Enabling
N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) on an existing system requires that you complete several preparatory
steps before you enable NPIV.
Note: A version 7.7.0 or later system with NPIV enabled as backend storage
for a system that is earlier than version 7.7.0 is not supported.
To enable NPIV on an existing system, complete the following steps:
- Ensure that your system is at version 7.7.0 or later.
- Audit your SAN fabric layout and zoning rules as NPIV has stricter requirements. Ensure that
equivalent ports are on the same fabric and in the same zone. For more information, see the topic
about zoning details.
- Check the path count between your hosts and the system. Make sure that the number of paths is
half of the usual supported maximum. For more information, see the topic about zoning details.
- Ensure that Fibre Channel switches permit each physically connected system port the ability to
create two additional NPIV ports.
- Enable transitional mode by entering the command chiogrp -fctargetportmode
transitional.
- Ensure that the hosts are using the NPIV ports for host I/O. You can verify that you are logged
in to them by entering the lsfabric -host host_id_or_name
command. If I/O activity is occurring, each host has at least one line in the command output that
corresponds to a host port and shows active in the activity field.
Note: - Hosts where no I/O was issued in the past 5 minutes do not show
active for any login.
- Hosts that do not adhere to preferred paths might still be processing I/O to primary ports.
- After a minimum of 15 minutes has passed since entering transitional mode, change
the system to enabled mode by entering the command chiogrp -fctargetportmode
enabled.