TECHNICAL SUPPORT BULLETIN

March 5, 2010

TSB 2010-076-A

SEVERITY: High Operational

P RO D U CT S AF FE CTE D :
Brocade Fabric OS version v6.3.0, v6.3.0a, v6.3.0b, v6.3.0c, and v6.3.1
CORRECTED IN RELEASE:
The fix for the issue documented in Defect 284472 is included in Brocade Fabric OS v6.3.1a and later
and v6.3.0d and later.

BULLETIN OVERVIEW
When upgrading from Fabric OS v6.2.x to Fabric OS v6.3.0 through v6.3.0c or v6.3.1, the State
Change Registration (SCR) value is not preserved in the Name Server (NS) database.

Brocade produces and publishes Technical Support Bulletins to OEMs, partners and customers that
have a direct, entitled, support relationship in place with Brocade.
Please contact your primary service provider for further information regarding this topic and
applicability for your environment

PROBLEM STATEMENT
After performing a non-disruptive firmware upgrade from Fabric OS v6.2.x to Fabric OS v6.3.0 through
v6.3.0c or v6.3.1, the State Change Registration (SCR) value is not preserved in the Name Server
database. After this occurs, the Name Server will not transmit Registered State Change Notifications
(RSCN) to the devices on those ports. If a device does not receive an RSCN, it will not know when
there is a change to the zoning configuration or device availability.

2010 Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. TSB 2010-076-A

RISK ASSESSMENT
All customer environments that rely on RSCNs for device changes and upgrade to Brocade FOS v6.3.0
through v6.3.0c or v6.3.1 are at risk. When a device somewhere in the fabric goes off line, the switch
will not send an RSCN to any registered hosts that are zoned to that device.

SYMPTOMS
When performing a firmware upgrade from Fabric OS v6.2.x to Fabric OS v6.3.0 through v6.3.0c or
v6.3.1 the SCR registration inside the Name Server is lost at the time of upgrade. As a result, devices
attached to the upgraded switch are not notified of changes to other devices in common zones or
other changes to the zoning configuration.
To determine if a device is in this state, execute the commands shown below.
1) Execute the "nsshow -r command.
Example:
> nsshow -r
{
Type
Pid
COS
PortName
NodeName
SCR
N
7e0000; 3; 21:00:00:1b:32:0f:c0:ab;
20:00:00:1b:32:0f:c0:ab; 0
FC4s: FCP
NodeSymb: [33] "QLA2460 FW:v5.01.03 DVR:v9.1.8.25"
Fabric Port Name: 20:00:00:05:1e:36:58:f0
Permanent Port Name: 21:00:00:1b:32:0f:c0:ab
Port Index: 0
Share Area: No
Device Shared in Other AD: No
Redirect: No
N 7e2300;
3;20:05:00:a0:b8:50:1e:89;20:04:00:a0:b8:50:1e:88; 0
FC4s: FCP [ENGENIO INF-01-00
0623]
Fabric Port Name: 20:23:00:05:1e:36:58:f0
Permanent Port Name: 20:05:00:a0:b8:50:1e:89
Port Index: 35
Share Area: No
Device Shared in Other AD: No
Redirect: No
The Local Name Server has 2 entries }
2) Execute the "portloginshow [<slot>/]<port>" command.
Example:
>portloginshow 1/0
Type PID
World Wide Name
credit df_sz
cos
=====================================================
fe 7e0000 21:00:00:1b:32:0f:c0:ab
3
2048
8
scr=0x3
0x3
ff 7e0000 21:00:00:1b:32:0f:c0:ab
0
0
8
d_id=FFFFFC
ff 7e0000 21:00:00:1b:32:0f:c0:ab
0
0
8
d_id=FFFFFA

2010 Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. TSB 2010-076-A

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>portloginshow 3/3
Type PID
World Wide Name
credit df_sz
cos
=====================================================
fe 7e2300 20:05:00:a0:b8:50:1e:89
8
2048
8
scr=0x3
0x3
ff 7e2300 20:05:00:a0:b8:50:1e:89
0
0
8
d_id=FFFFFC
ff 7e2300 20:05:00:a0:b8:50:1e:89
0
0
8
d_id=FFFFFA
If a device is in this state, the output from the nsshow command will show an entry of 0 (zero) in the
SCR field, but the output from the portloginshow command will display a different value. In this
example, it displays a 3. The value may be 1, 2, or 3. If the values do not match, the devices may not
detect changes in the fabric for the devices in its zone.
Two possible scenarios may occur.
1. The host will continue to send commands and data to that device, even though it is off line.
When the device comes back online, the switch does not send an RSCN alerting the host that
the device is back online.

2. The NS will not transmit RSCNs to the devices on those ports. If a device does not receive an
RSCN it will not know when it is added to a zone, or if a device is removed from or added to a
zone.

WORKAROUND
There are no non-disruptive workarounds to correct this problem. The customers may choose to
perform the following disruptive action. Perform a portdisable/portenable on all the affected ports
within the zone. However, because of its disruptive nature, Brocade does not recommend utilizing this
procedure to correct the loss of SCR registration.

CORRECTIVE ACTION
Upgrade to Fabric OS v6.3.1a or later or v6.3.0d or later. After upgrading to a version of firmware that
contains the fix, the SCR table will be automatically restored, and all future RSCNs will be delivered.
However, any past RSCNs that were missed will not be replayed. It may still be necessary to run a rescan from the host to ensure that any devices without connectivity are re-established.
.

2010 Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. TSB 2010-076-A

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