Update: This looks like it’s Cisco internal bug CSCed28478 – prohibit should not be allowed for E ports
I am currently using SAN-OS 3.3(5a) but have also tried this on SAN-OS 3.3(5).
If you configure FICON with ficon port default-state prohibit-all and you have a trunk configured that is a a regular FC interface, not logical interface, then it will not come up!
So when you configure ficon port default-state prohibit-all, FICON basically prohibits all ports from all ports as a default state. You can’t prohibit a trunk, or else it won’t come up, you will get something that looks like this:
MDS1# show int fc1/8 trunk vsan 401
fc1/8 is trunking
Vsan 401 is down (Port down because prohibit mask in place for E/TE port)
So no problem, its easy to correct this:
MDS1# show ficon vsan 401 interface fc1/8
Port Address 8(0x8) is initializing in vsan 401
Port number is 8(0x8), Interface is fc1/8
Port name is
Port is not admin blocked
Prohibited port addresses are 255(0xff)
Admin port mode is TE
Port mode is TE
Peer is type 0MDS9K model 216 manufactured by CSCMDS1# conf t
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
MDS1(config)# ficon vsan 401
MDS1(config-ficon)# portaddress 0x8
MDS1(config-ficon-portaddr)# no prohibit portaddress 0-254
MDS1(config-ficon-portaddr)# exit
MDS1(config-ficon)# exit
MDS1(config)# int fc1/8
MDS1(config-if)# shut
MDS1(config-if)# no shut
MDS1(config-if)# exit
MDS1(config)# exit
MDS1#
And that should take care of that. Except it doesn’t! I am not sure when this bug was introduced, or if in fact it is a bug at all. I know I have successfully configured this in 3.2 and 3.3 trains. I don’t believe there is anything here that should be preventing this as its a pretty vanilla FICON configuration except the fact that I am using ficon port default-state prohibit-all which is not something that common.
I will update this blog post once I know for sure if this is a bug or not. Just something to watch out for when configuring FICON.
