Users Guide

Contents
1 Introduction...........................................................................................................9
2 Getting Started....................................................................................................10
Designing and Deploying a Fabric......................................................................................................10
3 Site Map................................................................................................................ 12
4 Supported Fabric Types.....................................................................................16
Key Considerations for Designing a Layer 3 with Resiliency (Routed VLT) Fabric............................17
Gathering Useful Information for a Layer 3 with Resiliency (Routed VLT) Fabric.............................18
Conventional Core Versus Distributed Core......................................................................................19
Conventional Core........................................................................................................................ 19
Distributed Core............................................................................................................................ 19
Key Advantages............................................................................................................................. 20
Distributed Core Terminology .....................................................................................................20
Gathering Useful Information for a Distributed Core.................................................................. 22
Selecting a Layer 3 Distributed Core Fabric Design.....................................................................22
VLT....................................................................................................................................................... 27
Multidomain VLT........................................................................................................................... 28
VLT Terminology...........................................................................................................................28
VLT Fabric Terminology................................................................................................................28
VLT Components.......................................................................................................................... 29
Typical VLT Topology....................................................................................................................29
Key Considerations for Designing a Layer 2 VLT Fabric..............................................................30
Gathering Useful Information for a Layer 2 VLT Fabric...............................................................30
Selecting a Layer 2 and Layer 3 with Resiliency (Routed VLT) Fabric Design............................. 31
5 Designing the Fabric.......................................................................................... 50
Network Deployment Summary ........................................................................................................ 51
Fabric Configuration Phases and States....................................................................................... 51
Switch Configuration Phases and States......................................................................................52
Operations Allowed in Each Fabric State........................................................................................... 53
Deployment Topology Use Cases......................................................................................................55
Use Case 1: One-Tier Layer 2 Fabric............................................................................................ 55
Use Case 2: One-Tier Layer 3 with Resiliency (Routed VLT).......................................................55
Use Case 3: Two-Tier Layer 2 ......................................................................................................55
Use Case 3: Two-Tier Layer 3 Distributed Core.......................................................................... 56
Use Case 4: Two-Tier Layer 3 Resiliency (Routed VLT)...............................................................56