Users Guide

Designing a Fabric

To design a Layer 3 two-tier distributed core fabric or Layer 2 VLT fabric based on your current or future

needs, use the Fabric Design Wizard. The design consists of a wiring plan, network topology information,

summary of the inventory requirement, and a design specification. Refer also to

Network Deployment

Summary.

NOTE: If you are designing a fabric using an IOA blade switch, refer to IOA Fabric Design Wizard.

You can use the Fabric Design Wizard to perform the following tasks:

• Create a fabric

• Edit and Expand an Existing Fabric

• Delete the Fabric

• Import an Existing Fabric Design

• View the Wiring Diagram

• Display the status of the fabric design (if the design, pre-deployment, deployment, and validation

phases have been successfully completed)

• Display detailed information about the fabric

Before you begin, review the Getting Started section.

To design a fabric, complete the following tasks using the Fabric Design Wizard.

1. Fabric Design — Fabric Name and Type

Choose a fabric design type:

a. Standard Fabric Design:

1. Standard Fabric Design — Bandwidth and Port Count

2. Standard Fabric Design — Deployment Topology

3. Standard Fabric Design — Fabric Customization

b. Advanced Fabric Design:

1. Advanced Fabric Design — Aggregation Configuration (One- or Two-Tier Topologies) or

Advanced Fabric Design — Aggregation Configuration (Three-Tier Topologies)

2. Advanced Fabric Design — Access Configuration

3. Advanced Fabric Design — Port Configuration

2. Fabric Design — Output

3. Fabric Design — Summary

NOTE: After designing the fabric, prepare it for deployment. For more information, refer to Pre-

deployment Wizard.

Designing a Fabric