A storage administrator manually configures a storage switch to use a new static domain ID. After issuing an fcdomain restart vsan 1 command, the administrator sees that the switch is still using the existing domain ID. What is the reason why the configuration is not working?

Changing a switch's domain ID is a fabric-disrupting operation that requires a complete fabric reconfiguration. The fcdomain restart command is non-disruptive by default and is designed to restart the domain manager process while preserving the existing domain ID and fabric stability. To force the switch to adopt a new, statically configured domain ID, the administrator must explicitly initiate a disruptive restart using the fcdomain restart disruptive vsan command. This forces a fabric rebuild, allowing the switch to acquire the new domain ID. The administrator's command lacked the required disruptive keyword.

A. A full switch reboot is also a disruptive event and would apply the new ID, but it is not the required or most efficient procedure. The documented method is a disruptive fcdomain restart.
C. The failure to send Build Fabric (BF) notifications is a symptom of not initiating a disruptive restart, not the root cause of the configuration failing to apply.
D. Domain manager fast restart is a feature that helps preserve the existing domain ID during a restart. The absence of this feature would not cause the new static ID to be adopted without a disruptive command.

1. Cisco MDS 9000 Series NX-OS System Management Configuration Guide, Release 8.x, Chapter: Configuring Fibre Channel Domain Parameters, Section: "Configuring a Static Domain ID".

The document states, "When you configure a static domain ID, you must perform a disruptive restart for the new domain ID to be assigned to the switch." It then provides the example command: switch(config)# fcdomain restart disruptive vsan 1. This directly supports that the disruptive keyword is mandatory for this change.

2. Cisco MDS 9000 Series NX-OS Fundamentals Configuration Guide, Release 8.x, Chapter: FSPF, Section: "Domain ID Distribution".

This guide clarifies the behavior: "A nondisruptive restart of the fcdomain process does not force a fabric reconfiguration. During a nondisruptive restart, the switches in the fabric retain their assigned domain IDs." This explains why the administrator's command, which was non-disruptive by default, failed to apply the new ID.

3. Cisco MDS 9000 Family NX-OS System Management Configuration Guide, Release 6.2(x), Chapter: Configuring Fibre Channel Domain Parameters, Section: "Configuring a Static Domain ID".

This older version of the documentation provides the same instruction, confirming the long-standing requirement: "When you configure a static domain ID, you must perform a disruptive restart for the new domain ID to be assigned to the switch."