The Dell Networking MX9116n Fabric Switching Engine (FSE) and MX5108n Ethernet Switch operate in one of two modes:
- Full Switch mode (Default) – All switch-specific SmartFabric OS10 capabilities are available and managed through the CLI.
- SmartFabric mode – Switches operate as a Layer 2 I/O aggregation fabric and are managed through the Open Manage Enterprise-Modular (OME-M) console.
Full Switch mode
In Full Switch mode, all SmartFabric OS10 features and functions that are supported by the hardware are available to the user. In other words, the switch operates the same way as any other SmartFabric OS10 switch. Configuration is primarily done using the CLI, however, the following items can be configured or managed using the OME-M UI:
- Initial switch deployment: Configure hostname, password, SNMP, NTP, and so on
- Monitor health, logs, alerts, and events
- Update the SmartFabric OS10 firmware
- View physical topology
- Switch power management
Full Switch mode is typically used when a desired feature or function is not available when operating in SmartFabric mode. For more information about Dell SmartFabric OS10 operations, find the relevant version of the User Guide in the OME-M and OS10 compatibility and documentation table.
SmartFabric mode
A SmartFabric is a logical entity that consists of a collection of physical resources, such as servers and switches, and logical resources such as networks, templates, and uplinks. The OpenManage Enterprise – Modular (OME-M) console provides a method to manage these resources as a single unit.
For more information about SmartFabric mode, see Overview of SmartFabric Services for PowerEdge MX.