Configuring and Managing Zones: About Zoning
Configuring and Managing Zones: About Zoning
c o m
CH A P T E R 30
Configuring and Managing Zones
Zoning enables you to set up access control between storage devices or user groups. If you have
administrator privileges in your fabric, you can create zones to increase network security and to prevent
data loss or corruption. Zoning is enforced by examining the source-destination ID field.
Advanced zoning capabilities specified in the FC-GS-4 and FC-SW-3 standards are provided. You can
use either the existing basic zoning capabilities or the advanced, standards-compliant zoning
capabilities.
This chapter includes the following sections:
• About Zoning, page 30-1
• Using the Quick Config Wizard, page 30-7
• Zone Configuration, page 30-10
• Zone Sets, page 30-15
• Zone Set Distribution, page 30-26
• Zone Set Duplication, page 30-29
• Advanced Zone Attributes, page 30-36
• Displaying Zone Information, page 30-42
• Enhanced Zoning, page 30-43
• Compacting the Zone Database for Downgrading, page 30-47
• Default Settings, page 30-48
Note Table 26-1 on page 26-4 lists the differences between zones and VSANs.
About Zoning
Zoning has the following features:
• A zone consists of multiple zone members.
– Members in a zone can access each other; members in different zones cannot access each other.
If zoning is not activated, all devices are members of the default zone.
If zoning is activated, any device that is not in an active zone (a zone that is part of an active
zone set) is a member of the default zone.
Zoning Example
Figure 30-1 illustrates a zone set with two zones, zone 1 and zone 2, in a fabric. Zone 1 provides access
from all three hosts (H1, H2, H3) to the data residing on storage systems S1 and S2. Zone 2 restricts the
data on S3 to access only by H3. Note that H3 resides in both zones.
30-2
Chapter 30 Configuring and Managing Zones
About Zoning
Zone 1
H1 S1
Fabric
H2 S2
Zone 2
79535
H3 S3
Of course, there are other ways to partition this fabric into zones. Figure 30-2 illustrates another
possibility. Assume that there is a need to isolate storage system S2 for the purpose of testing new
software. To achieve this, zone 3 is configured, which contains only host H2 and storage S2. You can
restrict access to just H2 and S2 in zone 3, and to H1 and S1 in zone 1.
Zone 1
H1 S1
Fabric
H2 Zone 3 S2
79536
H3 Zone 2 S3
Zone Implementation
All switches in the Cisco MDS 9000 Family automatically support the following basic zone features (no
additional configuration is required):
• Zones are contained in a VSAN.
• Hard zoning cannot be disabled.
• Name server queries are soft-zoned.
• Only active zone sets are distributed.
• Unzoned devices cannot access each other.
• A zone or zone set with the same name can exist in each VSAN.
• Hard and soft zoning are implemented using the active zone set. Modifications take effect during
zone set activation.
• An FC ID or Nx port that is not part of the active zone set belongs to the default zone and the default
zone information is not distributed to other switches.
Note If one zone set is active and you activate another zone set, the currently active zone set is automatically
deactivated. You do not need to explicitly deactivate the currently active zone set before activating a new
zone set.
Active
Zone set Z1
zone set
Zone A
Zone B
Zone C
Active
Zone set Z1
zone set
Zone A
Zone B
Zone C
Active
Zone set Z1
zone set
Zone A
Zone B
Zone C
Zone D
79948
As of Cisco SAN-OS Release 3.1(1) and NX-OS Release 4.1(2), you can use the Quick Config Wizard
on the Cisco MDS 9124 Switch to add or remove zone members per VSAN. You can use the Quick
Config Wizard to perform interface-based zoning and to assign zone members for multiple VSANs using
Device Manager.
Note The Quick Config Wizard is supported on the Cisco MDS 9124 Fabric Switch, the Cisco MDS 9134
Fabric Switch, the Cisco Fabric Switch for HP c-Class BladeSystem, and the Cisco Fabric Switch for
IBM BladeCenter.
Caution The Quick Config Wizard can only be used on stand-alone switches that do not have any existing zoning
defined on the switch.
To add or remove ports from a zone and to zone only the devices within a specific VSAN using Device
Manager on the Cisco MDS 9124 Switch, follow these steps:
Step 1 Choose FC > Quick Config or click the Zone icon in the toolbar.
You see the Quick Config Wizard (see Figure 30-5) with all controls disabled and the Discrepancies
dialog box (see Figure 30-4), which shows all unsupported configurations.
Note You will see the Discrepancies dialog box only if there are any discrepancies.
Caution If there are discrepancies and you click OK, the affected VSANs in the zone databases are
cleared. This may become disruptive if the switch is in use.
Step 3 Check the check box in the Ports Zoned To column for the port you want to add or remove from a zone.
The check box for the matching port is similarly set. The selected port pair is added or removed from
the zone, creating a two-device zone.
The VSAN drop-down menu provides a filter that enables you to zone only those devices within a
selected VSAN.
Step 4 Right-click any of the column names to show or hide a column.
Step 5 Click Next to verify the changes.
You see the Confirm Changes dialog box shown in Figure 30-6.
Step 6 If you want to see the CLI commands, right-click in the dialog box and click CLI Commands from the
pop-up menu.
Step 7 Click Finish to save the configuration changes.
Zone Configuration
This section describes how to configure zones and includes the following topics:
• About the Edit Local Full Zone Database Tool, page 30-11
• Configuring a Zone Using the Zone Configuration Tool, page 30-12
• Adding Zone Members, page 30-14
1 You can display information by VSAN by 3 You can add zoning characteristics based on
using the drop-down menu without closing alias in different folders.
the dialog box, selecting a VSAN, and
re-entering.
2 You can use the Add to zone button to move 4 You can triple-click to rename zone sets,
devices up or down by alias or by zone. zones, or aliases in the tree.
Note The Device Alias radio button is visible only if device alias is in enhanced mode. For more information,
see “Creating a Device Alias” section on page 31-6.
Tip Expand Switches from the Physical Attributes pane to retrieve the sWWN. If you do not provide a
sWWN, the software automatically uses the local sWWN.
Note Interface-based zoning only works with Cisco MDS 9000 Family switches. Interface-based zoning does
not work if interop mode is configured in that VSAN.
Step 1 Click the Zone icon in the toolbar (See Figure 30-8).
If you want to view zone membership information, right-click in the All Zone Membership(s) column,
and then click Show Details for the current row or all rows from the pop-up menu.
Step 3 Click Zones in the left pane and click the Insert icon to create a zone.
You see the Create Zone dialog box shown in Figure 30-10.
Note One of these symbols ($, -, ^, _) or all alphanumeric characters are supported. In interop mode
2 and 3, this symbol (_) or all alphanumeric characters are supported.
Step 9 Select the zone set where you want to add a zone and click the Insert icon or you can drag and drop
Zone3 over Zoneset1.
You see the Select Zone dialog box shown in Figure 30-12.
Step 3 Select the members you want to add from the Fabric pane (see Figure 30-13) and click Add to Zone or
click the zone where you want to add members and click the Insert icon.
You see the Add Member to Zone dialog box shown in Figure 30-14.
Note The Device Alias radio button is visible only if device alias is in enhanced mode. For more
information, see “Creating a Device Alias” section on page 31-6.
Step 4 Click the browse button and select a port name or check the LUN check box and click the browse button
to configure LUNs.
Step 5 Click Add to add the member to the zone.
Note When configuring a zone member, you can specify that a single LUN has multiple IDs depending
on the operating system. You can select from six different operating systems.
Zone Sets
This section describes zone sets and includes the following topics:
• About Zone Set Creation, page 30-16
• Activating a Zone Set, page 30-17
• Displaying Zone Membership Information, page 30-20
• About the Default Zone, page 30-20
• Configuring the Default Zone, page 30-21
H1 H2 H3 S1 S2
Zones provide a mechanism for specifying access control, while zone sets are a grouping of zones to
enforce access control in the fabric. Either zone set A or zone set B can be activated (but not together).
Tip Zone sets are configured with the names of the member zones and the VSAN (if the zone set is in a
configured VSAN).
Step 6 Check the Save Running to Startup Configuration check box to save all changes to the startup
configuration.
Step 7 Click Continue Activation to activate the zone set, or click Cancel to close the dialog box and discard
any unsaved changes.
You see the Zone Log dialog box, which shows if the zone set activation was successful (see
Figure 30-19).
Deactivating a Zoneset
To deactivate an existing zone set, follow these steps:
Step 1 Right-click the zone set you want to deactivate and then click Deactivate from the pop-up menu.
You see the Deactivate Zoneset dialog box as shown in Figure 30-20.
Step 2 Enter deactivate in the text box and then click OK.
You see the Input dialog box as shown in Figure 30-21.
Step 3 Enter deactivate in the text box and then click OK to deactivate the zone set.
Note To enable this option, you need to modify the server.properties file. See Fabric Manager Server
Properties File, page 3-4 to know more about modifying server.properties file.
Note The default zone members are explicitly listed only when the default zone policy is configured
as permit. When the default zone policy is configured as deny, the members of this zone are not
shown. See the “Displaying Zone Information” section on page 30-42.
Note Unlike configured zones, default zone information is not distributed to the other switches in the fabric.
Traffic can either be permitted or denied among members of the default zone. This information is not
distributed to all switches; it must be configured in each switch.
Note When the switch is initialized for the first time, no zones are configured and all members are considered
to be part of the default zone. Members are not permitted to talk to each other.
Configure the default zone policy on each switch in the fabric. If you change the default zone policy on
one switch in a fabric, be sure to change it on all the other switches in the fabric.
Note The default settings for default zone configurations can be changed.
The default zone members are explicitly listed when the default policy is configured as permit or when
a zone set is active. When the default policy is configured as deny, the members of this zone are not
explicitly enumerated when you view the active zone set.
You can change the default zone policy for any VSAN by choosing VSANxx > from the
Fabric Manager menu tree and clicking the tab. It is recommended that you establish
connectivity among devices by assigning them to a non-default zone.
Step 1 Expand a and then select in the Fabric Manager Logical Domains pane.
Step 2 Click the tab in the Information pane.
You see the zone policies information in the Information pane (see Figure 30-22).
The active zone set is shown in italic type. After you make changes to the active zone set and before you
activate the changes, the zone set is shown in boldface italic type.
Step 3 In the Default Zone Behaviour field, choose either or from the drop-down menu.
Tip The Cisco NX-OS software supports a maximum of 2048 aliases per VSAN.
Creating FC Aliases
To create an FC alias using Fabric Manager, follow these steps:
Step 3 Select the member(s) you want to add from the Fabric pane (see Figure 30-25) and click
or click the alias where you want to add members and click the icon.
You see the Add Member to Alias dialog box shown in Figure 30-26.
Note The Device Alias radio button is visible only if device alias is in enhanced mode. For more
information, see “Creating a Device Alias” section on page 31-6.
Step 4 Click the browse button and select a port name or check the check box and click the browse button
to configure LUNs.
Step 5 Click to add the member to the alias.
Step 6 Yes
Note
Tip copy
Caution
Caution
Note
Note enhanced
Hard zoning enforces zoning restrictions on every frame, and prevents unauthorized access.
Switches in the Cisco MDS 9000 Family support both hard and soft zoning.
•
•
•
•
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
• Import the neighboring switch's active zone set database and replace the current active zone set (see
Figure 30-28).
Export the current database to the neighboring switch.
Manually resolve the conflict by editing the full zone set, activating the corrected zone set, and then
bringing up the link.
Switch 1 Switch 2
To import or export the zone set information from or to an adjacent switch using Fabric Manager, follow
these steps:
Choose > .
You see the Zone Merge Failure Recovery dialog box shown in Figure 30-29.
Zone Merge Failure Recovery Dialog Box
•
•
Caution
•
•
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Chapter 30 Configuring and Managing Zones
Zone Set Duplication
•
•
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Caution
Backing Up Zones
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Step 5
Restoring Zones
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Step 5
Note
Note
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4 > Rename
Step 5
Step 6 Activate Distribute
Step 2 OK.
Step 4
Step 5 OK
To use this feature, you need to obtain the ENTERPRISE_PKG license see Chapter 10, “Obtaining and
Installing Licenses” and you must enable QoS in the switch (see the “About Data Traffic” section on
page 64-4).
This feature allows SAN administrators to configure QoS in terms of a familiar data flow identification
paradigm. You can configure this attribute on a zone-wide basis rather than between zone members.
If zone-based QoS is implemented in a switch, you cannot configure the interop mode in that VSAN.
To configure the zone priority using Fabric Manager, follow these steps:
Expand a and then select a zone set in the Logical Domains pane.
Click the tab in the Information pane.
You see the Zone policy information in the Information pane (see Figure 30-37).
Use the check boxes and drop-down menus to configure QoS on the default zone.
Click to save the changes.
Note
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Chapter 30 Configuring and Managing Zones
Advanced Zone Attributes
Step 4
Step 5
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Note
Broadcasting Requirements
Tip
Caution
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Caution
Note
•
•
Note
H1 S1
Zone 1 LUN 0
LUN 1
LUN 2
Zone 2 S1 LUN 3
Fabric
LUN 0
LUN 1
Zone 2 LUN 2
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H2 S2 LUN 3
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Note
Caution
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Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Note
Step 1
Step 2
Enhanced Zoning
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Step 1
Step 2
Tip
Step 1
Caution
1.
2.
3.
a.
b.
Step 1
Step 2 Select the first switch to be analyzed from the Check Switch 1 drop-down list.
Step 3 Select the second switch to be analyzed from the And Switch 2 drop-down list.
Step 4 Enter the VSAN ID where the zone set merge failure occurred in the For Active Zoneset Merge Problems
in VSAN Id field.
Step 5 Click to analyze the zone merge.
Step 6 Click to clear the analysis data in the Zone Merge Analysis dialog box.
Note
Chapter 30 Configuring and Managing Zones
Default Settings
Default Settings
Parameters Default