Release Notes

Data Center Bridging (DCB)
67 Dell PS Series Configuration Guide
Designing a converged network deployment with components that have no DCB support or partial DCB
support is not recommended for end-to-end converged I/O. Configurations with components that have no
DCB support or partial DCB support may result in loss of expected functionality or may be functional without
meeting the converged network objectives.
Note: It is not recommended to share network infrastructure with DCB and non-DCB components.
For a complete list of components that support the DCB standards, see the Dell EMC Storage Compatibility
Matrix.
Note: It is important to verify that all components in the SAN are listed in the Dell Storage Compatibility Matrix
as DCB Supported, or that the components support all PS Series requirements for DCB.
See the following links to DCB papers:
• Dell PS Series DCB Configuration Best Practices
• Dell PowerEdge M1000e Blade Enclosure and Dell PS Series SAN Design Best Practices Using Dell
S-Series and M-Series Networking
13.3 VLANs for iSCSI
A non-default VLAN is required for operating prioritized lossless iSCSI traffic in a DCB enabled Ethernet
infrastructure. Switch ports that are based on the IEEE 802.1Q VLAN specification forward frames in the
default or native VLAN without tags (untagged frames). Normally these ports also receive frames in the
default or native VLAN as untagged. Such a port is typically termed a “tagged port” or “trunk port” and all non-
default VLAN frames are forwarded with the tags intact. Since the DCB priority information (PCP value) is
encoded in the VLAN tag, this information will be lost if an end-device sends iSCSI traffic in a default or native
VLAN and the switch receives it in a tagged or trunk port. As a result, DCB prioritization and traffic
classification will be lost.
All devices in the iSCSI data path must have the same VLAN ID configured on the respective ports
participating in the iSCSI network to ensure proper functioning. These devices include the server iSCSI
NIC/CNA ports, Ps Series arrays, and all switches on the iSCSI SAN.
Note: The VLAN ID for iSCSI can be set in the PS Series Group Manager interface or the storage array CLI.
When DCB is enabled on the switch, it is necessary to configure a non-default VLAN on the array, switch, and
all host ports that are part of the PS Series SAN. VLAN IDs 0 and 1 are not recommended, because these
may be the default or reserved VLAN for some switches, and as such, may forward frames untagged (e.g. no
VLAN tagging). VLAN tagging is required to fully support DCB.
For more information on the DCB requirements and configuration guidelines for PS Series, to ensure that
DCB is properly enabled and/or disabled across all devices, and to assist with identifying and resolving basic
DCB configuration issues in the PS Series SAN, see the following white paper: Dell PS Series DCB
Configuration Best Practices
For a comprehensive understanding of integrating an M1000e Blade Chassis in a Full End-to-End Data
Center Bridging environment, see the following white paper: Dell PowerEdge M1000e Blade Enclosure and
Dell PS Series SAN Design Best Practices Using Dell S-Series and M-Series Networking