Brocade San Switch License Keygen

Issue

A former Brocade B 300 FC switch with only an 8GB and EGM key installed (product number AM866A), running FOS 6.1.0a, was connected via two ISL ports to an existing Fabric (linked to a SW 200E). It was decided to upgrade the unit to FOS v6.2.2e and later the unit got relocated to its final position. When the unit finished initialization, the former working ISL ports were showing segmented - No Fabric License.

The user had tried to duplicate the issue as reported in the lab and used as well a B 300 and a SW 200E with two ISL connections in between.

First the user had removed all license keys from the lab B 300 except the 8GB and EGM one and rebooted the unit. The former established ISLs got marked with segmented - No Fabric License. Now the user had downgraded the B 300 from 7.0.0a via all interim versions to 6.2.2e. At that point of time, the ISLs were still broken (segmented). The final downgrade from 6.2.2e was only possible by using the firmwaredownload -s command via CLI. After performing that downgrade and the hareboot from the switch, the ISLs went online and establish a valid connection to the SW 200E.

Here some trace output from that situation while the B 300 unit was connected to the SW 200E:

Appl Primary/Secondary Versions
------------------------------------------
FOS v6.1.0a
v6.1.0a
switchshow:
switchName: swd77
switchType: 71.2
switchState: Online
switchMode: Native
switchRole: Subordinate
switchDomain: 2
switchId: fffc02
switchWwn: 10:00:00:05:33:6a:87:71
zoning: ON (Z_DE7_Cfg_B)
switchBeacon: OFF
Area Port Media Speed State Proto
3 3 id N4 Online E-Port 10:00:00:05:1e:02:40:2b 'BRCD200E'
7 7 id N4 Online E-Port 10:00:00:05:1e:02:40:2b 'BRCD200E' (upstream)
...

licenseshow:
R7LM...:
Enhanced Group Management license
CG3M...:
8 Gig FC license
...
fabricshow:
Switch ID Worldwide Name Enet IP Addr FC IP Addr Name
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
2: fffc02 10:00:00:05:33:6a:87:71 16.58.37.252 0.0.0.0 'swd77'
55: fffc37 10:00:00:05:1e:02:40:2b 16.58.39.155 0.0.0.0 >'BRCD200E'
The Fabric has 2 switches
fabswitchshow:
Fabric Switch State Structure Information
...
fabric license: TRUE

Check out, the fabswitchshow output says: Fabric License: TRUE.

Now the B 300 unit got upgraded to FOS 6.2.2e as reported and the unit got rebooted.

Result: The former working ISL ports got segmented after the unit powered up again.

The ISL connectivity was still valid after the hareboot got performed by the upgrade to FOS 6.2.2e, but in case any power failure would occur to have the B 300 fully rebooted or to power it down, move it to another location and get it up again, the ISL would stay segmented. This behavior (upgrade from 6.1.x to 6.2.x or higher was OK, power drop and reboot of B 300 shows ISL as segmented) was described before already twice to the user's team in the past for other users. Also a similar issue got confirmed after leaving a request to the Brocade community by one user.

swd77:admin> firmwareshow
Appl Primary/Secondary Versions
------------------------------------------
FOS v6.2.2e
v6.2.2e
swd77:admin> switchshow
switchName: swd77
switchType: 71.2
switchState: Online
switchMode: Native
switchRole: Principal
switchDomain: 2
switchId: fffc02
switchWwn: 10:00:00:05:33:6a:87:71
zoning: ON (Z_DE7_Cfg_B)
switchBeacon: OFF
Area Port Media Speed State Proto
3 3 id N4 Online E-Port segmented,(No Fabric License)
7 7 id N4 Online E-Port segmented,(No Fabric License)
swd77:admin> licenseshow
R7LM...:
Enhanced Group Management license
CG3M...:
8 Gig FC license
swd77:admin> fabricshow
Switch ID Worldwide Name Enet IP Addr FC IP Addr Name
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
2: fffc02 10:00:00:05:33:6a:87:71 16.58.37.252 0.0.0.0 >'swd77'
swd77:admin>
fabswitchshow:
/fabos/cliexec/fabswitchshow :
Fabric Switch State Structure Information
fabric license: FALSE

Check out now, that the status was given Fabric License: FALSE.

Solution

With these results from the lab unit it is assumed that one can give the evidence, that the B 300 units are (were) capable to get connected to another Fabric even no Full Fabric license key is installed if the user run a FOS version of 6.1.0a (the initial firmware these units got shipped with). But, that behavior is mainly by mistake and nothing which is guaranteed with any further FOS upgrade because a switch without any Full Fabric key, like the B 300 as with product number AM866A, should only be used as standalone unit. Therefore, to get this unit into a Fabric, the Full Fabric license key has to be bought as an additional feature. The visible behavior is based on a firmware bug, which seems to get corrected (detected) as soon as the switches get updated away from FOS 6.1.0a.

Any incoming request from a user or partner to get a Full Fabric key for free or as reprint need to be rejected. The user either needs to get the unit downgraded and operating it at FOS v6.1.0a (which is no longer supported FOS version) or the user needs to buy a Full Fabric key as additional feature.

The product number for that license is T4261A = License for 8/8 Base (0) e-port SAN Switch (AM866A) to increase connectivity to Full Fabric connectivity.