HP StorageWorks Fabric OS 6.1.x administrator guide (5697-0234, November 2009)

40 Standard features
Each POD license activates the next group of eight ports in numerical order. For example, the 4/8 SAN
Switch or 4/16 SAN Switch activates the first eight with four port increments. Before installing a license
key, you must insert transceivers in the ports to be activated. Remember to insert the transceivers in the
lowest group of inactive port numbers first.
For example in a SAN Switch 4/32, if only 16 ports are currently active and you are installing one POD
license key, make sure to insert the transceivers in ports 16 through 23. If you later install a second license
key, insert the transceivers in ports 24 through 31. For details on inserting transceivers, see the switch’s
Hardware Reference Manual.
After you install a license key, you must enable the ports to complete their activation. You can do so without
disrupting switch operation by issuing the portEnable command on each port. Alternatively, you can
disable and reenable the switch to activate ports.
NOTE: If you enable or disable an active port you will disrupt any traffic and potentially lose data flowing
on that port.
If the port is connected to another switch, you will segment the switch from the fabric and all traffic flowing
between the disabled port and the fabric will be lost.
Activating POD
To activate POD:
1. Connect to the switch and log in on an admin account.
2. Optional: To verify the current states of the ports, use the portShow command.
In the portShow output, the Licensed field indicates whether the port is licensed.
3. Install the Ports on Demand license; see ”Enter the information in the required fields.” on page 35.
4. Use the portEnable command to enable the ports.
5. Optional: Use the portShow command to check the newly activated ports.
If you remove a POD license, the licensed ports will become disabled after the next platform reboot or the
next port deactivation.
Configuring Dynamic Ports on Demand
The Brocade 4Gb SAN Switch for HP c-Class BladeSystem supports blade modules. This switch supports
the Dynamic Ports on Demand (DPOD) feature. The Dynamic POD feature automatically assigns POD
licenses from a pool of available licenses based on the server blade installation.
How ports are assigned to licenses
The Dynamic POD feature detects and assigns ports to a POD license only if the server blade is installed
with an HBA present. A server blade that does not have a functioning HBA is treated as an inactive link
during initial POD port assignment.
The Dynamic POD feature assigns the ports to the POD license as they come online. Typically, assignments
are sequential, starting with the lowest port number. However, variations in the equipment attached to the
ports can cause the ports to take different amounts of time to come online. This means that the port
assignment order is not guaranteed.
If the switch detects more active links than allowed by the current POD licenses, then some ports will not be
assigned a POD license. Ports that do not receive a POD assignment show No Sync or In Sync status;
these ports are not allowed to progress to the online state. Ports that cannot be brought online because of
insufficient POD licenses show a (No POD License) Disabled status. (Use the switchShow
command to display the port states.)
To allocate licenses to a specific port instead of automatically assigning them as the ports come online,
reserve a license for the port using the licensePort command described in ”Managing POD licenses”
on page 42. The port receives a POD assignment if any are available.