13 KiB
Setting up Brocade FCX & ICX6610
Note: This page is for the FCX & ICX6610. If you have a different model, choose it from the lefthand menu.
Updating The Software
Download the ZIP below, which contains the firmware files and documentation you'll need.
Brocade v8030 Firmware/Docu Zip
SW version: 08030t
ZIP Updated: 03-21-2019
MD5: 6f4b1c6b2f1faf4c8c5d1f647b6505f2
Connect to the switches serial/console port using a program like Putty (9600 8N1), and connect the dedicated management port to your network (do not use a "normal" port).
You need to set up a temporary TFTP server - I recommend Tftpd32 Portable Edition if you're on Windows and don't want to install anything. Point the server to an empty folder to serve files from. From the ZIP, copy the bootloader from the Boot folder into your tftp server directory. Then, from the Images folder, copy over the OS image to the same place. If you have a PoE model, copy over the PoE firmware from the PoE Firmware folder to your TFTP directory as well.
Power on the switch while watching your serial terminal - it will have a prompt saying Hit b to enter the boot monitor - press b quickly and you'll be dropped into the bootloader prompt, now we can upgrade the software. If you missed the prompt and it boots the OS instead, pull power and try again.
At the boot prompt, we need to give it a temporary IP in the subnet of your network, so it can talk to your TFTP server. This IP will not be used again after it leaves the bootloader. Replace the IP in the example below with an unused IP on your subnet:
ip address 192.168.1.50/24
Now we can update the bootloader. Replace the IP with the IP of your tftp server, and replace the filename with the name of the file you copied out of the boot folder if it differs:
copy tftp flash 192.168.1.49 grz10100.bin boot
After a few seconds it should finish, then we can flash the main OS. Replace the IP with the IP of your tftp server, and change the filename to match if necessary:
copy tftp flash 192.168.1.49 FCXR08030t.bin primary
It will take a little longer. When it finishes, we need to erase the current config & any passwords, then tell the switch to reboot into the full OS:
factory set-default
reset
Note: If you get an error stating factory set-default is not a valid command, this means your switch has a very old bootloader. In that case since we just flashed the latest bootloader, we just have to tell the switch to reset. Then it will load the new bootloader, and the command will work:
#only follow this section if factory set-default did not work
reset
#hit b a bunch so it drops into the bootloader again
#now it's booted the latest bootloader, so the command will work:
factory set-default
reset
#let it fully boot like normal and move to the next section
Note: If your switch says that it is part of a stack even after doing the above, then you will need to unstack it before being able to configure and update it. You'll see several prompts when booting that it is a stack member and the command menu will show stack specific commands (ex: stack, simulate-non-stacking-unit). You can unstack your switch by running the following command:
stack unconfigure clean
# hit y at the prompt
You can then continue on to the below.
Initial Configuration
Now that it's booted into the full OS you may get TFTP timed out errors in the console, this is normal. We'll fix that in the next section. Check that the version matches what you just flashed:
show version
Towards the top of the output, it should say SW: Version XX.X.XXX - it should be the v8 version you flashed.
Now to make any changes we must enter the enable level:
enable
To make configuration changes, we must then enter the configure CLI level:
configure terminal
Now tell it to generate an RSA keypair - this enables SSH access:
crypto key generate rsa
Configuring Network Details
First we need to disable DHCP so it doesn't automatically grab an address and attempt to load a config via tftp, then reload so it takes effect:
ip dhcp-client disable
write memory
exit
reload
Once the switch comes back up, enter the configure terminal level and give the switch a friendly name:
enable
configure terminal
hostname beefbox
We need to give the switch an IP. By default, all ports are in VLAN 1, so it will behave like a typical switch. First we need to give VLAN 1 its own virtual interface:
vlan 1
router-interface ve 1
exit
Now we need to assign that virtual interface an address. Choose an IP that is unused in your subnet, and out of your DHCP server range (ping it first to be sure it's unused):
interface ve 1
ip address 192.168.1.2/24
exit
The switch now has an IP. Unplug your ethernet cable from the isolated management port, and plug it into any of the normal ports on the front. You can now telnet to it and no longer need serial access. It also supports SSH access, but you need to follow the rest of the guide first.
Update PoE Firmware
If your switch is the PoE model, you need to update the PoE controller firmware. If it's a non-PoE model, skip this step. Assuming you completed the previous section and the switch now has in-band network access, just do the following:
exit
inline power install-firmware stack-unit 1 tftp 192.168.1.8 fcx_poeplus_02.1.0.b004.fw
#after a few seconds, hit enter to return to cli
#save changes you made from the previous section
write memory
#reload the switch
reload
#you'll probably get a message that it hasn't finished. it can take up to 10 minutes
#run "show log" occasionally to monitor the update progress
#try the "reload" command again once it's reached 100%
#once you've rebooted back into the OS:
enable
configure terminal
Now you have the latest PoE firmware, and can continue on.
If Access Protection Is NOT Required
If you do not want to password protect access to the switch (you're using it in a lab), follow this section. If you'd like to password protect it, skip to the next section.
Allow SSH login with no passwords configured:
ip ssh permit-empty-passwd yes
If Access Protection IS Required (or WEB-UI Access)
If you do want to secure access to the switch, or use the (limited) web UI, follow this section. If not, skip it.
To secure the switch, we need to create an account - "root" can be any username string you wish:
username root password yourpasshere
We also need to tell it to use our new local user account(s) to authorize attempts to log in, use the webpage, as well as attempts to enter the enable CLI level:
aaa authentication login default local
aaa authentication enable default local
aaa authentication web default local
If you wanted to use the WEB UI, you can now log into it using the credentials you created above.
You should enable authentication for telnet access as well:
enable telnet authentication
If your switch is outside of your home, or accessible by others in any way, telnet should be disabled entirely, and access to the serial console should also be password protected. Otherwise skip this step at your discretion:
no telnet server
enable aaa console
OPTIONAL: Key Based SSH Access
If you have followed the above to set up authentication, and also wish to disable password-based SSH login and set up a key pair instead, follow this section. If not, skip it. Enable key login, and disable password login:
ip ssh key-authentication yes
ip ssh password-authentication no
Now we have to generate our key pair with puttygen on windows or ssh-keygen -t rsa on linux. The default settings of RSA @ 2048 bits works without issue. Generate the pair and save out both the public and private key.
Copy the public key file to your TFTP server. Then use the following command to import it into your switch:
ip ssh pub-key-file tftp 192.168.1.49 public.key
You shouldn't need to be told basic key management if you're following this section, but just in case - copy your private key to the proper location on the *nix machine you'll be SSH'ing from, or if you're on windows, load it using pageant. Now when you SSH to the switch, it will authenticate using your private key.
Saving & Conclusions
Whenever you make changes (like above) they take effect immediately, however they are not saved to onboard flash. So if you reboot the switch, they will be lost. To permanently save them to onboard flash, use the following command:
write memory
Your switch now has a basic configuration, as well as an IP address you can telnet or SSH to for further configuration.
Some more useful general commands:
Show chassis information like fan and temperature status:
show chassis
Show a table of all interfaces:
show interface brief
To show one interface in detail:
show interfaces ethernet 1/1/1
#Also works for virtual interfaces:
show interfaces ve 1
Give a port a friendly name:
interface ethernet 1/1/1
port-name freenas
show interfaces brief ethernet 1/1/1
exit
Show the running configuration:
show run
Show the system log:
show log
To remove configuration options, put a no in front of them at the appropriate CLI level:
no hostname beefbox
Noise Info (ICX6610)
The ICX66610 power supply bricks came in 3 revisions: A, B, and C. These will have an affect on how loud the switch is. Generally with an A revision PSU anywhere, even combined with a B or C revision in the other PSU slot, the PSU fans will run louder.
The switch will be much quieter if you can find and run B and/or C revision bricks. There's no difference noise wise between B and C. Most sellers do not list the revision so you have to check the ebay pictures for the revision marking.
Also, it seems the PSU and fan tray position also affect fan speed. If you are running 1 PSU and fan tray, position them in the furthest left slots, when looking at the switch from the rear. If you have 2 PSUs and 1 fan tray, position the fan tray in the furthest left fan tray slot when looking at the rear of the switch.
Tips
To exit the CLI level you are at, use exit. So assuming you are still at the configure terminal level, type the following to exit back to the enable level:
exit
Commands can also be shortened, as long as they are still unique. So to re-enter the configure terminal level, Instead of typing the entirety of configure terminal, the following will also work:
conf t
There is also tab help and completion. To see all the commands available at the current CLI level, just hit tab. To see the options available for a certain command, just type that command (like ip) then hit tab a couple times.
Advanced Configuration
Default Route & DNS
To give the switch a default route and a DNS server so it can reach external hostnames and IP's (to ping external servers or to update time via NTP etc), do the following. replace the IP with the IP of your gateway/router/etc. Assuming you are still at the configure terminal level:
ip dns server-address 192.168.1.1
ip route 0.0.0.0/0 192.168.1.1
NTP
To have the switch keep its time synced via NTP (so its logs make more sense), use the following. If you live in an area that doesn't use Daylight Savings, skip the clock summer-time command. Use tab completion for the timezone command to see what's available. The IP's in the following example are google's NTP servers and work well for most cases:
clock summer-time
clock timezone gmt GMT-05
ntp
disable serve
server 216.239.35.0
server 216.239.35.4
exit
SNMP
To quickly enable SNMPv2 (read only), follow the below. SNMP v3 is available but you'll have to refer to the included documentation:
snmp-server community public ro
Saving
If you made any of the above extra changes, remember they have not been saved to onboard flash yet. Do so:
write memory
SFP/Optics Information
Brocade does not restrict the use of optics by manufacturer, they'll take anything given it's the right protocol. However optical monitoring information is disabled unless it sees Brocade or Foundry optics.
So if you want to see information like this :
telnet@Route2(config)#sh optic 5
Port Temperature Tx Power Rx Power Tx Bias Current
+----+-----------+--------------+--------------+---------------+
5 32.7460 C -002.6688 dBm -002.8091 dBm 5.472 mA
Normal Normal Normal Normal
You'll need to pick up some official Brocade or Foundry optics on ebay, or buy some flashed optics from FiberStore.
Thanks:
Contributing:
The markdown source for these guides is hosted on my Github repo. If you have any suggested changes or additions feel free to submit a pull request.
Documentation version: v2.1 (08-14-2020)