Users Guide

3 Dell EMC PowerEdge MX SmartFabric Configuration and Troubleshooting Guide
Table of contents
Revisions............................................................................................................................................................................. 2
1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................... 8
1.1 Typographical conventions ............................................................................................................................... 10
1.2 Attachments ...................................................................................................................................................... 10
2 SmartFabric Services for PowerEdge MX: An overview ............................................................................................ 11
2.1 Dell EMC SmartFabric OS10 ............................................................................................................................ 11
2.2 Operating modes .............................................................................................................................................. 11
2.2.1 Full Switch mode .............................................................................................................................................. 12
2.2.2 SmartFabric mode ............................................................................................................................................ 12
2.3 Changing operating modes .............................................................................................................................. 14
2.4 MX9116n Fabric Switching Engine (FSE): virtual ports ................................................................................... 15
2.5 Virtual Link Trunking ......................................................................................................................................... 16
2.6 Fibre Channel (FC) connectivity ...................................................................................................................... 17
2.6.1 NPIV Proxy Gateway (NPG) ............................................................................................................................. 17
2.6.2 Direct Attached (F_port) ................................................................................................................................... 18
2.6.3 FCoE (FSB) ...................................................................................................................................................... 18
2.7 Networks and automated QoS ......................................................................................................................... 19
2.8 Server templates, virtual identities, networks, and deployment ....................................................................... 20
2.8.1 Templates ......................................................................................................................................................... 20
2.8.2 Virtual identities and identity pools ................................................................................................................... 21
2.8.3 Deployment ....................................................................................................................................................... 21
3 SmartFabric mode requirements, guidelines, and restrictions ................................................................................... 22
3.1 Create multi-chassis management group ......................................................................................................... 22
3.2 Upstream network requirements ...................................................................................................................... 22
3.2.1 Physical connectivity ........................................................................................................................................ 22
3.2.2 Spanning Tree Protocol .................................................................................................................................... 23
3.3 VLAN scaling guidelines ................................................................................................................................... 23
3.4 Configuring port speed and breakout ............................................................................................................... 24
3.5 Switch slot placement for SmartFabric mode ................................................................................................... 24
3.5.1 Two MX9116n Fabric Switching Engines or FSEs in different chassis ............................................................ 24
3.5.2 Two MX5108n Ethernet switches in the same chassis .................................................................................... 25
3.5.3 Two MX9116n Fabric Switching Engines or FSEs in the same chassis .......................................................... 26
3.6 Switch-to-Switch cabling ................................................................................................................................... 26
3.6.1 VLT backup link ................................................................................................................................................ 27
3.7 NIC teaming guidelines .................................................................................................................................... 27