222 Fabric OS Administrator’s Guide
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Limitations and restrictions of Virtual Fabrics

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Limitations and restrictions of Virtual Fabrics

The maximum number of logical switches per chassis varies depending on the switch model.

Table 47 lists the supported platforms and the maximum number of logical switches (including the

default logical switch) supported on each.

TABLE 46 Virtual Fabrics interaction with Fabric OS features
Fabric OS feature Virtual Fabrics interaction
Admin Domains Virtual Fabrics and Admin Domains are mutually exclusive and are not supported at the
same time on a switch. To use Admin Domains, you must first disable Virtual Fabrics; to
use Virtual Fabrics, you must first delete all Admin Domains.
See “Deleting all user-defined Admin Domains non-disruptively” on page 352 for
information on deleting Admin Domains without disrupting device-to-device
communication.
Configuration upload
and download
Virtual Fabrics uses a configuration file that is different from the configuration file used
to download system configuration parameters. See Chapter 8, “Maintaining the Switch
Configuration File,” for more information about how Virtual Fabrics affects the
configuration file.
Encryption Encryption functionality using the FS8-18 blade is available only on the default logical
switch.
FC-FC Routing Service All EX_Ports must reside in a base switch.
You cannot attach EX_Ports to a logical switch that has XISL use enabled. You must use
ISLs to connect the logical switches in an edge fabric.
Only 8-Gbps ports are allowed to be used as FC router EX_Ports, with the exception of
VEX_Ports on the FR4-18i blade.
See Chapter 21, “Using the FC-FC Routing Service,” for more information about Virtual
Fabrics and FC-FC routing.
FICON Up to two logical switches per chassis can run FICON Management Server (CUP), but the
FICON logical switch must use ISLs and not XISLs.
Interoperability mode In interoperability modes 2 and 3, you cannot use XISL in the logical fabric. The logical
switches must be connected only with ISLs.
Licensing Licenses are applicable for all logical switches in a chassis.
Performance
monitoring
Performance monitors are supported in a limited number of logical switches, depending
on the platform type. See Chapter 17, “Monitoring Fabric Performance,” for more
information about performance monitoring when Virtual Fabrics are enabled.
QoS QoS VCs are maintained across the base fabric. See Chapter 18, “Optimizing Fabric
Behavior,” for more information about using the Adaptive Networking features with
Virtual Fabrics.
Traffic Isolation Traffic Isolation zones with failover disabled are not supported in logical fabrics. See
Chapter 18, “Optimizing Fabric Behavior,” for additional information about using TI
Zones with Virtual Fabrics.
TABLE 47 Maximum number of logical switches per chassis
Platform Maximum number of logical switches
Brocade DCX 8
Brocade DCX-4S 8
Brocade 5300 4