N_Port configurations
By default, on embedded switches, only the internal ports of Access Gateway are configured as
F_Ports. All external ports are configured (locked) as N_Ports. On standalone switches with AG
support, a preset number of ports are locked as N_Ports, and the rest of the ports operate as standard
F_Ports. Although some ports are locked as N_Ports, these ports can be converted to F_Ports. For
example, the figure below shows a host connected to external ports of an embedded switch with the
switch in AG mode. To convert an N_Port to an F_Port, first remove all the F_Ports that are mapped to
that N_Port, then unlock the port from N_Port state. Finally, define a map for the port. It is highly
recommended that all F_Ports mapped to the N_Port first be remapped to other N_Ports before
converting the N_Port to an F_Port. Also note that if the Automatic Port Configuration (APC) policy is
enabled, the port conversion is done automatically and no user intervention is necessary. For more
information on which ports are locked as N_Ports by default, see Table 7 on page 31.
FIGURE 8 Example of adding an external F_Port (F9) on an embedded switch
NOTE
A switch in Access Gateway mode must have at least one port configured as an N_Port. Therefore,
the maximum number of F_Ports that can be mapped to an N_Port is the number of ports on the
switch minus one.

N_Port configurations

46 Access Gateway Administrator's Guide
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