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Dell VxRail Network Planning Guide
Introduction Plan the VxRail network
Plan the VxRail network
VxRail clusters and nodes
Network switch
VxRail relationship with the Ethernet switch VxRail node discovery and the Ethernet switch Basic switch requirements Switch performance considerations Storage network considerations Network redundancy and performance considerations
Data center network
Routing services
VxRail networking port options
VxRail Ethernet adapter options
VxRail FC adapter options
VxRail RoCE adapter options
VxRail DPU options
VxRail node connectivity options
VxRail networking rules and restrictions
Topology and connections
VxRail Cluster Types VxRail feature-driven decision points VxRail hardware and switch selection decision points Prepare the data center to implement VxRail Plan the VxRail cluster implementation Planning vSAN Witness Networking Planning VxRail Satellite Nodes Networking Configure the Network for VxRail Prepare to build the VxRail cluster VxRail network considerations after implementation Appendix A: VxRail Network Configuration Table Appendix B: VxRail Passwords Appendix C: VxRail cluster setup checklist Appendix D: VxRail Open Ports Requirements Appendix E: VMware VDS port group default settings Appendix F: Physical Network Switch Examples

VxRail Ethernet adapter options

VxRail Ethernet adapter options

  • There are restrictions on the models of Ethernet adapters cards and ports that can be configured for VxRail nodes. Each vendor adapter card and firmware that is selected for support with VxRail must pass tests to qualify.

    Table 1. Networking products that pass qualification and are supported for VxRail
    Port speed Vendor
    10 GbE
    • Intel
    • Broadcom
    • QLogic
    25 GbE
    • Broadcom
    • Intel
    • Mellanox
    • QLogic
    100 GbE

    Mellanox

    Follow the guidelines to drive port adapter selection:
    • When a VxRail cluster is initially built, it is recommended, but not required, that all the NIC cards that are used to form the cluster be of the same vendor. This rule does not apply to nodes added to an existing VxRail cluster, so long as the port speed and port type match the existing nodes.
    • Use the same adapter card vendor and model for all the nodes in a cluster that support VxRail cluster operations. There is no guarantee that using optics or cables from one vendor with an adapter card from another vendor works as expected. Consult the Dell cable and optics support matrix before attempting to mix vendor equipment in a VxRail cluster.
    • The feature sets supported from NIC card suppliers do not always match. There is a dependency on the firmware and driver in the adapter card to support certain features. If a feature is needed to meet a business requirement, consult with a sales specialist to verify that the needed feature is supported for a specific vendor.