In a multiple switch fabric, how should the error detection (E_D_TOV) and resource allocation (R_A_TOV) time out values be set?

While the scale of the fabric might influence recommended values, the fundamental requirement is consistency across all components, not scaling them directly based on the number of switches.

E_D_TOV and R_A_TOV values are not scaled as a multiple of the number of ports; their purpose is fabric-wide consistency for error and resource timeout detection.

For proper fabric operation, the E_D_TOV (Error Detect Time Out Value) and R_A_TOV (Resource Allocation Time Out Value) must be configured to be the same on all N_Ports and switches within the entire Fibre Channel fabric. This global consistency prevents premature or inconsistent timeouts, which could lead to fabric instability or communication issues, ensuring reliable data transfer.

Setting values to double those of a core switch would introduce inconsistency, which directly violates the requirement for these timeout values to be identical across the fabric.