Dell network switches support SmartFabric Services, which enable the configuration and operation of the switches to be controlled outside of the standard management console through a REST API interface. Certain Dell EMC switch models support initializing the switches with a SmartFabric personality profile, which then forms a unified network fabric. The SmartFabric personality profile enables VxRail to become the source for the automated configuration and administration of the Dell switches.

In this profile setting, VxRail uses the SmartFabric feature to discover VxRail nodes and Dell EMC switches on the network, perform zero-touch configuration of the switch fabric to support VxRail deployment, and then create a unified hyperconverged infrastructure of the VxRail cluster and Dell EMC switch network fabric.

Figure 20.          VxRail with SmartFabric Services

For ongoing VxRail cluster network management after initial deployment, the Dell EMC OMNI (Open Manage Network Interface) vCenter plug-in is provided free of charge. The Dell EMC OMNI plug-in enables the integration and orchestration of the physical and virtual networking components in the VxRail-SmartFabric HCI stack, providing deep visibility from the vClient for ease of overall management and troubleshooting. The Dell EMC OMNI plug-in serves as the centralized point of administration for SmartFabric-enabled networks in the data center, with a user interface eliminating the need to manage the switches individually at the console level.

The orchestration of SmartFabric Services with the VxRail cluster means that state changes to the virtual network settings on the vCenter instance will be synchronized to the switch fabric using REST API. In this scenario, there is no need to manually reconfigure the switches that are connected to the VxRail nodes when an update such as a new VLAN, port group, or virtual switch, is made using the vClient.

The SmartFabric-enabled networking infrastructure can start as small as a pair of Dell EMC Ethernet switches, and can expand to support a leaf-spine topology across multiple racks. A VxLAN-based tunnel is automatically configured across the leaf and spine switches, which enable the VxRail nodes to be discovered and absorbed into a VxRail cluster from any rack within the switch fabric.

More information about planning and deployment can be found here: https://www.dellemc.com/resources/en-us/asset/technical-guides-support-information/products/converged-infrastructure/h18290-vxrail-with-smartfabric-services-planning-and-preparation-guide.pdf.

Figure 21.          Smart Fabric enabled multi-rack network expansion