

SAN_EXTN_OVER_IP No 0 Unused -

PORT_ACTIVATION_PKG No 0 Unused -

SME_FOR_IPS_184_PKG No 0 Unused -

SAN_EXTN_OVER_IP_18_4 Yes 1 In use never -

SAN_EXTN_OVER_IP_IPS2 No 0 Unused -

SAN_EXTN_OVER_IP_IPS4 No 0 Unused -

10G_PORT_ACTIVATION_PKG No 0 Unused -

STORAGE_SERVICES_ENABLER_PKG No 0 Unused -

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dave

Michael Brown · ‎03-12-2009

Dave,

Need 1 more dislay, now what we know that the Enterprise license is in use...we can see what lines in the MDS configuration are causing the Enterprise license to be invoked. I thought that the show license usage did include what feature triggered it.

show license usage ENTERPRISE_PKG

If the results of this command show the IVR for FCIP is triggering the license, then we need to investigate further and you might want to open a TAC case.

Please post the output from this command.

- Mike

dps23 · ‎03-12-2009

Here is the output.

ccc-mds1# show license usage ENTERPRISE_PKG

Application

-----------

IVR

-----------

ccc-mds1# show license usage SAN_EXTN_OVER_IP_18_4

Application

-----------

Module 3

-----------

dps23 · ‎03-12-2009

The reason I went with the IVR instead of a port-channel is this tip on page 48-34 in the fabric manager configuration guide:

FCIP tape acceleration does not work if the FCIP port is part of a PortChannel or if there are multiple

paths between the initiator and the target port. Such a configuration might cause either SCSI discovery

failure or broken write or read operations.

Michael Brown · ‎03-12-2009

f your IVR configuration is only between VSANs in the FCIP arena, and the FC arena, and there are no FC to FC VSANs, then there is a bug.

If any of the FC are IVR'd with other VSANs in the FC arena, then the SAN ext license does not cover the config.

Are their 2 VSANs in the 9509 that are both FC only, in the IVR topology?

If you have 2 FC VSANs, and 1 FCIP VSAN in the IVR topology, you invoke the Enterprise license since there can only be 1 IVR topology.

I recommend a transit VSAN for the FCIP link. On each end IVR between the FC VSAN and the transit VSAN.

The IVR toiplpogy:

VSAN A---MDS1--transit VSANy---MDS2---VSAN B

VSAN A configured only in MDS1

VSAN B configured only in MDS2

VSAN-y configure in both

IVR topology

MDS1 VSAN A and y

MDS2 VSAN B and y

VSAN y is only the FCIP link

This config should not invoke the Enterprise license.

- Mike

dps23 · ‎03-13-2009

Thanks.

Sounds like I made the mistake of putting my tape drives on the transport VSAN's I created on the remote switch. I will try moving those into a different VSAN on the remote end and enable IVR on the remote switch to handle that. If that doesn't work I will open a case.

Thanks for the help.

Dave