Dell Networking N4000 6.0.1.3 series SCG

Switch Configuration Guide for EqualLogic SANs

Dell Storage Engineering

March 2014

SISfeedback@Dell.comRevisions

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Dell, the Dell logo, and the Dell badge, Dell Networking, PowerConnect, EqualLogic, and Force10 are trademarks of Dell Inc.Table of contents

Revisions (2)

1Introduction (5)

1.1Audience (5)

1.2Switch details (5)

1.3Cabling diagram (6)

2Dell recommended switch configuration (7)

2.1Hardware configuration (7)

2.2Delete startup configuration (7)

2.3Disable DCB (9)

2.4Configure out of band (OOB) management port (9)

2.5Http and Telnet authentication (9)

2.6Configure login credentials (9)

2.7Enable iSCSI optimization feature (10)

2.8Configure flow control (optional) (10)

2.9Configure Jumbo MTU for all ports (10)

2.10Configure spanning tree portfast on edge ports (11)

2.11Configure QSFP ports for LAG (11)

2.12Save configuration (11)

2.13Configure additional switch (11)

3Configure Data Center Bridging (DCB) (Optional) (12)

3.1Enable DCB (12)

3.2Create VLAN (12)

3.3Configure class of service, dot1p mapping, and traffic class (12)

3.4Configure Priority flow control on switch ports and port channel (12)

3.5Configure ETS values (13)

3.6Save configuration (13)

3.7Configure additional switches (14)

4Reverting from DCB to non-DCB configuration (Optional) (15)

4.1Disable DCB and the DCB policies (15)

4.2Revert to default VLAN ID on switch and arrays (16)

4.3Save configuration (16)4.4Configure additional switch (16)

Additional resources (17)1Introduction

This document illustrates how to configure Dell™ Networking 4000 Series and Dell PowerConnect 8100

switches for use with EqualLogic™ PS Series storage using Dell best practices. The recommended

configuration uses link aggregation groups (LAGs) for inter-switch connections. Optional steps are

provided in Section 3 to enable Data Center Bridging (DCB).

1.1Audience

This switch configuration guide describes an optimal configuration following Dell best practices for an

EqualLogic iSCSI SAN and is intended for storage or network administrators and deployment personnel.

1.2Switch details

The table below provides an overview of the switch configuration.

1.3Cabling diagram

The cabling diagram shown below represents the Dell recommend method for deploying your servers and EqualLogic arrays.

Figure 1Cabling diagram

2Dell recommended switch configuration

These steps show how to configure two Dell PowerConnect 8100 Series or Dell Networking N4000 Series switches with a Link Aggregation Group (LAG). The switches are interconnected using two 40 GbE Quad

Small Form-factor Pluggable (QSFP) uplink ports, and the LAG is configured for Dynamic Link Aggregation

Control Protocol (LACP).

Dell recommends using QSFP (40 Gb) uplink module ports to create a Link Aggregation Group (LAG)

between switches. This option can provide the highest switch interconnect bandwidth as well as the best

availability.

2.1Hardware configuration

1.Power on the two switches.

2.Connect a serial cable to the serial port of the first switch.

3.Using Putty or another terminal utility, open a serial connection session to the switch.

4.Open your terminal emulator and configure it to use the serial port (usually COM1, but this may vary

depending on your system). Configure serial communications for 9600,N,8,1 and no flow control.

5.Connect the (QSFP) LAG cables between the switches. See this configuration in Figure 1.

2.2Delete startup configuration

console>enable

console#reload

Are you sure you want to reload the stack? (y/n) y

Follow the prompts shown below when the Main Menu is displayed during the bootup process.

Dell Networking Boot Options

============================

Select a menu option within 3 seconds or the Operational Code will start

automatically...

1 - Start Operational Code

2 - Display Boot Menu

Select (1, 2)# 2Boot Main Menu

==============

1 - Start Operational Code

2 - Select Baud Rate

3 - Retrieve Logs

4 - Load New Operational Code

5 - Display Operational Code Details

9 - Reboot

10 - Restore Configuration to Factory Defaults

11 - Activate Backup Image

12 - Start Password Recovery

Enter choice number 10.

Are sure you want to Erase Current Configuration? (Y/N): Y Erasing Current Configuration...done.

Boot Main Menu

==============

1 - Start Operational Code

2 - Select Baud Rate

3 - Retrieve Logs

4 - Load New Operational Code

5 - Display Operational Code Details

9 - Reboot

10 - Restore Configuration to Factory Defaults

11 - Activate Backup Image

12 - Start Password Recovery

Enter choice number 9 and the system will reboot. Wait for the following prompt:Would you like to run the setup wizard (you must answer this question within 60

seconds)? [Y/N] N

2.3Disable DCB

console>enable

console#configure

console(config)#no dcb enable

console(config)#exit

2.4Configure out of band (OOB) management port

console>enable

console>#configure

console(config)#interface out-of-band

console(config-if)#ip address ipaddress mask gateway

console(config-if)#exit

2.5Http and Telnet authentication

console>enable

console#config

console(config)#line telnet

console(config-telnet)#login authentication default

console(config-telnet)#exit

console(config)#ip http authentication local

2.6Configure login credentials

console(config)#username admin password yourpassword privilege 15

console(config)#enable password yourpasswordconsole(config)#exit

2.7Enable iSCSI optimization feature

This feature, enabled by default, is activated when EqualLogic arrays are detected. It automatically

performs the following:

∙Configures jumbo frames to 9216 on all ports.

∙Disables unicast storm.

∙Enables spanning tree portfast on ports connected to EqualLogic arrays.

∙Configures flow control on all ports.

console#configure

console(config)#iscsi enable

Enabling iSCSI Optimization will enable Flow Control which may cause all the

interfaces to temporarily go down.

Are you sure you want to continue? (y/n) y

console(config)#exit

2.8Configure flow control (optional)

console#configure

console(config)#flowcontrol receive on

This operation may take a few minutes.

Management interfaces will not be available during this time.

Are you sure you want to continue? (y/n)y

console(config)#exit

2.9Configure Jumbo MTU for all ports

console(config)#system jumbo mtu 9216

console(config)# exit2.10Configure spanning tree portfast on edge ports

console#configure

console(config)#interface range tengigabitethernet all

console(config-if)#spanning-tree portfast

console(config-if)#exit

2.11Configure QSFP ports for LAG

These commands assign 40Gb QSFP ports to the Port Channel.

console(config)#interface range fortygigabitethernet 1/0/1-2

console(config-if)#no spanning-tree portfast

console(config-if)#channel-group 1 mode active

console(config-if)#exit

2.12Save configuration

console#copy running-config startup-config

This operation may take a few minutes.

Management interfaces will not be available during this time.

Are you sure you want to save? (y/n)y

2.13Configure additional switch

Repeat the commands from Section 2 to configure the second switch.

3Configure Data Center Bridging (DCB) (Optional) DCB is enabled by default. This section shows the steps required to configure DCB.

3.1Enable DCB

If DCB was previously disabled, it must be manually re-enabled.

console#configure

console(config)#dcb enable

3.2Create VLAN

console#configure

console(conf)# vlan vlan-id

console(conf)#exit

3.3Configure class of service, dot1p mapping, and traffic class

console(config)#iscsi cos enable

console(config)#iscsi cos vpt 4

console(config)#classofservice dot1p-mapping 4 4

console(config)#classofservice traffic-class-group 4 1

3.4Configure Priority flow control on switch ports and port channel

console(config)#interface range tengigabitethernet all

console(config-if)#datacenter-bridging

console(config-if-dcb)#priority-flow-control mode on

console(config-if-dcb)#priority-flow-control priority 4 no-drop

console(config-if-dcb)#exit

console(config-if)#switchport mode trunk

console(config-if)#exit

console(config)#interface range fortygigabitethernet 1/0/1-2

console(config-if)#datacenter-bridging

console(config-if-dcb)#priority-flow-control mode on

console(config-if-dcb)#priority-flow-control priority 4 no-drop

console(config-if-dcb)#exit

console(config-if)#switchport mode trunk

console(config-if)#exit

console(config)#interface port-channel 1

console(config-if-Po1)#switchport mode trunk

console(config-if-Po1)#exit

3.5Configure ETS values

console(config)#traffic-class-group weight 50 50 0

console(config)#exit

3.6Save configuration

console# copy running-config startup-config

This operation may take a few minutes.

Management interfaces will not be available during this time.

Are you sure you want to save? (y/n)y3.7Configure additional switches

Repeat the commands from Section 3 to configure DCB on additional switches.4Reverting from DCB to non-DCB configuration (Optional) One method to revert from a DCB configured switch to a non-DCB configured switch is to delete the

current configuration (startup-config) and follow the steps in Section 2. If deleting the current

configuration is not an option, then use the following procedure to unconfigure DCB and enable standard

flow control.

4.1Disable DCB and the DCB policies

console#configure

console(config)#no dcb enable

console(config)# no traffic-class-group weight

console(config)#no classofservice dot1p-mapping

console(config)#no classofservice traffic-class-group

console(config)#no iscsi cos

console(config)#interface range tengigabitethernet all

console(config-if)#datacenter-bridging

console(config-if-dcb)#no priority-flow-control mode

console(config-if-dcb)#no priority-flow-control priority

console(config-if-dcb)#exit

console(config-if)#exit

console(config)#interface range fortygigabitethernet all

console(config-if)#datacenter-bridging

console(config-if-dcb)#no priority-flow-control mode

console(config-if-dcb)#no priority-flow-control priority

console(config-if-dcb)#exit

console(config-if)#exit4.2Revert to default VLAN ID on switch and arrays

Once DCB is disabled on the switch, the EqualLogic arrays will no longer use the VLAN ID that was

configured when DCB was enabled. The arrays will revert to the default or native VLAN. Therefore, a valid

VLAN must be configured for all host servers, switches, and EqualLogic array members. A valid VLAN can

use the default or native VLAN ID (typically 0 or 1) or a specific VLAN can be configured (for example,

VLAN 100). If a non-default VLAN is configured, then any ports connected to the arrays must be

configured as “untagged”.

Use the steps below to configure the native VLAN on the switch.

console#configure

console(config)#interface range tengigabitethernet all

console(config-if)#no switchport mode

console(config-if)#exit

console(config)#interface range fortygigabitethernet all

console(config-if)#no switchport mode

console(config-if)#exit

console(config)#interface port-channel 1

console(config-if)#no switchport mode

console(config-if)#exit

console(config)#no vlan vlan-id

console(config)#exit

4.3Save configuration

console# copy running-config startup-config

This operation may take a few minutes.

Management interfaces will not be available during this time.

Are you sure you want to save? (y/n)y

4.4Configure additional switch

Repeat the commands from Section 4 to disable DCB on any additional switches.Additional resources

Support.dell.com is focused on meeting your needs with proven services and support.

DellTechCenter.com is an IT Community where you can connect with Dell Customers and Dell employees for the purpose of sharing knowledge, best practices, and information about Dell products and your

installations.

Referenced or recommended Dell publications:

∙Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide:

http://en.community.dell.com/dell-groups/dtcmedia/m/mediagallery/19852516/download.aspx

∙Dell EqualLogic Compatibility Matrix:

http://en.community.dell.com/dell-groups/dtcmedia/m/mediagallery/19856862/download.aspx For EqualLogic best practices white papers, reference architectures, and sizing guidelines for enterprise

applications and SANs, refer to Storage Infrastructure and Solutions Team Publications at:

∙http://dell.to/sM4hJT