310 Fabric OS Administrator’s Guide
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Frame Redirection in interoperable fabrics
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Frame Redirection in interoperable fabrics

Frame Redirection provides a means to redirect traffic flow between a host and a target to
virtualization and encryption applications so that those applications can perform without having to
reconfigure the host and target. Use this feature if the hosts and targets are not directly attached to
M-EOS switches.
NOTE
For support of Frame Redirection in McDATA Fabric Mode (interopmode 2), M-series products must
use M-EOS v9.8 or later. For support of Frame Redirection in McDATA Open Fabric Mode
(interopmode 3), M-series products must use M-EOS v9.9 or later. Only the ES-4400, ES-4700,
M6140, and Mi10k switches can have devices directly attached that have data encrypted or
unencrypted.
The Defined Zone Database in McDATA Open Fabric mode supports the special Frame Redirect
zones. Frame Redirection supports the following:
•Allows you to create Frame Redirection zones and send redirection zone updates to switches
running M-EOS in McDATA Open Fabric mode (interopmode 3) and McDATA Fabric mode
(Interopmode 2).
•Allows redirection of data traffic for hosts and targets attached to switches running M-EOS.
•Allows you to create FR zones and distribute the defined database when in McDATA Open
Fabric mode (IM3) only.
•Allows you to use the Host Offline Re-Key feature for switches running M-EOS.
NOTE
There are no limitations on fabric configurations other than the normal McDATA Open Fabric mode
fabric limitations. Hosts and targets can be both attached to McDATA switches or spread among
switches running Fabric OS and switches running M-EOS.
For information on frame redirect zones, see in Chapter 4, “Routing Traffic”.

Traffic Isolation zones in interoperable fabrics

The Traffic Isolation feature allows you to control the flow of interswitch traffic by creating a
dedicated path for traffic flowing from a specific set of source ports through Fabric OS switches
using zones. Traffic isolation (TI) is supported in McDATA Fabric mode on Fabric OS switches only;
McDATA Fabric mode is the only mode that supports the Defined Database, which is distributed
and synchronized with all Fabric OS switches in a fabric. TI zones within edge fabrics are used to
route traffic between real devices and proxy devices to a particular EX_Port.
Use the M-EOS Preferred Path method to steer application traffic down a particular path when
traversing M-EOS switches. In the case where a Preferred Path goes away, only the ports assigned
to that path are re-routed to other paths. When the Preferred Path is re-established, the ports
assigned to that path are re-routed back.
Use the Prohibit Dynamic Connectivity Mask (PDCM) method for specific forced network control.
You must perform this configuration at the director or backbone platform level.
For detailed information on creating TI zones, see Chapter 18, “Optimizing Fabric Behavior”.