Setup Guide

22 Dell EMC PowerEdge MX SmartFabric Configuration and Troubleshooting Guide
3.7 Switch slot placement for SmartFabric mode
SmartFabric mode supports three specific switch placement options. Attempts to use placements different
than described here is not supported and may result in unpredictable behavior and/or data loss.
NOTE: The cabling shown in this section, Section 3.7, is the VLTi connections between the MX switches.
3.7.1 Two MX9116n Fabric Switching Engines in different chassis
This is the recommended placement when creating a SmartFabric on top of a Scalable Fabric Architecture.
Placing the FSE modules in different chassis provides redundancy in the event of a chassis failure. This
configuration supports placement in Chassis1 Slot A1 and Chassis 2 Slot A2 or Chassis1 Slot B1 and
Chassis 2 Slot B2. A SmartFabric cannot include a switch in Fabric A and a switch in Fabric B.
IOM placement – 2 x MX9116n in different chassis
3.7.2 Two MX5108n Ethernet switches in the same chassis
The MX5108n Ethernet Switch is only supported in single chassis configurations, with the switches in either
slots A1/A2 or slots B1/B2. A SmartFabric cannot include a switch in Fabric A and a switch in Fabric B.
IOM placement – 2 x MX5108n in the same chassis