Table Of Contents

Before You Begin

About the Switch Prompt

About the CLI Command Modes

Understanding CLI Command Hierarchy

EXEC Mode Options

Configuration Mode

Configuration Mode Commands and Submodes

Before You Begin

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This chapter prepares you to configure switches from the CLI. It also lists the information you need to have before you begin, and it describes the CLI command modes.

This chapter includes the following sections:

•About the Switch Prompt

•About the CLI Command Modes

•Understanding CLI Command Hierarchy

About the Switch Prompt

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Note Refer to the Cisco MDS 9200 Series Hardware Installation Guide or the Cisco MDS 9500 Series Hardware Installation Guide for installation and connection instructions.

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Once the switch is powered on successfully, you see the default switch prompt (switch#) as shown in Example 1-1.

Example 1-1 Output When a Switch Boots Up

You can perform embedded CLI operations, access command history, and use command parsing functions at this prompt. The switch gathers the command string upon detecting an Enter (CR) and accepts commands from the terminal.

About the CLI Command Modes

Switches in the Cisco MDS 9000 Family have two main command modes—user EXEC mode and configuration mode. The commands available to you depend on the mode you are in. To obtain a list of available commands in either mode, type a question mark (?) at the system prompt.

Table 1-1 lists and describes the two commonly used modes, how to enter the modes, and the resulting system prompts. The system prompt helps you identify which mode you are in and hence, which commands are available to you.

Table 1-1 Frequently Used Switch Command Modes

Mode	Description of Use	How to Access	Prompt
EXEC	Enables you to temporarily change terminal settings, perform basic tests, and display system information. Note Changes made in this mode are generally not saved across system resets.	At the switch prompt, enter the required EXEC mode command.	switch#
Configuration mode	Enables you to configure features that affect the system as a whole. Note Changes made in this mode are saved across system resets if you save your configuration.	From EXEC mode, enter the config terminal command.	switch(config)#

You can abbreviate commands and keywords by entering just enough characters to make the command unique from other commands. For example, you can abbreviate the config terminal command to conf t.

Understanding CLI Command Hierarchy

The CLI commands are organized hierarchically, with commands that perform similar functions grouped under the same level. For example, all commands that display information about the system, configuration, or hardware are grouped under the show command, and all commands that allow you to configure the switch are grouped under the config terminal command.

To execute a command, you enter the command by starting at the top level of the hierarchy. For example, to configure a Fibre Channel interface, use the config terminal command. Once you are in configuration mode, issue the interface command. When you are in the interface submode, you can query the available commands there.

The following example shows how to query the available commands in the interface submode:

switch# config t

Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.

switch(config)# interface fc1/1

switch(config-if)# ?

Interface configuration commands:

  channel-group  Add to/remove from a port-channel

  exit           Exit from this submode

  fcdomain       Enter the interface submode

  fspf           To configure FSPF related parameters

  no             Negate a command or set its defaults

  shutdown       Enable/disable an interface

  switchport     Configure switchport parameters

EXEC Mode Options

When you start a session on the switch, you begin in EXEC mode. Based on the role or group to which you belong, you have access to limited commands or to all commands. From EXEC mode, you can enter configuration mode. Most of the EXEC commands are one-time commands, such as show commands, which display the current configuration status. Here is a list of EXEC mode commands:

switch# ?

Exec Commands:

  attach      Connect to a specific linecard

  callhome    Callhome commands

  cd          Change current directory

  clear       Reset functions

	clock       Manage the system clock

  config      Enter configuration mode

  copy        Copy from one file to another

  debug       Debugging functions

  delete      Remove files

  dir         Directory listing for files

  discover    Discover information

  exit        Exit from the EXEC

  fcping      Ping an N-Port

  fctrace     Trace the route for an N-Port.

  find        Find a file below the current directory

  format      Format disks

  install     Upgrade software

  load        Load system image

  mkdir       Create new directory

  move        Move files

  no          Disable debugging functions

  ping        Send echo messages

  purge       Deletes unused data

  pwd         View current directory

  reload      Reboot the entire box

  rmdir       Remove existing directory

  run-script  Run shell scripts

  send        Send message to all the open sessions

  setup       Run the basic SETUP command facility

  show        Show running system information

  sleep       Sleep for the specified number of seconds

  system      System management commands

  tail        Display the last part of a file

  telnet      Telnet to another system

  terminal    Set terminal line parameters

  test        Test command

  traceroute  Trace route to destination

  undebug     Disable Debugging functions (See also debug)

  write       Write current configuration

  zone        Execute Zone Server commands

Configuration Mode

In configuration mode, you can make changes to the existing configuration. When you save the configuration, these commands are preserved across switch reboots. Once you are in configuration mode, you can enter interface configuration mode, zone configuration mode, and a variety of protocol-specific modes. Configuration mode is the starting point for all configuration commands. When you are in configuration mode, the switch expects configuration commands from the user.

The following example shows output from the config terminal command:

switch# config terminal

Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.

switch(config)# 

Configuration Mode Commands and Submodes

Here is a list of configuration mode commands:

switch# config t

Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.

switch(config)# ?

Configure commands:

  aaa                 Configure AAA

  arp                 [no] remove an entry from the ARP cache

  boot                Configure boot variables

  callhome            Enter the callhome configuration mode

  clock               Configure time-of-day clock

  end                 Exit from configure mode

  exit                Exit from configure mode

  fcalias             Fcalias configuration commands

  fcanalyzer          Configure cisco fabric analyzer

  fcc                 Configure FC Congestion Control

  fcdomain            Enter the fcdomain configuration mode

  fcdroplatency       Configure switch or network latency

  fcflow              Configure  fcflow

  fcinterop           Interop commands.

  fcns                Name server configuration

  fcroute             Configure FC routes

  fcs                 Configure Fabric Config Server

  fctimer             Configure fibre channel timers

  fspf                Configure fspf

  in-order-guarantee  Set in-order delivery guarantee

  interface           Select an interface to configure

  ip                  Configure IP features

  line                Configure a terminal line

  logging             Modify message logging facilities

  no                  Negate a command or set its defaults

  ntp                 NTP Configuration

  power               Configure power supply

  poweroff            Poweroff a module in the switch

  qos                 Configure priority of FC control frames

  radius-server       Configure RADIUS related parameters

  role                Configure roles

  rscn                Config commands for RSCN

  snmp-server         Configure snmp server

  span                Enter SPAN configuration mode

  ssh                 Configure SSH parameters

  switchname          Configure system's network name

  system              System config command

  telnet              Enable telnet

  trunk               Configure Switch wide trunk protocol

  username            Configure user information.

  vsan                Enter the vsan configuration mode

  wwn                 Set secondary base MAC addr and range for additional WWNs

  zone                Zone configuration commands

  zoneset             Zoneset configuration commands

Configuration mode, also known as terminal configuration mode, has several submodes. Each of these submodes places you deeper in the prompt hierarchy. When you type exit, the switch backs out one level and returns you to the previous level. When you type end, the switch backs out to the user EXEC level.

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Note In configuration mode, you can alternatively enter
— Ctrl-Z instead of the end command, and
— Ctrl-G instead of the exit command

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You can execute an EXEC mode command from a configuration mode or submode prompt. You can issue this command from any submode within the configuration mode. When in configuration mode (or in any submode), enter the do command along with the required EXEC mode command. The entered command is executed at the EXEC level and the prompt resumes its current mode level.

switch(config)# do terminal session-timeout 0

switch(config)#

In this example, terminal session-timeout is an EXEC mode command—you are issuing an EXEC mode command using the configuration mode do command.

The do command applies to all EXEC mode commands other than the end and exit commands. You can also use the help (?) and command completion (Tab) features for EXEC commands when issuing a do command along with the EXEC command.

Table 1-2 lists some useful command keys that can be used in both EXEC and configuration modes.

Table 1-2 Useful Command Key Description 

Command	Description
Ctrl-P	Up history
Ctrl-N	Down history
Ctrl-R	Refreshes the current line and reprints it.
Ctrl-X-H	List history
Alt-P	History search backwards Note The difference between Tab completion and Alt- P or Alt-N is that Tab completes the current word while Alt- P and Alt-N completes a previously entered command.
Alt-N	History search forwards
Ctrl-G	Exit
Ctrl-Z	End
Ctrl-L	Clear screen

Table 1-3 displays the commonly used configuration submodes.

Table 1-3 Submodes Within the Configuration Mode 

Submode Name	From Configuration Mode Enter	Submode Prompt	Configured Information
Call Home	callhome	switch(config-callhome)#	Contact, destination, and e-mail
FCS Registration	fcs register	switch(config-fcs-register)#	FCS attribute registration
	From FCS registration submode: platform name name vsan vsan-id	switch(config-fcs-register-att rib)#	Platform name and VSAN ID association
Fibre Channel alias	fcalias name name vsan vsan-id	switch(config-fcalias)#	Alias member
FSPF	fspf config vsan vsan-id	switch(config-(fspf-config))#	Static SPF computation, hold time, and autonomous region
Interface configuration	interface type slot/port	switch(config-if)#	Channel groups, Fibre Channel domains, FSPF parameters, switch port trunk and beacon information, and IP address
	From the VSAN or mgmt0 (management) interface configuration submode: vrrp number	switch(config-if-vrrp)#	Virtual router
Line console	line console	switch(config-console)#	Primary terminal console
VTY	line vty	switch(config-line)#	Virtual terminal line
Role	role name	switch(config-role)#	Rule
SPAN	span session number	switch(config-span)#	SPAN source, destination, and suspend session information
VSAN database	vsan database	switch(config-vsan-db)#	VSAN database
Zone	zone name string vsan vsan-id	switch(config-zone)#	Zone member
Zone set	zoneset name name vsan vsan-id	switch(config-zoneset)#	Zone set member