Virtual Link Trunking (VLT) aggregates two identical physical switches to form a single logical extended switch. However, each of the VLT peers has its own control and data planes and can be configured individually for port, protocol, and management behaviors. Though the dual physical units act as a single logical unit, the control and data plane of both switches remain isolated, ensuring high availability and high resilience for all its connected devices. This differs from the legacy stacking concept, where there is a single control plane across all switches in the stack, creating a single point of failure.
With the critical need for high availability in modern data centers and enterprise networks, VLT plays a vital role connecting with rapid convergence, seamless traffic flow, efficient load balancing, and loop free capabilities.
With the instantaneous synchronization of MAC and ARP entries, both the nodes remain active/active and continue to forward the data traffic seamlessly.
VLT is required when operating in SmartFabric mode.
For more information about VLT, see the Virtual Link Trunking chapter in the Dell SmartFabric OS10 User Guide. Find the relevant version of the User Guide in the OME-M and OS10 compatibility and documentation table.