Reference Guide

19 Management Networks for Dell EMC Networking
In-band management networks
With in-band management, devices are managed through the production network switches, avoiding the need
of purchasing a dedicated management switch. This solution requires that you initially configure each
managed switch locally through a serial port connection. An in-band management network is typically used
when resources are limited. The cost savings can be realized when used in branch offices or smaller
deployments. Those businesses still have the option of choosing a hybrid solution, where a dedicated OOB
management is only implemented on the most critical part of their production network.
The example topology in Figure 8 shows two Dell EMC 48-port leaf switches configured in a VLT pair to
provide redundant paths to the upstream network. The leaf switches that are shown are Dell EMC S4048T-
ON switches that connect the servers, and other devices, to each other and to the upstream network.
Server
Server
Chassis
(MX, FX2, etc.)
Other device
Leaf Switch
Leaf Switch
Upstream
Networks
In-band management with
production network
Production data traffic
Management data traffic
(
(
In-band Management network
Note: Configuring routing to the upstream network is beyond the scope of this document.
5.1 Network switch (for production and management)
Selecting the leaf or top-of-rack (ToR) network switches depends on many factors including port speed,
media type, cost, and features. Dell EMC offers a full line of data center switches capable of in-band
management for the leaf or ToR switch requirements. The S4048T-ON was used in the examples that are
provided in this chapter. The S4048T-ON is a 1-RU switch with forty-eight 10GbE Base-T ports for connecting
to downstream managed devices. It also has two 40GbE for the VLTi, and four 40GbE for uplinks. The port