Users Guide

Data Center Bridging (DCB)
On an I/O Aggregator, data center bridging (DCB) features are auto-configured in standalone mode. You can display information on DCB
operation by using show commands.
NOTE: DCB features are not supported on an Aggregator in stacking mode.
Supported Modes
Standalone, Stacking, PMUX, VLT
Topics:
• Ethernet Enhancements in Data Center Bridging
• Enabling Data Center Bridging
• Data Center Bridging: Default Configuration
• Data Center Bridging: Auto-DCB-Enable Mode
• Configuring Priority-Based Flow Control
• Configuring Enhanced Transmission Selection
• Hierarchical Scheduling in ETS Output Policies
• DCBx Operation
• Verifying the DCB Configuration
• QoS dot1p Traffic Classification and Queue Assignment
• Troubleshooting PFC, ETS, and DCBx Operation
• Configuring the Dynamic Buffer Method
Ethernet Enhancements in Data Center Bridging
The following section describes DCB.
• The device supports the following DCB features:
• Data center bridging exchange protocol (DCBx)
• Priority-based flow control (PFC)
• Enhanced transmission selection (ETS)
DCB refers to a set of IEEE Ethernet enhancements that provide data centers with a single, robust, converged network to support
multiple traffic types, including local area network (LAN), server, and storage traffic. Through network consolidation, DCB results in
reduced operational cost, simplified management, and easy scalability by avoiding the need to deploy separate application-specific
networks.
For example, instead of deploying an Ethernet network for LAN traffic, additional storage area networks (SANs) to ensure lossless fibre-
channel traffic, and a separate InfiniBand network for high-performance inter-processor computing within server clusters, only one DCB-
enabled network is required in a data center. The Dell Networking switches that support a unified fabric and consolidate multiple network
infrastructures use a single input/output (I/O) device called a converged network adapter (CNA).
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