Administrator Guide

Non-NVMe Cache Devices
• Firmware— The firmware version for the Dell PCIe Express Flash SSDs must be B1490908 or later.
Otherwise, even though they are visible in ESXi and in Enterprise Manager, the cache devices do not
appear in the list of available devices.
NOTE: The installed firmware version cannot be verified in ESXi. If the cache devices do not
appear in the list of available devices and you are not sure that your firmware version is
B1490908 or later, update your firmware. Also, see Troubleshooting VMware Installations. You
may also contact Dell Technical Support.
• Driver— The cache device driver used by Fluid Cache is native to the VSA and does not require
updating.
CAUTION: If the cache devices contain data, back up this data before adding the cache devices to
the Fluid Cache cluster. All data on the cache devices are lost when they are added to the cluster.
NOTE: If your server already has cache devices installed, make sure that the cache devices you
intend to use in the Fluid Cache cluster are not used by any other application.
Preparing the Cache Network Adapters
1. Install the network adapters in PCIe slots on the servers (x16 slots, if available).
2. Check the network adapter driver and firmware versions, and then update, if necessary.
NOTE: It is recommended to use an MTU of 1500 for RDMA or Cache Network adapter
connectivity.
NOTE: Do not use a network adapter driver downloaded from the manufacturer’s site. Fluid
Cache uses a custom driver available only through Dell.
3. If a blade enclosure is used, disable FlexAddress in the blade enclosure.
4. Repeat this process for each network adapter in the cache network.
5. Make sure that all servers in the cache network can ping every other server, and also the
management interface.
NOTE: Make sure that all RoCE network adapters used by the Fluid Cache network are dedicated to
the cache network and are not configured for any other network traffic.
Preparing the Cache Network Switch
• For a schematic of an example Fluid Cache installation, see Example Cabling Diagram.
• For configuration tasks for a supported Dell Networking switch, see Configuring a Dell Networking
Switch. For all other switches, see the manufacturer’s documentation.
• For a list of supported switches, see Requirements for Fluid Cache.
1. Connect the ports on the network adapter to properly configured ports on a network switch.
NOTE: A redundant switch configuration is recommended.
If you have two switches for redundancy, on all of the cache network adapters, you must connect
port 1 to one switch and port 2 to the other switch.
2. Make sure that all ports used in the cache network have the following settings:
• The ports are in layer 2 mode.
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