Mcdata 3216 or EMC ds16 in a CX400

[mjb23]

I have to McDATA switches installed in my CLARiiON cabinet. One of them I am able to access through our management software, the other I am not. I am also unable to ping the one I can not access. The good Switch has all the green port lights flashing and the inaccessible one has the green lights on solid. I am also able to connect to the unpingable switch through the db9 port, but can't do much once I am in there. I have been to the EMC page and the McDATA page but have only found basic documentation. My questions are as follows.

1) Has anybody seen this scenario before and what did they do?

2) Do the flashing light and solid light discrepancies make any difference or is this coincidental?

3) Does any body know more in depth commands, other then uptime and ipconfig, that I can use over the db9 port to further troubleshoot this switch?

4) Does anyone out there have a list or know where I can better descriptions of the error codes?

Thank you for any help you can provide.

 

[hidden75]

Have you tried power cycling the Switch?

You should be able to do everything from the DB9 console connection. Is this a DS-16B? That has a LED readout correct? You should be able to check the IP address and SM from the LED readout. My DS-16B's don't have a DB9.. So I'm a little confused.

 

[mjb23]

I do not have a brocade switch. You have a DS16b, that is the Brocade Version that EMC sold I have a ds16m. This is a McDATA switch with EMC's name on it. EMC has since bought McDATA but that doesn't really matter. I think the Brocade is easier to work with because it has the user interface panel and readout.

I have not rebooted the switch because none of the users have complained and I do not want to interrupt fiber paths. A reboot can wait until the weekend. I have learned from past experience that you don't just slam the power switch if you don't know what’s wrong in the middle of production, especially if none of the users are complaining and all of the hosts are running. I am sure you are wondering at this point if I have two switches why aren't they configured as to be redundant. That is a good question; let's just say not everybody in the IT career field should not be.

 

[hidden75]

Does powerpath show that route offline or failed?

Does the switch have LEDS near each GBIC that is blinking like its passing data?

I agree with you if no one is complaining.

 

[comtec17]

First off, EMC has not purchased McData. McData is was once owned by EMC and were sold out.

Do you have support on these switches with EMC? I would open a case with them. You may have to take down the switch for a small moment to reset the settings.

 

[mjb23]

Actually comtec17 you are wrong on two counts. EMC did purchase McDATA in 1995. I have posted a quote from the EMC web page and referenced my stockholder letter from the same year stating the acquisition. You say that McDATA was once owned by EMC that is correct and it is because they had bought it. Also EMC did not sell McDATA they spun them off in 2001. As I said in my response to hidden75 that does not really matter. The quote is below:

"McDATA was acquired by EMC in 1995 and was established as an independent entity in 1997. In 1999 EMC introduced its Connectrix family of connectivity solutions, designed and manufactured by McDATA."

I do not use EMC for support. I like there products but there service sucks. They were a good company to work for and treated there employees well, but they are not a good company too their customers after the sale has been made and do not treat there service customers very well at all. If I had support from EMC I would have opened a call. Did you have any technical help you could offer? If not then please don't bother responding to my post. I have resolved the issue this past weekend.

 

[hidden75]

mjb23,

What was the resolution?

Thanks

 

[mjb23]

A CTP board failure. I have ended up swapping out the switch in the interest of time and troubleshooting the failed one at the benchtop. The only way I can see to get a replacement part for it right now is to purchase a new one. But if we buy a new one I may as well just keep the whole new one as the spare and use this bad one for parts.

Thanks for the help.