Dell EMC PowerEdge MX
The Dell EMC PowerEdge MX is a unified, high-performance data center infrastructure. It provides the agility, resiliency, and efficiency to optimize a wide variety of traditional and new, emerging data center workloads and applications. With its kinetic architecture and agile management, the PowerEdge MX platform dynamically configures the compute, storage, and fabric, increases team effectiveness, and accelerates operations. The responsive design delivers the innovation and longevity that customers need for their IT and digital business transformations.
As part of the PowerEdge MX platform, the Dell EMC SmartFabric OS10 network operating system includes SmartFabric Services. SmartFabric Services is a network automation and orchestration solution that is fully integrated with the PowerEdge MX platform.
Dell EMC Networking MX9116n Fabric Switching Engine (FSE)
The Dell EMC Networking MX9116n Fabric Switching Engine (FSE) is a scalable, high-performance, low latency 25 GbE switch purpose-built for the PowerEdge MX platform. In addition to sixteen internal 25 GbE ports, the MX9116n FSE also provides two 100 GbE QSFP28 ports, two 100 GbE QSFP28 unified ports, and twelve 2x 100 GbE QSFP-28 Double Density (DD) ports. In this document, two MX9116n FSEs are used as I/O modules connected to the S5232F-ON leaf switches. The two 100 GbE QSFP28 unified ports can be configured for native Ethernet or native Fibre Channel.
Dell EMC Networking MX5108n Ethernet switch
The Dell EMC Networking MX5108n Ethernet switch is targeted at small PowerEdge MX platform deployments of one or two chassis. While not a scalable switch, it still provides high-performance and low latency with a non-blocking switching architecture. In addition to eight internal 25 GbE ports, the MX5108n provides one 40 GbE QSFP+ port, two 100 GbE QSFP28 ports, four 10 GbE RJ45 BASE-T ports. In this document, two MX5108n may be used as I/O modules connected to the S5232F-ON leaf switches.
Dell EMC Networking MX7116n Fabric Expander Module (FEM)
The Dell EMC Networking MX7116n Fabric Expander Module (FEM) acts as an Ethernet repeater, taking signals from attached compute sleds and repeating them to the associated lane on the external QSFP28-DD connector. The MX7116n FEM provides two QSFP28-DD interfaces, each providing eight 25 Gbps connections to the chassis.
There is no operating system or switching ASIC on the MX7116n FEM. Updates for the MX7116n FEM are packaged with OME-M updates. Also, there is no management or user interface, which makes the MX7116n FEM maintenance-free.
The MX7116n FEM is required to be connected to a MX9116n FSE or another valid switch in order to function, where all logical operations occur. The PowerEdge MX7000 chassis supports up to four MX7116n FEM units in Fabric A, Fabric B, or both.