Here’s a list of commonly used Cisco MDS Fibre Channel (FC) switch show commands along with their explanations and descriptions.
SAN Switch
1. General System Information
Command
Description
show version
Displays software and hardware version details.
show system uptime
Shows the switch uptime and last reload reason.
show environment
Displays environmental status (temperature, power supply, fan, etc.).
show inventory
Lists hardware inventory details, including module types and serial numbers.
2. Interface & Port Information
Command
Description
show interface brief
Summarizes interface status, including operational state and speed.
show interface fcX/Y
Displays detailed information about a specific Fibre Channel interface.
show interface transceiver details
Provides optical module details such as power levels and wavelengths.
show flogi database
Shows logged-in FC devices (WWPN and WWNN).
show fcns database
Displays registered devices in the fabric name server.
show npv status
Checks the status of the NPV (N-Port Virtualization) mode.
3. Zoning and VSAN
Command
Description
show vsan
Displays configured VSANs and their status.
show vsan usage
Shows ports associated with each VSAN.
show zoneset active
Displays the active zoning configuration.
show zone
Lists defined zones and their members.
show zone member
Shows WWPNs, aliases, and devices within a specific zone.
4. Fabric and Name Server
Command
Description
show fspf database
Displays Fabric Shortest Path First (FSPF) routing information.
show topology
Provides a high-level view of the fabric topology.
show name-server
Lists registered WWPNs and their associated FCIDs.
show fabric binding database
Displays fabric binding configuration and policy.
5. Performance & Traffic Monitoring
Command
Description
show logging log
Displays log messages related to system events.
show counters
Provides port-level statistics, including errors and throughput.
show interface counters
Displays packet-level statistics for a specific interface.
show interface fcX/Y transceiver details
Provides SFP details, including Tx/Rx power levels.
show slowdrain
Identifies slow-drain devices that can impact performance.
6. SAN Switch Configuration & Management
Command
Description
show running-config
Displays the current switch configuration.
show startup-config
Shows the configuration that will be applied after reboot.
show license usage
Checks installed and used licenses on the switch.
show feature-set
Displays enabled feature sets (e.g., Enterprise, SAN Analytics).
7. High Availability & Redundancy
Command
Description
show module
Displays module status and inserted line cards.
show redundancy status
Checks the status of supervisor redundancy.
show process cpu
Monitors CPU utilization.
8. NPIV & NPV Mode
Command
Description
show npiv status
Checks whether NPIV (N-Port ID Virtualization) is enabled.
show npv status
Verifies NPV mode and connected upstream switches.
This list covers the most commonly used Cisco MDS show commands for SAN switch management, troubleshooting, zoning, performance monitoring, and high availability.
