Saving Time with Zero Touch Deployment
Tue, 13 Sep 2022 23:29:29 -0000
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In today’s era of connectivity, people’s online presences and the data attached are constantly expanding. While new customers are always good for business, they can be demanding on a company's IT infrastructure and the departments in charge of them. Before the release of Zero Touch Deployment (ZTD), infrastructure deployment meant dull work for the IT staff required to manually set up and configure the new equipment. However, with modern-day automation capabilities, companies no longer need to worry about spending unnecessary time and resources on these mundane tasks.
With ZTD, the process of expanding and connecting a company’s network hardware is quicker and easier than ever. IT only needs to set up the necessary configurations in a server for their switches once, and then watch as the data is automatically copied over to each additional switch that is added to the network. This process frees up valuable time for IT personnel, allowing them to direct their energy to more valuable and engaging projects.
ZTD works to provide automated switch deployment onto a network using a set of preconfigurations, allowing users a plug-and-play network environment where new devices can adjust to network settings immediately. The following figure shows a high-level overview:
Figure 1. ZTD Automation process
By connecting the new switch to your network, it automatically downloads the configuration that it needs from the DHCP server. In addition to running the file directly from the DHCP server, you can download the file from another on-premises server or the web by using HTTP, SFTP, TFTP, or FTP. If you do not already have a preset file, there is no need to worry. The server will download and run a file with default settings, which you can modify later when you figure out your configuration.
Using ZTD instead of a manual configuration provides many benefits such as:
- Resource efficiency
- Lower costs
- Faster installation
- Improved error resolutions and quality control
- Quicker and simpler updates and changes
The first three benefits are expected with most automation projects and were described briefly in the preceding introduction. However, with ZTD, you can see the additional benefits of a central configuration file. Because all switches connect from a single source instead of independent files, it is much easier to troubleshoot where the errors occur and quickly resolve these errors for the whole network. With the convenience of a central file, you can also enjoy the ease of providing full system updates through a single source.
For more detailed information and for help setting up ZTD, see the Dell SmartFabric OS10 zero-touch deployment topic in the Dell SmartFabric OS10 User Guide at https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/en-in/networking-mx7116n/smartfabric-os-user-guide-10-5-0/dell-emc-smartfabric-os10-zero-touch-deployment?guid=guid-95ca07a2-2bcb-4ea2-84ef-ef9d11a4fa0e&lang=en-us.
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Dell Technologies PowerEdge MX 100 GbE solution with external Fabric Switching Engine
Mon, 26 Jun 2023 20:31:38 -0000
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The Dell PowerEdge MX platform is advancing its position as the leading high-performance data center infrastructure by introducing a 100 GbE networking solution. This evolved networking architecture not only provides the benefit of 100 GbE speed but also increases the number of MX7000 chassis within a Scalable Fabric. The 100 GbE networking solution brings a new type of architecture, starting with an external Fabric Switching Engine (FSE).
PowerEdge MX 100 GbE solution design example
The diagram shows only one connection on each MX8116n for simplicity. See the port-mapping section in the networking deployment guide here.
Figure 1. 100 GbE solution example topology
Components for 100 GbE networking solution
The key hardware components for 100 GbE operation within the MX Platform are described below with a minimal description.
Dell Networking MX8116n Fabric Expander Module
The MX8116n FEM includes two QSFP56-DD interfaces, with each interface providing up to 4x 100Gbps connections to the chassis, 8x 100 GbE internal server-facing ports for 100 GbE NICs, and 16x 25 GbE for 25 GbE NICs.
The MX7000 chassis supports up to four MX8116n FEMs in Fabric A and Fabric B.
Figure 2. MX8116n FEM
The following MX8116n FEM components are labeled in the preceding figure:
- Express service tag
- Power and indicator LEDs
- Module insertion and removal latch
- Two QSFP56-DD fabric expander ports
Dell PowerEdge MX760c compute sled
- The MX760c is ideal for dense virtualization environments and can serve as a foundation for collaborative workloads.
- Businesses can install up to eight MX760c sleds in a single MX7000 chassis and combine them with compute sleds from different generations.
- Single or dual CPU (up to 56 cores per processor/socket with four x UPI @ 24 GT/s) and 32x DIMM slots DDR5 with eight memory channels.
- 8x E3.S NVMe (Gen5 x4) or 6 x 2.5" SAS/SATA SSDs or 6 x NVMe (Gen4) SSDs and iDRAC9 with lifecycle controller.
Note: The 100 GbE Dual Port Mezzanine card is also available on the MX750c.
Figure 3. Dell PowerEdge MX760c sled with eight E3.s SSD drives
Dell PowerSwitch Z9432F-ON external Fabric Switching Engine
The Z9432F-ON provides state-of-the-art, high-density 100/400 GbE ports, and a broad range of functionality to meet the growing demands of modern data center environments. Compact and offers an industry-leading density of 32 ports of 400 GbE in QSFP56-DD, 128 ports of 100, or up to 144 ports of 10/25/50 (through breakout) in a 1RU design. Up to 25.6 Tbps non-blocking (full duplex), switching fabric delivers line-rate performance under full load.L2 multipath support using Virtual Link Trunking (VLT) and Routed VLT support. Scalable L2 and L3 Ethernet switching with QoS and a full complement of standards-based IPv4 and IPv6 features, including OSPF and BGP routing support.
Figure 4. Dell PowerSwitch Z9432F-ON
Note: Mixed dual port 100 GbE and quad port 25 GbE mezzanine cards connecting to the same MX8116n are not a supported configuration.
100 GbE deployment options
There are four deployment options for the 100 GbE solution, and every option requires servers with a dual port 100 GbE mezzanine card. You can install the mezzanine card in either mezzanine slot A, B, or both. When you use the Broadcom 575 KR dual port 100 GbE mezzanine card, you should set the Z9432F-ON port-group to unrestricted mode and configure the port mode for 100g-4x.
PowerSwitch CLI example:
port-group 1/1/1
profile unrestricted
port 1/1/1 mode Eth 100g-4x
port 1/1/2 mode Eth 100g-4x
Note: The 100 GbE solution deployment, 14 maximum numbers of chassis are supported in single fabric, and 7 maximum numbers of chassis are supported in dual fabric using the same pair of FSE solution.
Single fabric
In a single fabric deployment, two MX8116n can be installed either in Fabric A or Fabric B, and the corresponding slot of the sled in slot-A or slot-B can have the 100 GbE mezzanine card installed.
Figure 5. 100 GbE Single Fabric
Dual fabric combined fabrics
In this option, four MX8116n (2x in Fabric A and 2x in Fabric B) can be installed and combined to connect Z9432F-ON external FSE.
Figure 6. 100 GbE Dual Fabric combined Fabrics
Dual fabric separate fabrics
In this option four, MX8116n (2x in Fabric A and 2x in Fabric B) can be installed and connected to two different networks. In this case, the MX760c server module has two mezzanine cards, with each card connected to a separate network.
Figure 7. 100 GbE Dual Fabric separate Fabrics
Dual fabric, single MX8116n in each fabric, separate fabrics
In this option two, MX8116n (1x in Fabric A and 1x in Fabric B) can be installed and connected to two different networks. In this case, the MX760c server module has two mezzanine cards, each connected to a separate network.
Figure 8. 100 GbE Dual Fabric single FEM in separate Fabrics
References
Dell PowerEdge Networking Deployment Guide
A chapter about 100 GbE solution with external Fabric Switching Engine
What are the Dell SmartFabric™ Products?
Mon, 26 Jun 2023 14:09:10 -0000
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This blog aims to clarify the range of Dell Technologies’ SmartFabric branded products available today. We are always innovating here at Dell, so look out for more to come!
Here are four solutions that use the SmartFabric brand:
The following table provides links to further documentation, products that are interoperable with the solution, and how an administrator can access the product.
| Product | What does it do? | Related products | User Interface |
1 | SmartFabric OS10 | Operates Dell PowerSwitch switches as the network operating system. OS10 can run in “Full switch mode” or “SmartFabric mode.” | Dell PowerSwitch switches listed in the SmartFabric OS10 Hardware Compatibility List. |
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2 | SmartFabric Services (SFS) for Leaf and Spine | Automates configuration of Dell PowerSwitch switches that run SmartFabric OS10 in SmartFabric mode. Applies to SFS on Spine/Leaf and Top of Rack (ToR) switches. | Dell PowerSwitch switches Visit the Networking Support & Interoperability Matrix, and then select this icon: |
|
3 | SmartFabric Services (SFS) for PowerEdge MX | Automates configuration of SmartFabric OS10 operating system on the Ethernet switches (IOMs) in the PowerEdge MX Platform. | Dell PowerEdge MX |
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4 | SmartFabric Storage Software (SFSS) | Provides zoning and autodiscovery of hosts and storage in NVMe over TCP SANs. | Server and Storage Operating Systems Visit the Networking Support & Interoperability Matrix, and then select this icon: |
|
OpenManage Network Integration (OMNI)
OMNI is a vCenter plug-in that brings the user interface of the SmartFabric product into your vCenter UI, making vCenter a single pane of glass.
Here is an example of the OMNI vCenter plug-in facilitating access to a SmartFabric Services instance, and two SmartFabric Storage Software instances:
If you are interested in exploring any of the SmartFabric products further, browse the links above or reach out to Dell Technologies sales team.