General limitations and considerations for d_port, Diagnostic port (d_port) – Dell POWEREDGE M1000E User Manual
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Fabric OS Troubleshooting and Diagnostics Guide
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Diagnostic Port (D_Port)
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Size of test frames
•
Duration of test
•
User-defined test payload
•
Predefined pattern for use in test payload
•
Testing with forward error correction (FEC) on or off (default is off)
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Testing with credit recovery (CR) on or off (default is off)
D_Port test initiation modes and test start behavior
summarizes D_Port test initiation modes and test start behavior.
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 failure of any single component.
•
On ICL ports that are configured as D_Ports, only link traffic can be run. Electrical and optical
loopback tests are not supported.
•
Brocade recommends that D_Port tests be limited to a maximum of eight (8) 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. Consequently, such information
is not synchronized with the standby side. Any information from a previous test is lost
following a failover.
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An HA failover and reboot will restart the D_Port test from the beginning, and some of the
ports may fail depending on the design of a particular HBA. Restarting the test from either
side will recover from this post-failover situation and allow the test to run to completion.
•
D_Port on an Access Gateway is supported only when there is no mapping between N_Ports
and F_Ports; this includes static mapping and preferred port mapping. [In addition, device
(WWN) mapping is also not retained when D_Port is used.] If an Access Gateway port to be
tested is mapped, the port mapping (including static and preferred port mapping) must be
removed before D_Port can be used. (See
“Saving port mappings on an Access Gateway”
•
“Limitations and considerations for D_Port with HBAs”
TABLE 20
D_Port test initiation modes and test start behavior),
Mode/behavior
Description
Initiation mode Static
User configures port explicitly. Port remains as D_Port until user removes
configuration.
Dynamic
No user configuration required. D_Port mode is initiated by external request from
remote port (a switch port if HBAs are used).
Test start
behavior
Automatic User starts test (see
“Automatic mode configuration”
on page 98), but initial test
suite is run automatically.
Manual
User starts test from switch side (using portdporttest - -start command) or from
HBA side (see