In this post, I am going to show you how to configure VxRail TOR switches based on SmartFabcric OS10 for VxRail deployment.
Properly configuring Top of Rack (TOR) switches is crucial for setting up VxRail clusters efficiently. This guide walks you through the essential steps to configure TOR switches to support a VxRail deployment.
Pre-Requisites
Before starting the configuration, ensure you have:
- Access to the TOR switch CLI through console cable with default username "admin" and password "admin".
- Basic understanding of networking concepts such as VLANs, IP addressing, and routing.
- Make sure that the firmware OS10 is up to date. Check Dell SmartFabric OS10 Installation Guide.
Configuration Sscript
Use the following configuration script after replacing the green colored inputs by the actual planned inputs.
configip route 0.0.0.0/0 10.10.10.254no ipv6 mld snooping enableconfigure terminalhostname TOR-1interface mgmt1/1/1no shutdownno ip address dhcpip address 10.10.10.1/24management route 0.0.0.0/0 10.10.10.254ipv6 address autoconfiginterface vlan 100description MGMT-VLANip address 20.20.20.1/24vrrp-group 11priority 150virtual-address 20.20.20.11no shutdownipv6 mld snooping enableinterface vlan 50description OOBno shutdowninterface vlan 60description vSANno shutdowninterface vlan 70description vMotionno shutdowninterface vlan 80description VM-Network1no shutdowninterface vlan 90description VM-Network2no shutdowninterface vlan 3939description Internal_Mgmtno shutdownipv6 mld snooping querierinterface ethernet1/1/1description "Appliance1 Port1"no shutdownswitchport mode trunkswitchport access vlan 1switchport trunk allowed vlan 3939,100,60,70,80,50,90flowcontrol receive onflowcontrol transmit offspanning-tree port type edgeinterface ethernet1/1/2description "Appliance1 Port2"no shutdownswitchport mode trunkswitchport access vlan 1switchport trunk allowed vlan 3939,100,60,70,80,50,90flowcontrol receive onflowcontrol transmit offspanning-tree port type edgeinterface ethernet1/1/3description "Appliance2 Port1"no shutdownswitchport mode trunkswitchport access vlan 1switchport trunk allowed vlan 3939,100,60,70,80,50,90flowcontrol receive onflowcontrol transmit offspanning-tree port type edgeinterface ethernet1/1/4description "Appliance2 Port2"no shutdownswitchport mode trunkswitchport access vlan 1switchport trunk allowed vlan 3939,100,60,70,80,50,90flowcontrol receive onflowcontrol transmit offspanning-tree port type edgeinterface ethernet1/1/5description "Appliance3 Port1"no shutdownswitchport mode trunkswitchport access vlan 1switchport trunk allowed vlan 3939,100,60,70,80,50,90flowcontrol receive onflowcontrol transmit offspanning-tree port type edgeinterface ethernet1/1/6description "Appliance3 Port2"no shutdownswitchport mode trunkswitchport access vlan 1switchport trunk allowed vlan 3939,100,60,70,80,50,90flowcontrol receive onflowcontrol transmit offspanning-tree port type edgeinterface ethernet1/1/7description "Appliance4 Port1"no shutdownswitchport mode trunkswitchport access vlan 1switchport trunk allowed vlan 3939,100,60,70,80,50,90flowcontrol receive onflowcontrol transmit offspanning-tree port type edgeinterface ethernet1/1/8description "Appliance4 Port2"no shutdownswitchport mode trunkswitchport access vlan 1switchport trunk allowed vlan 3939,100,60,70,80,50,90flowcontrol receive onflowcontrol transmit offspanning-tree port type edgeinterface ethernet1/1/49description VLTino shutdownno switchportinterface ethernet1/1/50description VLTino shutdownno switchportinterface ethernet1/1/51description VLTino shutdownno switchportinterface ethernet1/1/52description VLTino shutdownno switchportinterface ethernet1/1/55description UP-Link-1no shutdownswitchport mode trunkswitchport access vlan 1switchport trunk allowed vlan 3939,100,60,70,80,50,90flowcontrol receive onflowcontrol transmit offspanning-tree port type edgeinterface ethernet1/1/56description UP-Link-2no shutdownswitchport mode trunkswitchport access vlan 1switchport trunk allowed vlan 3939,100,60,70,80,50,90flowcontrol receive onflowcontrol transmit offspanning-tree port type edgevlt-domain 128backup destination 20.20.20.101discovery-interface ethernet1/1/49-1/1/52peer-routinginterface port-channel 11no shutdownswitchport mode trunkswitchport access vlan 1switchport trunk allowed vlan 3939,100,60,70,80,50,90vlt-port-channel 11spanning-tree disableinterface ethernet1/1/55no shutdownchannel-group 11 mode activeno switchportinterface ethernet1/1/56no shutdownchannel-group 11 mode activeno switchportdo write memory{codeBox}
To simplify the process of preparing this configuration script, I've developed the VxRail TOR Configuration Script Generator (VTCS-Gen). This tool automates the creation of the configuration script based on your input parameters.
You can download the VTCS-Gen Tool by clicking the button below:
Alternatively, you can Run VTCS-Gen Tool directly from PowerShell with administrative privileges using the following command:
irm https://bit.ly/VTCS-Gen | iex{codeBox}
Conclusion
Configuring TOR switches for VxRail clusters is essential for ensuring optimal performance and reliability of your hyper-converged infrastructure. By using the script or the VTCS-Gen tool, you can set up your TOR switches to support VxRail effectively, providing a robust foundation for your data center.
This setup ensures that your TOR switches are configured to handle the specific requirements of VxRail, including high availability, VLAN segregation, and optimized network traffic flow. After completing the configuration, you are now ready to proceed with the deployment of your VxRail cluster. Check VxRail Cluster Deployment.