User guide

OmniSwitch 6900 Hardware Users Guide December 2013 ix
Documentation Roadmap
The OmniSwitch user documentation suite was designed to supply you with information at several critical
junctures of the configuration process.The following section outlines a roadmap of the manuals that will
help you at each stage of the configuration process. Under each stage, we point you to the manual or
manuals that will be most helpful to you.
Stage 1: Using the Switch for the First Time
Pertinent Documentation: OmniSwitch 6900 Getting Started Guide Release Notes
A hard-copy OmniSwitch 6900 Getting Started Guide is included with your switch; this guide provides all
the information you need to get your switch up and running the first time. It provides information on
unpacking the switch, rack mounting the switch, installing NI modules, unlocking access control, setting
the switch’s IP address, and setting up a password. It also includes succinct overview information on
fundamental aspects of the switch, such as hardware LEDs, the software directory structure, CLI
conventions, and web-based management.
At this time you should also familiarize yourself with the Release Notes that accompanied your switch.
This document includes important information on feature limitations that are not included in other user
guides.
Stage 2: Gaining Familiarity with Basic Switch Functions
Pertinent Documentation: OmniSwitch 6900 Hardware Users Guide
OmniSwitch AOS Release 7 Switch Management Guide
Once you have your switch up and running, you will want to begin investigating basic aspects of its
hardware and software. Information about switch hardware is provided in the OmniSwitch 6900 Hardware
Guide. This guide provide specifications, illustrations, and descriptions of all hardware components. It also
includes steps for common procedures, such as removing and installing switch components.
This guide is the primary users guide for the basic software features on a single switch. This guide
contains information on the switch directory structure, basic file and directory utilities, switch access
security, SNMP, and web-based management. It is recommended that you read this guide before
connecting your switch to the network.
Stage 3: Integrating the Switch Into a Network
Pertinent Documentation: OmniSwitch AOS Release 7 Network Configuration Guide
OmniSwitch AOS Release 7 Advanced Routing Configuration Guide
OmniSwitch AOS Release 7 Data Center Switching Guide
When you are ready to connect your switch to the network, you will need to learn how the OmniSwitch
implements fundamental software features, such as 802.1Q, VLANs, Spanning Tree, and network routing
protocols. The Network Configuration Guide guide contains overview information, procedures, and
examples on how standard networking technologies are configured on the OmniSwitch.
The Advanced Routing Guide includes configuration information for networks using advanced routing
technologies (OSPF and BGP) and multicast routing protocols (DVMRP and PIM-SM).
The Data Center Switching Guide includes configuration information for data center networks using
virtualization technologies (SPBM and UNP) and Data Center Bridging protocols (PFC, ETC, and
DCBX).