Monitoring for Errant SFPs and Cables
A single dying but not dead SFP can result in poor application performance, and in severe cases, application outages. This is true in every type of networking – regardless of type of infrastructure put in place - be it Hyper-converged, or the cloud. The low-level monitoring and alerting related to errant SFPs and cables is fundamental to the management of any type of Data Center.
A single dying but not dead SFP can result in poor application performance, and in severe cases, application outages. This is true in every type of networking – regardless of type of infrastructure put in place - be it Hyper-converged, or the cloud. The low-level monitoring and alerting related to errant SFPs and cables is fundamental to the management of any type of Data Center.
Telegraph
Monitoring for Errant SFPs and Cables
Text: Brocade CIS SAN Telegram channel Monitoring for Errant SFPs and Cables A single dying but not dead SFP can result in poor application performance, and in severe cases, application outages. This is true in every type of networking – regardless of type…
Brocade Education has released three new Quick Hit Solution classes.
Quick Hit Solutions are short 2-10 minute solution based classes. They cover a verity of topics including basic switch setup, new features and common SAN management tasks.
New classes:
- Basic Switch Setup (QHS-008)
- How to Add a Switch to a Brocade Fabric (QHS-009)
- Fibre Channel Router Migration Mode (QHS-010)
Brocade has over 80 free online training classes grouped into topical playlists. Just search for "Brocade Playlist" in the Broadcom education learning portal
Quick Hit Solutions are short 2-10 minute solution based classes. They cover a verity of topics including basic switch setup, new features and common SAN management tasks.
New classes:
- Basic Switch Setup (QHS-008)
- How to Add a Switch to a Brocade Fabric (QHS-009)
- Fibre Channel Router Migration Mode (QHS-010)
Brocade has over 80 free online training classes grouped into topical playlists. Just search for "Brocade Playlist" in the Broadcom education learning portal
POD and ICL Kit Transaction key Retrieval
Throughout 2023, Brocade will be transitioning away from paper versions of transaction keys for all shipped POD upgrade and ICL kits. Traditionally, shipped out POD kits included the SFPs and QSFPs along with their associated transaction keys. Moving forward, SFP and QSFP POD kits will ship out with instructions (both in the box and in the internal clamshell containing the SFPs) on how to obtain transaction keys when these kits are ordered.
Moving forward, an extra step will be required to generate POD licenses. The process is to log into the CSP Licensing Portal (see Access to Free Brocade Education for full details), select the new Retrieve Optics Kit Transaction Key tab, and enter the serial number of the shipped kit (printed on the shipping box and on the internal clamshell) along with the serial number of any optic (SFP or QSFP) shipped with the kit.
If the box and clamshell cannot be found, open up a standard TAC case to get assistance generating the transaction key. Once you have the transaction key, the process remains identical for transacting it into a loadable license.
Throughout 2023, Brocade will be transitioning away from paper versions of transaction keys for all shipped POD upgrade and ICL kits. Traditionally, shipped out POD kits included the SFPs and QSFPs along with their associated transaction keys. Moving forward, SFP and QSFP POD kits will ship out with instructions (both in the box and in the internal clamshell containing the SFPs) on how to obtain transaction keys when these kits are ordered.
Moving forward, an extra step will be required to generate POD licenses. The process is to log into the CSP Licensing Portal (see Access to Free Brocade Education for full details), select the new Retrieve Optics Kit Transaction Key tab, and enter the serial number of the shipped kit (printed on the shipping box and on the internal clamshell) along with the serial number of any optic (SFP or QSFP) shipped with the kit.
If the box and clamshell cannot be found, open up a standard TAC case to get assistance generating the transaction key. Once you have the transaction key, the process remains identical for transacting it into a loadable license.
Telegraph
Access to Free Brocade Education
Text: Brocade CIS SAN Telegram channel Important: This section of the document details how to register for a Customer Support Portal (CSP) account as of December 2022. In February 2023, updates to the CSP will be taking place. No changes are required for…
Secure Optics (SFPs)
• All Gen 7 products require Brocade Secure Optics
•
• This counterfeiting problem exists in any Ethernet-based networking technology as well as in fibre-channel-based technologies
•
• Brocade Gen 7 products take this issue on directly in continued efforts to be the most secure networking technology in existence
• Without secure SFPs and Brocade Gen 7 products, there is literally no way to know if your SFP is genuine or not without physically opening up the SFP
•
•
• Note: One exception is the Brocade 7810 and SX6 FCIP extension products which will require the following FOS versions to support Secure Optics
•
•
•
• Also, the manufacturer part number as shown in the
• All Gen 7 products require Brocade Secure Optics
•
Across the globe, counterfeit SFPs have made their way into Data Centers. When utilized, counterfeit SFPs often result in poor link connectivity which can in turn cascade into far more serious and complex problems• This counterfeiting problem exists in any Ethernet-based networking technology as well as in fibre-channel-based technologies
•
All major manufacturers of SFPs can have their products and product labeling spoofed to fool any networking platform into not knowing the SFPs are fake. It is imperative to source SFPs from reputable vendors. Various countries are rife with counterfeit SFPs• Brocade Gen 7 products take this issue on directly in continued efforts to be the most secure networking technology in existence
• Without secure SFPs and Brocade Gen 7 products, there is literally no way to know if your SFP is genuine or not without physically opening up the SFP
•
Brocade Secure Optics cannot be counterfeited and will ensure knock-off SFPs are not errantly installed in production systems•
Secure Optics are fully backwards compatible with all previous generations of Brocade products• Note: One exception is the Brocade 7810 and SX6 FCIP extension products which will require the following FOS versions to support Secure Optics
•
FOS v8.2.1e or later•
FOS v8.2.2c or later•
The easiest way to differentiate secure and non-secure SFPs is the SFP label itself - secure SFPs will indicate –SEC in the SFP description – for example: 32G LW-SEC 10km• Also, the manufacturer part number as shown in the
sfpshow output will have a 4 in the third to last major digit as in XBR-000492 or 57-1000487-01Accessing Brocade Documentation
A comprehensive document has been written detailing where to find all Brocade documentation https://docs.broadcom.com/doc/locating-brocade-content.
Note that product manuals for all Brocade hardware products and FOS version-specific manuals such as the Brocade Fabric OS Command Reference, 8.2x or the Brocade Fabric OS Administration Guide, 9.1x can be located and downloaded from the public Broadcom website. Simply navigate to https://www.broadcom.com, enter what you’re looking for into the Search box located in the upper right-hand corner of the screen (e.g. 8.2.3, 9.1x, SANnav, G720, or Brocade Fabric OS Administration) and all related documentation will appear. You can further select the Documents check box to further cut down your search criteria to just documents.
For your convenience, if you search for a specific FOS version such as 8.2.3c or 9.0.1e, a Digest Edition of the Release Notes for that particular FOS version will appear – an example document title would be FOS v9.0.1e Release Notes Version 5.0 (Digest Edition). These digest versions are actually complete versions of Release Notes with the exception that only brief summaries for defect resolutions are given.
If you interested in reading the full version of Release Notes, Brocade direct support customers can locate them on the CSP, and all other customers can locate them on their respective OEM assist sites.
If you search above for Transceiver Support Matrix, you’ll find the document which contains the listing of all Brocade supported SFPs for each Brocade product (this can come in incredibly handy).
Note: By default, Brocade direct-support customers are sent out notifications whenever new software or documentation is posted to the Customer Support Portal (CSP). Last year, the option was added to allow users to turn off those notifications. Proceed as follows to disable notifications:
• Log into CSP
• Go to your profile manager
• On the right hand side of the screen, you will see a tab called “Notifications”
• “Notifications” are enabled as a default, to disable them, simple slide the button over to green
• Make sure you select Save Preferences
A comprehensive document has been written detailing where to find all Brocade documentation https://docs.broadcom.com/doc/locating-brocade-content.
Note that product manuals for all Brocade hardware products and FOS version-specific manuals such as the Brocade Fabric OS Command Reference, 8.2x or the Brocade Fabric OS Administration Guide, 9.1x can be located and downloaded from the public Broadcom website. Simply navigate to https://www.broadcom.com, enter what you’re looking for into the Search box located in the upper right-hand corner of the screen (e.g. 8.2.3, 9.1x, SANnav, G720, or Brocade Fabric OS Administration) and all related documentation will appear. You can further select the Documents check box to further cut down your search criteria to just documents.
For your convenience, if you search for a specific FOS version such as 8.2.3c or 9.0.1e, a Digest Edition of the Release Notes for that particular FOS version will appear – an example document title would be FOS v9.0.1e Release Notes Version 5.0 (Digest Edition). These digest versions are actually complete versions of Release Notes with the exception that only brief summaries for defect resolutions are given.
If you interested in reading the full version of Release Notes, Brocade direct support customers can locate them on the CSP, and all other customers can locate them on their respective OEM assist sites.
If you search above for Transceiver Support Matrix, you’ll find the document which contains the listing of all Brocade supported SFPs for each Brocade product (this can come in incredibly handy).
Note: By default, Brocade direct-support customers are sent out notifications whenever new software or documentation is posted to the Customer Support Portal (CSP). Last year, the option was added to allow users to turn off those notifications. Proceed as follows to disable notifications:
• Log into CSP
• Go to your profile manager
• On the right hand side of the screen, you will see a tab called “Notifications”
• “Notifications” are enabled as a default, to disable them, simple slide the button over to green
• Make sure you select Save Preferences
A Primer on Brocade FOS/SANnav Releases & Definitions
Brocade maintains a publicly available document titled Brocade Software: Software Release Support and Posting Matrices
Brocade maintains a publicly available document titled Brocade Software: Software Release Support and Posting Matrices
Telegraph
A Primer on Brocade FOS/SANnav Releases & Definitions
Text: Brocade CIS SAN Telegram channel A Primer on Brocade FOS/SANnav Releases & Definitions Brocade maintains a publicly available document titled Brocade Software: Software Release Support and Posting Matrices - location: https://www.broadcom.com/support/fibre…
Brocade Security Advisories (BSAs) and CVEs
Security and security vulnerabilities are of utmost importance to Brocade. To that end, Brocade maintains a publicly accessible website which can be referenced whenever questions surrounding such vulnerabilities arise: https://www.broadcom.com/support/fibre-channel-networking/security-advisories. Please use this site for researching CVE exposure to the Brocade product line. The site clearly matches CVE IDs with the associated Brocade Security Advisory.
Please keep in mind that CVE advisories are a necessary evil to ensure enterprises are quickly made aware of potential security threats to their environments. However, in making these advisories public knowledge, the natural byproduct is also informing bad actors, who now aware of the weaknesses, can try to exploit them.
Note: To report a potential security vulnerability not already listed, please contact brocade.sirt@broadcom.com.
Security and security vulnerabilities are of utmost importance to Brocade. To that end, Brocade maintains a publicly accessible website which can be referenced whenever questions surrounding such vulnerabilities arise: https://www.broadcom.com/support/fibre-channel-networking/security-advisories. Please use this site for researching CVE exposure to the Brocade product line. The site clearly matches CVE IDs with the associated Brocade Security Advisory.
Please keep in mind that CVE advisories are a necessary evil to ensure enterprises are quickly made aware of potential security threats to their environments. However, in making these advisories public knowledge, the natural byproduct is also informing bad actors, who now aware of the weaknesses, can try to exploit them.
Note: To report a potential security vulnerability not already listed, please contact brocade.sirt@broadcom.com.
Broadcom
Brocade Security Advisories
Brocade is committed to minimizing risks to our customers' networks by providing access to Technical Support Bulletins (TSB)
How to Obtain FOS and SANnav Software
Brocade sales teams and OEM engineers do not have access to any FOS or SANnav software versions!
For customers with Brocade direct support, both FOS and SANnav can be downloaded from the CSP (Customer Support Portal). Please see Access to Free Brocade Education for information on how to register and gain access to the CSP.
For most customers, access to Brocade software is controlled entirely by the OEM (e.g. Dell, HPE, HV, or IBM) supporting your product(s). Your OEM can provide instructions on how to find and access their respective OEM Assist Site.
A document titled Broadcom Assist Portal User Guide (https://docs.broadcom.com/doc/broadcom-assist-portal-user-guide) details how to navigate the OEM Assist site to download FOS, SANnav, and documentation, as well as how to request TruFOS certificates.
OEM Assist sites allow access all software releases supported by that particular OEM. Incidentally, this is also where you can obtain SNMP MIBs specific to a given FOS version.
Here is a listing to each OEM’s support area:
• Dell – http://www.dell.com/support (800.782.4362)
• KB Article to assist with FOS downloads: https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000185558/how-to-access-brocade-fos-for-connectrix-b-series-switches
• To activate purchased software licenses: https://fusion.dell.com/
• Hitachi Vantara (HV) – https://support.hitachivantara.com/
• Link to support contact phone numbers: https://support.hitachivantara.com/en_us/contact-us.html
• HPE – https://support.hpe.com/connect/s/softwaredetails?language=en_US&softwareId=MTX_e3930d3cbb4042fda939eae60c
• Once there, select Obtain Software and you’ll be prompted to log on with your HPE passport account
• IBM – https://www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/options (800.426.7378)
• Once there, select the Select Product tab
• Under Product Group dropdown, select System Storage
• Select Storage area network (SAN)
• Select SAN b-type for Brocade switches/FOS or SAN management software for SANnav
• For SAN b-type:
• Under Select from SAN b-type, select the proper switch model
• Under Installed Version, select the proper FOS version
• Select Continue
• For SAN management software:
• Under Select from SAN management software, select SANnav
• Under Installed Version, select the proper version
• Select Continue
• Lenovo – https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com
• NetApp – https://mysupport.netapp.com
• Pure Storage (utilizes Brocade for support, so use the CSP) – https://www.broadcom.com/support/fibre-channel-networking/contact-support (800.752.8061)
Note: You can always open a support case with your OEM to request software you need. Typically this is done in two situations:
1. If you run into any challenges accessing a particular OEM Assist site
2. In the event you have a product with valid entitlement (i.e. support) which requires a FOS version older than the Minimum Major version
Brocade sales teams and OEM engineers do not have access to any FOS or SANnav software versions!
For customers with Brocade direct support, both FOS and SANnav can be downloaded from the CSP (Customer Support Portal). Please see Access to Free Brocade Education for information on how to register and gain access to the CSP.
For most customers, access to Brocade software is controlled entirely by the OEM (e.g. Dell, HPE, HV, or IBM) supporting your product(s). Your OEM can provide instructions on how to find and access their respective OEM Assist Site.
A document titled Broadcom Assist Portal User Guide (https://docs.broadcom.com/doc/broadcom-assist-portal-user-guide) details how to navigate the OEM Assist site to download FOS, SANnav, and documentation, as well as how to request TruFOS certificates.
OEM Assist sites allow access all software releases supported by that particular OEM. Incidentally, this is also where you can obtain SNMP MIBs specific to a given FOS version.
Here is a listing to each OEM’s support area:
• Dell – http://www.dell.com/support (800.782.4362)
• KB Article to assist with FOS downloads: https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000185558/how-to-access-brocade-fos-for-connectrix-b-series-switches
• To activate purchased software licenses: https://fusion.dell.com/
• Hitachi Vantara (HV) – https://support.hitachivantara.com/
• Link to support contact phone numbers: https://support.hitachivantara.com/en_us/contact-us.html
• HPE – https://support.hpe.com/connect/s/softwaredetails?language=en_US&softwareId=MTX_e3930d3cbb4042fda939eae60c
• Once there, select Obtain Software and you’ll be prompted to log on with your HPE passport account
• IBM – https://www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/options (800.426.7378)
• Once there, select the Select Product tab
• Under Product Group dropdown, select System Storage
• Select Storage area network (SAN)
• Select SAN b-type for Brocade switches/FOS or SAN management software for SANnav
• For SAN b-type:
• Under Select from SAN b-type, select the proper switch model
• Under Installed Version, select the proper FOS version
• Select Continue
• For SAN management software:
• Under Select from SAN management software, select SANnav
• Under Installed Version, select the proper version
• Select Continue
• Lenovo – https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com
• NetApp – https://mysupport.netapp.com
• Pure Storage (utilizes Brocade for support, so use the CSP) – https://www.broadcom.com/support/fibre-channel-networking/contact-support (800.752.8061)
Note: You can always open a support case with your OEM to request software you need. Typically this is done in two situations:
1. If you run into any challenges accessing a particular OEM Assist site
2. In the event you have a product with valid entitlement (i.e. support) which requires a FOS version older than the Minimum Major version
Telegraph
Access to Free Brocade Education
Text: Brocade CIS SAN Telegram channel Important: This section of the document details how to register for a Customer Support Portal (CSP) account as of December 2022. In February 2023, updates to the CSP will be taking place. No changes are required for…
Safeguard Your SAN with Brocade Gen 7 Switches
WEBINAR
February 28, 2023 @ 9:00AM PST
REGISTER NOW
Join us for this virtual event.
In today’s IT environments, security and availability are more important than ever. In this session, Truls Myklebust of the Brocade Storage Networking division of Broadcom will cover the advances made in the Brocade® Gen 7 switch portfolio to help you safeguard your SAN and ensure maximum reliability for mission critical workloads.
Register to learn more about:
• Inherent security advantages of the Fibre Channel SAN design
• Additional security layers built into Brocade SAN technology
• Security features including secure optics, boot, and licensing
• Why now might be the right time to upgrade your legacy infrastructure
WEBINAR
February 28, 2023 @ 9:00AM PST
REGISTER NOW
Join us for this virtual event.
In today’s IT environments, security and availability are more important than ever. In this session, Truls Myklebust of the Brocade Storage Networking division of Broadcom will cover the advances made in the Brocade® Gen 7 switch portfolio to help you safeguard your SAN and ensure maximum reliability for mission critical workloads.
Register to learn more about:
• Inherent security advantages of the Fibre Channel SAN design
• Additional security layers built into Brocade SAN technology
• Security features including secure optics, boot, and licensing
• Why now might be the right time to upgrade your legacy infrastructure
FOS Firmware - Platform Specific Downloads (PSDs)
As of late June 2021, Brocade transitioned from providing monolithic FOS images to FOS Platform Specific Downloads (PSDs). Full-sized FOS images are no longer available. The transition to FOS PSD images does not change Brocade’s software support policies in any way.
What follows is a primer on FOS PSDs:
• PSDs are much smaller versions of traditional full-sized FOS images (firmware files)
• PSD images facilitate much faster download and file transfer times since they are 65-90% smaller than traditional full FOS images
• PSDs are specific to a single hardware platform consisting of a single switch model or a group of switch models
• Therefore, when performing firmware upgrades on fabrics consisting of multiple switch models, multiple FOS PSD images will need to be downloaded
• Regardless of whether FOS was installed from a PSD or non-PSD image, the actual FOS code running on a switch, and all behaviors associated with it, are exactly the same
• When downloading FOS releases via the Brocade CSP site or OEM Assist sites, only compatible and supported FOS PSD images/releases will be listed for download
• The firmwareshow CLI command output only displays the FOS version and therefore gives no indication of whether the code was loaded from a FOS PSD image or a full FOS image
• The full list of available FOS PSD images for any given FOS version can be found in the Release Notes for that FOS version. As an example, as of the time of writing this document, the following is a complete listing of all FOS PSD images available for FOS v9.0.1e:
Installation Options for FOS PSD Images
• SANnav Management Portal
• SANnav 2.1.1.3 and later fully supports FOS PSD images and firmware downloading
• Note: SANnav 2.2 includes the ability to perform bulk firmware downloads by selecting different FOS versions for different products
• FOS Command Line or Web Tools
• Installing a FOS PSD image on a switch is performed in the same manner as using a traditional full FOS image
• Note: If a FOS PSD image is loaded on an incorrect switch model (for example, attempting to load a Gen 6 entry level FOS PSD image on a Gen 6 Director), the following error message will be displayed:
• Cannot download the requested firmware because the firmware doesn't support this platform. Please enter another firmware.
As of late June 2021, Brocade transitioned from providing monolithic FOS images to FOS Platform Specific Downloads (PSDs). Full-sized FOS images are no longer available. The transition to FOS PSD images does not change Brocade’s software support policies in any way.
What follows is a primer on FOS PSDs:
• PSDs are much smaller versions of traditional full-sized FOS images (firmware files)
• PSD images facilitate much faster download and file transfer times since they are 65-90% smaller than traditional full FOS images
• PSDs are specific to a single hardware platform consisting of a single switch model or a group of switch models
• Therefore, when performing firmware upgrades on fabrics consisting of multiple switch models, multiple FOS PSD images will need to be downloaded
• Regardless of whether FOS was installed from a PSD or non-PSD image, the actual FOS code running on a switch, and all behaviors associated with it, are exactly the same
• When downloading FOS releases via the Brocade CSP site or OEM Assist sites, only compatible and supported FOS PSD images/releases will be listed for download
• The firmwareshow CLI command output only displays the FOS version and therefore gives no indication of whether the code was loaded from a FOS PSD image or a full FOS image
• The full list of available FOS PSD images for any given FOS version can be found in the Release Notes for that FOS version. As an example, as of the time of writing this document, the following is a complete listing of all FOS PSD images available for FOS v9.0.1e:
V9.0.1e_EXT 7810
V9.0.1e_EMB G648, MXG610
V9.0.1e_G6_ENTRY G610
V9.0.1e_LW G610 Lifetime Warranty
V9.0.1e_G6_MID G620
V9.0.1e_G6_ENTP G630
V9.0.1e_G7_MID G720
V9.0.1e_G6G7_DIR X6-4, X6-8, X7-4, X7-8Installation Options for FOS PSD Images
• SANnav Management Portal
• SANnav 2.1.1.3 and later fully supports FOS PSD images and firmware downloading
• Note: SANnav 2.2 includes the ability to perform bulk firmware downloads by selecting different FOS versions for different products
• FOS Command Line or Web Tools
• Installing a FOS PSD image on a switch is performed in the same manner as using a traditional full FOS image
• Note: If a FOS PSD image is loaded on an incorrect switch model (for example, attempting to load a Gen 6 entry level FOS PSD image on a Gen 6 Director), the following error message will be displayed:
• Cannot download the requested firmware because the firmware doesn't support this platform. Please enter another firmware.
Major (FOS) Versions and General FOS Recommendation Information
• Every time Brocade releases a new Major Release of FOS (about once a year give or take), this has a ripple effect on the major release designations.
• For example, prior to the release of FOS v9.1x, the Major FOS version designations were as follows:
• Latest Major Version – FOS v9.0x
• Established Major Version – FOS v8.2x
• Minimum Major Version – FOS v8.1x
• With the advent of FOS v9.1x in December of 2021, the major FOS version designations changed as follows:
• Latest Major Version – FOS v9.1x
• Established Major Version – FOS v9.0x
• Minimum Major Version – FOS v8.2x
• Unsupported Software Version – FOS v8.1x
• Important: After a relatively short grace period, once a FOS version is no longer a Minimum Major version, it will be removed from the CSP and all OEM Assist sites and therefore will no longer be readily accessible
• This is why all FOS v8.0x and v8.1x variants are no longer available on the CSP or any OEM Assist site
• Important: In the event you have a product with valid entitlement (i.e. support) which requires a FOS version older than the Minimum Major version, the only way to obtain that software is by opening a support ticket with your respective OEM
• Requiring access to FOS versions older than the Minimum Major version typically occurs when an entitled product’s firmware hasn’t been upgraded for many years. This eventually results in products running Unsupported FOS versions
• In general, you always want to have your systems running a Target Path version of software, and ideally, at a minimum, running the Established Major Version
• Important: As noted above, once you get more than three Major release versions back, obtaining software gets far more complicated – all the more reason to put in the effort to stay up-to-date and get on a yearly FOS update cadence
• Ideally, you want your entire fabric to run a single FOS version
• For many reasons, this is not always tenable, but do the best you can
• You can always check with your Brocade sales team to determine the compatibility between any and all FOS versions running within a given fabric
• This information is readily available in the FOS Release Notes under the section Fabric OS Compatibility
• Most OEMs support a subset of all Brocade-supported FOS versions
• This means, that one OEM may support a particular FOS version’s patch d, while another OEM may only support that FOS version’s patch c
• In general, the major OEMs support the bulk majority of all Brocade-supported FOS versions
• Note: HV as well as Pure Storage support all Brocade-supported FOS versions
• Note: FICON supported FOS versions are a much smaller subset of all released FOS versions – see FOS v7x, v8x & v9x (FICON/Mainframe) for a listing of supported FICON versions
• Every time Brocade releases a new Major Release of FOS (about once a year give or take), this has a ripple effect on the major release designations.
• For example, prior to the release of FOS v9.1x, the Major FOS version designations were as follows:
• Latest Major Version – FOS v9.0x
• Established Major Version – FOS v8.2x
• Minimum Major Version – FOS v8.1x
• With the advent of FOS v9.1x in December of 2021, the major FOS version designations changed as follows:
• Latest Major Version – FOS v9.1x
• Established Major Version – FOS v9.0x
• Minimum Major Version – FOS v8.2x
• Unsupported Software Version – FOS v8.1x
• Important: After a relatively short grace period, once a FOS version is no longer a Minimum Major version, it will be removed from the CSP and all OEM Assist sites and therefore will no longer be readily accessible
• This is why all FOS v8.0x and v8.1x variants are no longer available on the CSP or any OEM Assist site
• Important: In the event you have a product with valid entitlement (i.e. support) which requires a FOS version older than the Minimum Major version, the only way to obtain that software is by opening a support ticket with your respective OEM
• Requiring access to FOS versions older than the Minimum Major version typically occurs when an entitled product’s firmware hasn’t been upgraded for many years. This eventually results in products running Unsupported FOS versions
• In general, you always want to have your systems running a Target Path version of software, and ideally, at a minimum, running the Established Major Version
• Important: As noted above, once you get more than three Major release versions back, obtaining software gets far more complicated – all the more reason to put in the effort to stay up-to-date and get on a yearly FOS update cadence
• Ideally, you want your entire fabric to run a single FOS version
• For many reasons, this is not always tenable, but do the best you can
• You can always check with your Brocade sales team to determine the compatibility between any and all FOS versions running within a given fabric
• This information is readily available in the FOS Release Notes under the section Fabric OS Compatibility
• Most OEMs support a subset of all Brocade-supported FOS versions
• This means, that one OEM may support a particular FOS version’s patch d, while another OEM may only support that FOS version’s patch c
• In general, the major OEMs support the bulk majority of all Brocade-supported FOS versions
• Note: HV as well as Pure Storage support all Brocade-supported FOS versions
• Note: FICON supported FOS versions are a much smaller subset of all released FOS versions – see FOS v7x, v8x & v9x (FICON/Mainframe) for a listing of supported FICON versions
Telegraph
FOS v9x (Open Systems)
Text: Brocade CIS SAN Telegram channel FOS v9x (Open Systems) • Supported products • FOS v9x is supported for all Gen 6 (32Gb/s) and Gen 7 (64Gb/s) products • All FOS v9x code versions are EULA-Aware • Important: As mentioned in the previous sections, FOS…
Target Path FOS Versions, and FOS Software Support Information
As noted previously, Target Path Versions of Brocade® Fabric OS® (FOS) and SANnav™ are designated in a publicly available document titled Brocade Software: Software Release Support and Posting Matrices - location: https://www.broadcom.com/support/fibre-channel-networking/eol.
• The Brocade Target Path designations are just that – Brocade Target Path designations
• Important: OEMs may well have their own Target Path designations for Brocade software, and those designations can (and often will) be different than those of Brocade’s
• For example: As of the writing of this document, Dell’s latest Target Path designations were FOS v8.2.3b and FOS v9.0.1d, whereas Brocade’s were FOS 8.2.3c1 and 9.0.1e1
• When in doubt, ask Brocade for guidance on which FOS variations make the most sense to utilize in your environment
• Note: Once a specific Brocade software version has been identified as a Target Path release, newer patches (that is, releases which only vary by a letter appended to the release number) released for the same FOS code stream are then automatically considered Target Path releases
• For example: As a result of designating FOS v9.0.1b as a Target Path, immediately upon its introduction, FOS v9.0.1c too became a Target Path version, as did subsequently FOS v9.0.1d and v9.0.1e
• As a general rule, patch versions of FOS do not introduce new functionality, rather they simply deal with the resolution of defects
• Patch versions of FOS undergo rigorous internal and external testing
• That all said, out of an abundance of caution, we tend to wait two or three months after the release of ANY software version before we start widely recommending it
• Support policies and enforcement
• Important: Be careful with multi-switch fabrics containing products which have already reached EOS (End of Support).
• TAC requests for such assistance may be denied until that EOS product has been physical removed from the fabric, even if the issue appears to be with a supported product
• It’s relatively rare to be utilizing EOS products in a modern FC SAN infrastructure. In the event you have one or more fabrics in this situation, please make it a priority to deprecate the unsupported switches – if desired, reach out to your pre-sales Brocade team for assistance
• Please be careful with EOS products and when utilizing 3rd party support!
• 3rd party support organizations do not legally or otherwise have access to any FOS or SANnav code versions. These organizations are not able to provide customers with any FOS or SANnav software
• End User License Agreements (EULAs) include language starting it is illegal to download FOS onto switches which have reached EOS
• 3rd party support organizations often provide replacement hardware for EOS products which fail. These same organizations have no legal access or ability to upgrade the FOS versions on those products. Therefore, when replacement products arrive, they often have much older FOS code on them which cannot be updated
As noted previously, Target Path Versions of Brocade® Fabric OS® (FOS) and SANnav™ are designated in a publicly available document titled Brocade Software: Software Release Support and Posting Matrices - location: https://www.broadcom.com/support/fibre-channel-networking/eol.
• The Brocade Target Path designations are just that – Brocade Target Path designations
• Important: OEMs may well have their own Target Path designations for Brocade software, and those designations can (and often will) be different than those of Brocade’s
• For example: As of the writing of this document, Dell’s latest Target Path designations were FOS v8.2.3b and FOS v9.0.1d, whereas Brocade’s were FOS 8.2.3c1 and 9.0.1e1
• When in doubt, ask Brocade for guidance on which FOS variations make the most sense to utilize in your environment
• Note: Once a specific Brocade software version has been identified as a Target Path release, newer patches (that is, releases which only vary by a letter appended to the release number) released for the same FOS code stream are then automatically considered Target Path releases
• For example: As a result of designating FOS v9.0.1b as a Target Path, immediately upon its introduction, FOS v9.0.1c too became a Target Path version, as did subsequently FOS v9.0.1d and v9.0.1e
• As a general rule, patch versions of FOS do not introduce new functionality, rather they simply deal with the resolution of defects
• Patch versions of FOS undergo rigorous internal and external testing
• That all said, out of an abundance of caution, we tend to wait two or three months after the release of ANY software version before we start widely recommending it
• Support policies and enforcement
• Important: Be careful with multi-switch fabrics containing products which have already reached EOS (End of Support).
• TAC requests for such assistance may be denied until that EOS product has been physical removed from the fabric, even if the issue appears to be with a supported product
• It’s relatively rare to be utilizing EOS products in a modern FC SAN infrastructure. In the event you have one or more fabrics in this situation, please make it a priority to deprecate the unsupported switches – if desired, reach out to your pre-sales Brocade team for assistance
• Please be careful with EOS products and when utilizing 3rd party support!
• 3rd party support organizations do not legally or otherwise have access to any FOS or SANnav code versions. These organizations are not able to provide customers with any FOS or SANnav software
• End User License Agreements (EULAs) include language starting it is illegal to download FOS onto switches which have reached EOS
• 3rd party support organizations often provide replacement hardware for EOS products which fail. These same organizations have no legal access or ability to upgrade the FOS versions on those products. Therefore, when replacement products arrive, they often have much older FOS code on them which cannot be updated
Broadcom
Brocade Product End-of-Life
Once you have received an End-of-Life (EOL) notification from Brocade, you can continue to purchase the product until the Last Time Order date, assuming that it is still available.
Accessing Free Brocade Training and Exams
This new video explains how to register for Broadcom Customer Support Portal and access Free Brocade Training and Exams.
Please note that the registration procedure has been changed recently.
This new video explains how to register for Broadcom Customer Support Portal and access Free Brocade Training and Exams.
Please note that the registration procedure has been changed recently.
FCIA Webcast:
Benefits of FC-NVMe for Containerized ML Models
March 9, 2023
Machine learning (ML) is the study and development of algorithms that improves with use of data. As it deals with the training data, the machine algorithm changes and grows over time. Most ML models begin with “training data” which the machine processes and begins to “understand” statistically. These learning models are resource intensive and can negatively impact performance.
In this webcast, our FCIA experts will highlight the benefits of containerizing ML models with NVMe over Fibre Channel (FC-NVMe), discussing:
• An overview of containers using Docker
• Machine learning fundamentals
• Machine learning/deep learning storage access requirements
• Advantages of FC-NVMe for ML
• Containerized ML models using FC-NVMe
Register Today
Benefits of FC-NVMe for Containerized ML Models
March 9, 2023
Machine learning (ML) is the study and development of algorithms that improves with use of data. As it deals with the training data, the machine algorithm changes and grows over time. Most ML models begin with “training data” which the machine processes and begins to “understand” statistically. These learning models are resource intensive and can negatively impact performance.
In this webcast, our FCIA experts will highlight the benefits of containerizing ML models with NVMe over Fibre Channel (FC-NVMe), discussing:
• An overview of containers using Docker
• Machine learning fundamentals
• Machine learning/deep learning storage access requirements
• Advantages of FC-NVMe for ML
• Containerized ML models using FC-NVMe
Register Today