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Reference Guide—Network Integration and Host Network Configuration Options
Notes, cautions, and warnings Copyright Introduction to network integration
Network integration overview
Scalable Architecture Switchless Architecture Additional guidance for all configurations Appendix

Network integration overview

Network integration overview

  • Dell EMC Solutions for Microsoft Azure Stack HCI encompasses various configurations of the AX-640, AX-650, AX-740xd, AX-750, AX-6515, and AX-7525 platforms to power the primary compute cluster that is deployed as Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI). These configurations use a flexible architecture rather than a fixed component design. This flexibility in component choice brings in different choices for integrating the server nodes as a solution and in the host network configuration. Dell EMC Solutions for Microsoft Azure Stack HCI can be deployed in two different usage models:

    • The scalable model supports from two to 16 nodes in a cluster, and uses top-of-rack switches for management and storage traffic networking.
    • The switchless storage usage model uses full mesh connections between the cluster nodes for storage traffic and supports from two to four nodes in a cluster.

    Host management and storage networking in each usage model can be implemented in different ways. The scalable model supports fully converged, non-converged physical, and non-converged Switch-Embedded Teaming (SET) storage options while the switchless storage networking model supports single-link full mesh and dual-link full mesh topologies. A detailed description of these different topologies across usage models is available in subsequent sections.

    The following figure depicts the network integration options available based on Dell EMC Solutions for Microsoft Azure Stack HCI:

    Figure 1. Network integration options
    Chart showing network integration options

    This guide describes the complete list of integration options for each usage model (Scalable and Switchless Storage), host operating system configuration options, and provides PowerShell commands to complete the host operating system network configuration. It includes adapter-specific configuration instructions that are related to RoCEv2 or iWARP configurations in the host operating system. The following documents specify instructions to configure top-of-rack networking switches:

    The following sections provide an overview of the topology and deployment instructions for each integration option.