Setup 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 overview .................................................................................................. 11
2.1 Dell EMC OS10 Enterprise Edition ................................................................................................................... 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 ................................................................................... 14
2.5 Virtual Link Trunking (VLT) ............................................................................................................................... 16
2.6 Server templates, identities, networks, and deployment .................................................................................. 16
2.6.1 Templates ......................................................................................................................................................... 16
2.6.2 Identities ........................................................................................................................................................... 17
2.6.3 Networks and automated QoS ......................................................................................................................... 17
2.6.4 Deployment ....................................................................................................................................................... 18
3 SmartFabric mode requirements, guidelines, and restrictions ................................................................................... 19
3.1 Create multi-chassis management group ......................................................................................................... 19
3.2 Upstream network requirements ...................................................................................................................... 19
3.3 Spanning Tree Protocol .................................................................................................................................... 20
3.4 VLAN scaling guidelines ................................................................................................................................... 20
3.5 Configuring port speed and breakout ............................................................................................................... 21
3.6 Storage Uplinks ................................................................................................................................................ 21
3.7 Switch slot placement for SmartFabric mode ................................................................................................... 22
3.7.1 Two MX9116n Fabric Switching Engines in different chassis .......................................................................... 22
3.7.2 Two MX5108n Ethernet switches in the same chassis .................................................................................... 22
3.7.3 Two MX9116n Fabric Switching Engines in the same chassis ........................................................................ 23
3.8 Switch-to-Switch cabling ................................................................................................................................... 23
3.9 NIC teaming guidelines .................................................................................................................................... 24
3.10 Identity pools ..................................................................................................................................................... 24
3.11 Other restrictions and guidelines ...................................................................................................................... 25
4 Creating a SmartFabric .............................................................................................................................................. 26
4.1 Physically cable MX chassis and upstream switches ....................................................................................... 26
4.2 Define VLANs ................................................................................................................................................... 26