CHAPTER 7
Configuring Fibre Channel Routing Services and
Protocols
Fabric Shortest Path First (FSPF) is the standard path selection protocol used by Fibre Channel fabrics. The
FSPF feature is enabled by default on all Fibre Channel switches. Except in configurations that require special
consideration, you do not need to configure any FSPF services. FSPF automatically calculates the best path
between any two switches in a fabric. Specifically, FSPF is used to:
• Dynamically compute routes throughout a fabric by establishing the shortest and quickest path between
any two switches.
• Select an alternative path in the event of the failure of a given path. FSPF supports multiple paths and
automatically computes an alternative path around a failed link. It provides a preferred route when two
equal paths are available.
This chapter provides details on Fibre Channel routing services and protocols. It includes the following
sections:
• About FSPF, on page 185
• FSPF Global Configuration, on page 188
• FSPF Interface Configuration, on page 190
• FSPF Routes, on page 194
• In-Order Delivery, on page 196
• Flow Statistics Configuration, on page 200
• Default Settings, on page 204
About FSPF
FSPF is the protocol currently standardized by the T11 committee for routing in Fibre Channel networks. The
FSPF protocol has the following characteristics and features:
• Supports multipath routing.
• Bases path status on a link state protocol.
• Routes hop by hop, based only on the domain ID.
• Runs only on E ports or TE ports and provides a loop free topology.
• Runs on a per VSAN basis. Connectivity in a given VSAN in a fabric is guaranteed only for the switches
configured in that VSAN.
Cisco MDS 9000 Series Fabric Configuration Guide, Release 8.x
185
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