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McDATA-aware features 14
If you select yes, the firmwareDownload operation proceeds without making the normal
Coordinated HCL checks.
The firmwareDownload -o command upgrades both CPs in the switch.

Coordinated HCL on switches firmware downloads

If the firmwareDownload command is entered with both the –s and –b (auto-reboot) options, a best
effort will be made to run Coordinated HCL. If one or more switches in the fabric do not support
Coordinated HCL, the firmware download process will still continue. If the firmwareDownload
command is entered with -s, but without the -b (auto-reboot) option, Coordinated HCL will not run.

Upgrade and downgrade considerations for HCL for interoperability

Following are the upgrade and downgrade considerations for Coordinated HCL for McDATA Fabric
mode and McDATA Open Fabric mode. This list does not consider upgrades or downgrades from
Brocade Native mode.
•Downgrading from Fabric OS v6.4.0 to a previous release is nondisruptive.
•Coordinated HCL does not affect director-class and backbone platform products because of
their fast switch-over capability.

McDATA-aware features

If a feature is McDATA-aware (that is, aware of the McDATA environment), some actions may be
possible fabric-wide. If a feature is M-EOS-unaware, some actions cannot be taken.
Table 68 describes McDATA-aware features.
TABLE 68 McDATA-aware features
Feature Behavior
ASIC The header of FC frames uses the SID and DID according to the domain
offset setting.
Brocade management interfaces
such as DCFM and Web Tools
Allows configuring stand-alone and fabric-wide tasks such as basic switch
and port operations.
Coordinated Hot Code Load (HCL) Supported in McDATA Open Fabric mode and McDATA Fabric mode.
ESS Displays the firmware version in the M-EOS format as 9.7.2, and the
Fabric OS format as v6.4.0.
Fabric In a mixed configuration, the fabric issues ESC exchange to determine the
domain ID offset setting of adjacent switches. An incompatible domain ID
offset causes ISLs to segment. The fabric also auto-negotiates the credit
model usage: R-RDY for connection to an M-EOS switch and VC-RDY for
connection to a Fabric OS switch.
FC Converts the header of FC frames to use the correct SID and DID
according to the domain offset setting.
FCR E_Port SANtegrity Supported in McDATA Open Fabric mode and McDATA Fabric mode.
FCR Fabric OS Level 2
(Layer 2 SANtegrity)
Supported in McDATA Fabric mode and McDATA Open Fabric mode.