Using friendly (optional) port names

This feature enables you to assign alphanumeric port names of your choosing to augment automatically assigned numeric port names. This means you can configure meaningful port names to make it easier to identify the source of information listed by some show commands. (Note that this feature augments port numbering, but does not replace it.)

Configuring and operating rules for friendly port names

At either the global or context configuration level, you can assign a unique name to a port. You can also assign the same name to multiple ports.
The friendly port names you configure appear in the output of the show name [port-list], show config, and show interface <port-number > commands. They do not appear in the output of other show commands or in Menu interface screens. (See Displaying friendly port names with other port data (CLI).)
Friendly port names are not a substitute for port numbers in CLI commands or Menu displays.
Trunking ports together does not affect friendly naming for the individual ports. (If you want the same name for all ports in a trunk, you must individually assign the name to each port.)
A friendly port name can have up to 64 contiguous alphanumeric characters.
Blank spaces within friendly port names are not allowed, and if used, cause an invalid input error. (The switch interprets a blank space as a name terminator.)
In a port listing, not assigned indicates that the port does not have a name assignment other than its fixed port number.
To retain friendly port names across reboots, you must save the current running-configuration to the startup-config file after entering the friendly port names. (In the CLI, use the write memory command.)

Configuring friendly port names (CLI)

For detailed information about friendly port names, see Using friendly (optional) port names.

Syntax:

interface <port-list> name <port-name-string>

Assigns a port name to port-list.

Syntax:

no interface <port-list> name

Deletes the port name from <port-list>.

Configuring a single port name (CLI)

Suppose that you have connected port A3 on the switch to Bill Smith's workstation, and want to assign Bill's name and workstation IP address (10.25.101.73) as a port name for port A3:

Configuring a friendly port name

HP Switch(config)# int A3 name
Bill_Smith@10.25.101.73
HP Switch(config)# write mem
HP Switch(config)# show name A3

 Port Names
  Port : A3
   Type : 10/100TX

Configuring the same name for multiple ports (CLI)

Suppose that you want to use ports A5 through A8 as a trunked link to a server used by a drafting group. In this case you might configure ports A5 through A8 with the name "Draft-Server:Trunk."

Configuring one friendly port name on multiple ports

HP Switch(config)# int a5-a8 name Draft-Server:Trunk
HP Switch(config)# write mem
HP Switch(config)# show name a5-a8
 
 Port Names

  Port : A5
   Type : 10GbE-T
   Name : Draft-Server:Trunk
 
 Port : A6
   Type : 10GbE-T
   Name : Draft-Server:Trunk
 
 Port : A7
   Type : 10GbE-T
   Name : Draft-Server:Trunk

  Port : A8
   Type : 10GbE-T
   Name : Draft-Server:Trunk

Displaying friendly port names with other port data (CLI)

You can display friendly port name data in the following combinations:

Syntax:

show name

Displays a listing of port numbers with their corresponding friendly port names and also quickly shows you which ports do not have friendly name assignments. (show name data comes from the running-config file.)

Syntax:

show interface <port-number>

Displays the friendly port name, if any, along with the traffic statistics for that port. (The friendly port name data comes from the running-config file.)

Syntax:

show config

Includes friendly port names in the per-port data of the resulting configuration listing. (show config data comes from the startup-config file.)

Listing all ports or selected ports with their friendly port names (CLI)

Syntax:

show name [port-list]

Lists the friendly port name with its corresponding port number and port type. The show name command without a port list shows this data for all ports on the switch.

Friendly port name data for all ports on the switch

HP Switch(config)# show name
Port Names
  Port   Type      Name
  ------ --------- ---------------------------- 
  A1     10GbE-T
  A2     10GbE-T
  A3     10GbE-T   Bill_Smith@10.25.101.73
  A4     10GbE-T
  A5     10GbE-T   Draft-Server:Trunk 
  A6     10GbE-T   Draft-Server:Trunk 
  A7     10GbE-T   Draft-Server:Trunk 
  A8     10GbE-T   Draft-Server:Trunk

Friendly port name data for specific ports on the switch

HP Switch(config)# show name A3-A5
 Port Names
  Port : A3
  Type : 10GbE-T
  Name : Bill_Smith@10.25.101.73
 Port : A4
  Type : 10GbE-T 
  Name :
 Port : A5
  Type : 10GbE-T
  Name : Draft-Server:Trunk

Including friendly port names in per-port statistics listings (CLI)

Syntax:

show interface <port-number>

Includes the friendly port name with the port's traffic statistics listing. A friendly port name configured to a port is automatically included when you display the port's statistics output.

If you configure port A1 with the name "O'Connor_10.25.101.43," the show interface output for this port appears similar to the following:

A friendly port name in a per-port statistics listing

HP Switch(config)# show interface a1
 Status and Counters - Port Counters for port A1

  Name  : O’Connor@10.25.101.43
  MAC Address     : 001871-b995ff
  Link Status     : Up
  Totals (Since boot or last clear) :
   Bytes Rx       : 2,763,197          Bytes Tx       : 22,972
   Unicast Rx     : 2044               Unicast Tx     : 128
   Bcast/Mcast Rx  : 23,456            Bcast/Mcast Tx : 26
  Errors (Since boot or last clear) :
   FCS Rx         : 0                  Drops Tx       : 0
   Alignment Rx    : 0                 Collisions Tx  : 0
   Runts Rx       : 0                  Late Colln Tx  : 0
   Giants Rx      : 0                  Excessive Colln : 0
   Total Rx Errors : 0                 Deferred Tx    : 0
  Others (Since boot or last clear) :
   Discard Rx     : 0                  Out Queue Len  : 0
   Unknown Protos  : 0
  Rates (5 minute weighted average) :
   Total Rx (bps) : 3,028,168          Total Tx  (bps) : 1,918,384
   Unicast Rx (Pkts/sec) : 5           Unicast Tx (Pkts/sec) : 0
   B/Mcast Rx (Pkts/sec) : 71          B/Mcast Tx (Pkts/sec) : 0
   Utilization Rx  : 00.30 %           Utilization Tx : 00.19 %

For a given port, if a friendly port name does not exist in the running-config file, the Name line in the above command output appears as:

Name : not assigned

Searching the configuration for ports with friendly port names (CLI)

This option tells you which friendly port names have been saved to the startup-config file. (show config does not include ports that have only default settings in the startup-config file.)

Syntax:

show config

Includes friendly port names in a listing of all interfaces (ports) configured with non-default settings. Excludes ports that have neither a friendly port name nor any other non-default configuration settings.

See Listing of the startup-config file with a friendly port name configured (and saved) to configure port A1 with a friendly port name. Notice that the command sequence saves the friendly port name for port A1 in the startup-config file. The name entered for port A2 is not saved because it was executed after write memory.

Listing of the startup-config file with a friendly port name configured (and saved)

HP Switch(config)# int A1 name Print_Server@10.25.101.43
HP Switch(config)# write mem
HP Switch(config)# int A2 name Herbert's_PC

HP Switch(config)# show config

 Startup configuration:
; J9091A Configuration Editor; Created on release xx.15.05.xxxx
hostname "HPSwitch"
 interface AQ
  name "Print_Server@10.25.101.43
 exit

snmp-server community "public" Unrestricted
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