Send feedback to nx5000-docfeedback@cisco.com
1-11
Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switch CLI Software Configuration Guide
OL-16597-01
Chapter 1      Configuring Fibre Channel Routing Services and Protocols
In-Order Delivery
This section includes the following topics:
• About Reordering Network Frames, page 1-11
• About Reordering SAN Port Channel Frames, page 1-11
• About Enabling In-Order Delivery, page 1-12
• Enabling In-Order Delivery Globally, page 1-12
• Enabling In-Order Delivery for a VSAN, page 1-13
• Displaying the In-Order Delivery Status, page 1-13
• Configuring the Drop Latency Time, page 1-14
• Displaying Latency Information, page 1-14
About Reordering Network Frames
When you experience a route change in the network, the new selected path may be faster or less 
congested than the old route.
Figure 1-4 Route Change Delivery 
In Figure 1-4, the new path from Switch 1 to Switch 4 is faster. In this scenario, Frame 3 and Frame 4 
may be delivered before Frame 1 and Frame 2.
If the in-order guarantee feature is enabled, the frames within the network are delivered as follows:
• Frames in the network are delivered in the order in which they are transmitted.
• Frames that cannot be delivered in order within the network latency drop period are dropped inside 
the network.
About Reordering SAN Port Channel Frames
When a link change occurs in a SAN port channel, the frames for the same exchange or the same flow 
can switch from one path to another faster path.
Switch 1 Switch 2 Switch 3
Switch 4
Frame 2 Frame 1
Frame 4 Frame 3
Old path
New path
85474