The Hunt for the Elusive FC WWN: A Guide for the Clueless (and the Curious)
Ah, the FC WWN. A cryptic code that holds the key to your Fibre Channel storage kingdom. But for the uninitiated, it can feel about as discoverable as a decent pair of socks after laundry day. Fear not, intrepid adventurer! This guide will be your trusty map (or spork, depending on your level of preparedness) on this noble quest.
First things first: What in the SAN is an FC WWN?
FC WWN, my friend, stands for Fibre Channel World Wide Name. Don't let the fancy name intimidate you. It's basically a unique identifier for your Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter (HBA) – kind of like a social security number for your storage gear. This little code is essential for zoning, troubleshooting, and generally keeping your SAN from becoming a spaghetti junction of confusion.
Alright, enough chit-chat. How do I find this FC WWN?
There are a few paths you can take on this journey, each with its own level of complexity (and potential for amusement).
- Method 1: The Simple Sleuth
This is the option for those who like things quick and dirty. Fire up your terminal and type the following command:
lspci | grep -i hba
This nifty little combo will list all the PCI devices on your system, and the grep magic will filter the results to show only those related to Fibre Channel HBAs. Look for something that mentions "Fibre Channel" – that's your guy (or gal, no discrimination here).
Now, the fun part! Depending on your system, you might find additional information about the HBA, including its glorious FC WWN. But fear not, even if it's not immediately visible, there are more ways to skin this particular storage cat.
- Method 2: Diving into the Sysfs Abyss
For the more adventurous (or those whose Method 1 yielded squat), we delve into the mysterious realm of /sys. This is a special filesystem that holds a treasure trove of information about your system's innards. But be warned, navigating /sys can feel like spelunking in a server room – dark, dusty, and potentially full of surprises (both good and bad).
Here's the not-so-secret handshake to access the FC WWN goodies:
cat /sys/class/fc_host/host?/port_name
Replace the ? with the actual host number you identified earlier (usually 0). This command should, with any luck, display the glorious FC WWN in all its hexadecimal glory.
But wait, there's more!
For those who enjoy a touch of drama (or maybe just want to double-check their findings), you can also use the systool command (assuming it's installed on your system). This command provides a more user-friendly interface to explore the wonders of /sys. Here's the incantation to summon the FC WWN with systool:
sudo systool -c fc_host -v | grep port_name
This will list all the FC HBA details, including the ever-important port name (which is essentially the FC WWN).
Congratulations! You've unearthed the FC WWN!
Now that you've successfully retrieved the FC WWN, you can use it to conquer your SAN and impress your fellow IT adventurers. Remember, with great knowledge comes great responsibility. Use your newfound power wisely, and may your storage woes be a thing of the past!
