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Unleash the Power of NVMe over TCP with Enterprise SONiC by Dell Technologies
Mon, 27 Feb 2023 19:40:41 -0000
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If you’re looking into NVMe/TCP as your new Storage Area Network (SAN) solution, then you already know that you can save on CAPEX and OPEX by using Ethernet instead of Fibre Channel. When selecting an Ethernet switch operating system, check out Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies, which offers a full feature set that covers all of your NVMe/TCP needs and more.
SONiC (Software for Open Networking in the Cloud) is an open-source network operating system based on Debian Linux. Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies builds on the open-source version by adding new features that have been hardened and validated for use in our customers’ environments, all of which is backed by Dell’s world-class support. Combine this with PowerStore or PowerMax storage, PowerSwitch networking, and PowerEdge hosts, and you’ve got a one-stop-shop for your NVMe/TCP solution. To make deploying and managing the solution easier, Dell provides the industry’s first NVMe/TCP Centralized Discovery Controller – SmartFabric Storage Software (SFSS). For more about SFSS, see The NVMe/TCP Dating App!
To learn more about NVMe/TCP, see the NVMe, NVMe/TCP, and Dell SmartFabric Storage Software Overview - IP SAN Solution Primer.
From the networking perspective, NVMe/TCP’s requirements are relatively simple, especially when compared with iSCSI, RoCE, FCoE, and even FC. The network only needs to do what it does best: forward packets from source to destination. The host and storage operating systems, such as ESXi, Linux, PowerStoreOS, and PowerMax, take care of the rest!
Figure 1: The endpoints do the NVMe/TCP processing, and the network just forwards IP traffic.
Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies is a highly scalable and customizable network operating system that can be used to build a storage network of any size, ranging from a simple two-switch setup to a large-scale spine/leaf fabric with thousands of endpoints. SONiC offers several features and functionalities that make it well suited for storage networking, including support for a variety of switching hardware, a modular design that enables administrators to add or remove features as needed, and a strong focus on network automation and programmability.
The SONiC CLI is very similar to that of other commonly used operating systems, meaning it is easy for administrators to learn and adopt. Here’s how simple the switch interface configuration is:
SAN Switch A | SAN Switch B |
interface vlan1921 description SAN_A mtu 9216 ! interface Eth1/1 description NVMeTCP_Endpoint_Port_1 mtu 9216 speed 25000 switchport trunk allowed vlan 1921 no shutdown | interface vlan1922 description SAN_B mtu 9216 ! interface Eth1/1 description NVMeTCP_Endpoint_Port_2 mtu 9216 speed 25000 switchport trunk allowed vlan 1922 no shutdown |
As NVMe/TCP implementations gain traction in data centers, monitoring the performance of the network will be important for network administrators to ensure they get the most from their investment. The good news is that monitoring solutions - like the one offered by Augtera, a Dell partner - make it easy to fold the NVMe/TCP fabric into standard network management solutions. Read more about how Augtera provides proactive detection and isolation of NVMe/TCP congestion using Machine Learning here.
We made quick work of configuring SONiC on Dell PowerSwitch S5248F-ON in our Proof-of-Concept lab. For resiliency and security, we used two air-gapped IP SAN Switches, one for SAN A and one for SAN B, each with a Layer 2 network dedicated to NVMe/TCP traffic. Using dedicated switches and ports for NVMe/TCP removes the risk of contention with LAN traffic. The dual SAN topology creates an active/active resilient solution. Furthermore, this topology provides additional security by constraining NVMe/TCP traffic within Layer 2 networks, resulting in Layer 3 isolation from the rest of the network.
Figure 2: Proof of Concept Topology
Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies is used by some of the largest cloud service providers. It is a practical choice for customers who are looking for improved performance, flexibility, reduced cost, and ease of deployment. The combination of Enterprise SONiC with NVMe/TCP makes an attractive option for organizations that need to build large and complex storage networks to meet the demands of their data-intensive workloads.
Contact your sales representative to learn more about how NVMe/TCP with SONiC can benefit your organization. Our experts can provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision and guide you through the implementation process.
Resources
To explore more of SONiC’s features, check out the Enterprise SONiC Spec Sheet.
To learn more about Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies, see Enterprise SONiC Networking Solutions.
Special thanks to Claire O'Keeffe, Zain Raza, and Aarti Utreja!