Dell M8024 User Manual

Download

A Principled Technologies white paper commissioned by Dell Inc.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of contents .................................................................................. 2

Executive summary ............................................................................... 3

Features of Simple Switch Mode .............................................. 3

Example scenarios ..................................................................... 4

Testing scenarios ................................................................................... 5

Scenario 1: Plugging and playing the Dell PowerConnect

M8024 switch ............................................................................ 6

Scenario 2: Configuring VLANs on the internal ports of the Dell

PowerConnect M8024 switch ................................................... 7

Scenario 3: Configuring multiple VLANs per internal port to

connect to a server NIC with Tag enabled ................................ 8

Scenario 4: Configuring multiple Port Aggregation Groups and

dedicating specific Uplinks ........................................................ 9

Scenario 5: Adding VLANs in a multi-AG configuration .......... 10

Scenario 6: Setting up a fully meshed topology ..................... 11

Scenario 7: Setting up a straight-through topology with LAG

failover .................................................................................... 13

Scenario 8: Establishing access with vPC enabled across the

Cisco Nexus 5010 switches ..................................................... 14

Appendix A – Detailed scenario methodology ................................... 15

Scenario 1: Plugging and playing the Dell PowerConnect

M8024 switch .......................................................................... 15

Scenario 2: Configuring VLANs on the internal ports of the Dell

PowerConnect M8024 switch ................................................. 16

Scenario 3: Configuring multiple VLANs per internal port to

connect to a server NIC with Tag enabled .............................. 18

Scenario 4: Configuring multiple Port Aggregation Groups and

dedicating specific Uplinks ...................................................... 21

Scenario 5: Adding VLANs in a multi-AG configuration .......... 24

Scenario 6: Setting up a fully meshed topology ..................... 29

Scenario 7: Setting up a straight-through topology with LAG

failover .................................................................................... 31

Scenario 8: Establishing access with vPC enabled across the

Cisco Nexus 5010 switches ..................................................... 33

Appendix B – Network switch configuration information .................. 40

About Principled Technologies ........................................................... 41

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Adding a Dell™ PowerConnect™ M8024 switch or a Dell M8024S LAN

Module with a Dell PowerEdge™ M1000e modular blade enclosure to

an existing network using a Cisco® infrastructure is a straightforward

process. The addition of Simple Switch Mode on the Dell M8024

family of switches further simplifies the process, allowing integration

into a Cisco network with minimal effort.

This Principled Technologies (PT) Guide explains the deployment

process for the Dell PowerEdge M1000e modular blade enclosure

with a Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch (see Figure 1) in an existing

Cisco network. We tested two Dell PowerConnect M8024 switches in

a variety of different network deployment scenarios with two Cisco

Nexus® 5010 switches, and discovered that Simple Switch Mode is

capable of automatically configuring the Dell PowerConnect M8024

switches to integrate with each scenario with minimal interaction

from our technicians.

Figure 1: The Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch.

NOTE: We tested with the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switches, but all

of our steps should apply to the Dell M8024S LAN Module, as well.

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

Features of Simple Switch Mode

Simple Switch Mode, or SSM, allows server administrators, or anyone

with very limited expertise in configuring Ethernet switches, the

ability to deploy a loop-free switching solution without having to

configure the spanning tree protocol (STP) or design its integration

into the existing environment.

The primary advantages of deploying SSM are as follows:

To enable Simple Switch Mode on a Dell PowerConnect M8024

Port Aggregation is easy to configure. Simply group internal ports and associate with external ports, assign VLANs (if required), and it’s ready to go.

SSM automatically configures multiple external ports into an LACP trunk group.

By using Aggregator Groups, the feature provides loop-free operation without using STP.

Port Aggregation is completely interoperable. Dynamic (via Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP)) and static link aggregation is supported on the external ports.

Sample scenarios

switch, perform the following steps:

1. Log into the switch.

2. Select SystemÆOperational ModeÆOperational Mode

Configuration.

3. In the Operational Mode Configuration screen, select Enable in

the Simple Mode drop-down menu, and left-click Apply Changes.

NOTE: Dell M8024S LAN Modules are always in Simple Switch Mode,

so you do not need to do these steps.

In the sections that follow, we discuss some of the new features of

the hardware and software, give an overview of the deployment

process, and present the following eight sample scenarios:

1. Plug and play using the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch for

blade deployment into an existing network after configuring Link

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) on Cisco Nexus 5010 switch ports.

2. Configuring VLANs on internal ports of the Dell PowerConnect

M8024 switch, while configuring the Cisco Nexus 5010 switch to extend those VLANs in an external Nexus network.

3. Configuring Multiple VLANs per internal port to connect to the

server NIC with Tag enabled. (An example of this would be supporting virtual machines (VMs) in the server scenario.)

4. Configuring multiple port aggregation groups (mapping aggregate

groups to group-specific attached blade servers) and dedicating specific uplinks to carry that traffic to the Cisco network.

5. Adding VLANs in a multi-aggregate group configuration.

6. Setting up a meshed topology for redundancy.

7. Setting up a topology with Link Aggregation Group (LAG) failover.

8. Establishing access with vPC enabled across two Cisco Nexus 5010

switches.

The appendices to the Guide give detailed, step-by-step information

TESTING SCENARIOS

on how to do the deployment and provide detailed configuration

information on the hardware we used.

Our testing included establishing connections and utilizing sample

features and functions of the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch with

the goal of showing the ease of deployment of the Dell PowerConnect

M8024 switch and accompanying Dell hardware in a Cisco Nexus

environment. The Dell blade switch operated in Simple Switch Mode

as a port aggregator. We began each scenario with a fresh test bed,

which included a Dell PowerEdge M710 blade server in the Dell

PowerEdge M1000e modular blade enclosure connected with Dell

PowerConnect M8024 switches. We include a network diagram

showing the general configuration of our switches in our test bed for

each scenario.

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

Scenario 1: Plug and play using the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch for blade deployment into an existing network

In this section, we provide an overview of the plug-and-play process

with the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch, after configuring Link

Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) on Cisco Nexus 5010 switch

ports. Dell’s plug-and-play features with Simple Switch Mode allow

for quick integration of Dell blade switch into a network. We provide

detailed instructions in Appendix A.

1. On the Cisco Nexus 5010 switch, set up a four-port port channel

with LACP using the ports that will be connected to Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch.

2. Connect cables from the Cisco Nexus 5010 switch to the Dell

PowerConnect M8024 switch. The Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch will automatically create a Link Aggregation Group (LAG) and establish network connectivity for the blade servers into the existing network.

NOTE: Because the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch forms the LAG

as you cable up the ports, cabling will not create loops, removing the

need for STP.

Figure 2 illustrates the completed configuration for Scenario 1.

Figure 2: Graphic representation of Scenario 1.

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

Scenario 2: Configuring VLANs on the internal ports of the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch

In this section, we provide an overview of configuring the VLANs on

the internal ports of the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch, while

configuring those on the Cisco Nexus 5010 switch to extend those

VLANs in the external Cisco Nexus network. VLANs allow for traffic

isolation and for granular quality of service (QoS) control over simple

subnetting, and Dell switches with Simple Switch Mode enabled offer

quick and easy VLAN configuration. We provide detailed instructions

in Appendix A

1. On the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch, enter the Internal Port

VLAN configuration screen, select a port, and change the default Untagged VLAN (we changed port 1/xg1 to VLAN 101).

2. On the Cisco Nexus 5010 switch, create a four-port channel group

with LACP and Trunking (VLAN tagging) enabled.

3. Allow VLAN 101 through the new port channel.

4. Connect the cables from the ports of the port channel group to

the Dell PowerConnect M8024 Switch. The Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch will automatically make a four-port LAG with VLAN tagging enabled and tag all communications from the designated internal port as VLAN 101.

Figure 3 illustrates the completed configuration for Scenario 2.

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

Figure 3: Graphic representation of Scenario 2.

Scenario 3: Configuring multiple VLANs per internal port to connect to a server NIC with tagging enabled

In this section, we provide an overview of configuring multiple VLANs

per internal port to connect to a server NIC with VLAN tagging

enabled, which is useful for management of VMs. We provide

detailed instructions in Appendix A.

1. On the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch, enter the Internal Port

VLAN configuration screen, select a port, and add several tagged VLANs (we changed port 1/xg1 to include VLANs 101-104).

2. On the Cisco Nexus 5010 switches, create a four-port channel

group with LACP and Trunking (VLAN tagging) enabled.

3. Allow VLANs 101-104 through the new port channel.

4. Connect the cables from the ports of the port channel group to

the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch. The Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch will automatically make a four-port LAG with VLAN tagging enabled. From now on, you can modify VM communications so that you can tag them to various VLANs.

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

Figure 4 illustrates the completed configuration for Scenario 3.

Figure 4: Graphic representation of Scenario 3.

Scenario 4: Configuring multiple Port Aggregation Groups and dedicating specific Uplinks

In this section, we provide an overview of configuring multiple Port

Aggregation Groups (AGs to group specific attached blade servers)

and dedicating specific Uplinks to carry that traffic to the Cisco Nexus

network. Doing this allows us to physically separate traffic for easier

administration. We provide detailed instructions in Appendix A

1. On the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch, enter the Port

Configuration screen, and change the group ID of the ports you desire to Group 2 (we changed ports 1/xg9-1/xg16 and ports 1/xg23-1/xg24 to Group 2).

2. On the Cisco Nexus 5010 switch, create two two-port channel

groups with LACP enabled.

3. Connect the cables. The Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch will

automatically make two two-port LAGs, separating the traffic

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

from between the two groups created earlier. The traffic from the blade servers that are connected to internal ports belonging to Group 1 will use LAG, including those external ports that are part of that group. This applies to the blade servers in Group 2 as well.

Figure 5 illustrates the completed configuration for Scenario 4.

Figure 5: Graphic representation of Scenario 4.

Scenario 5: Adding VLANs in a multi-AG configuration

In this section, we provide an overview of adding VLANs in a multi-AG

configuration, which combine the advantages of virtual network

administration with physical network separation. We provide detailed

instructions in Appendix A.

1. On the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch, enter the Port

Configuration screen, and change the group ID of ports to Group 2 (we changed ports 1/xg9-1/xg16 and ports 1/xg23-1/xg24 to Group 2).

2. Enter the Internal Port VLAN configuration screen, select a port,

and add several tagged VLANs (we changed port 1/xg1 to include VLANs 101-102 and port 1/xg9 to include VLANs 103-104).

3. On the Cisco Nexus 5010 switches, create two two-port channel

groups with LACP enabled. Make sure that the two port channels include the VLANs you configured earlier (we configured VLANs 101-102 for the first port channel and VLANs 103-104 for the second port channel).

4. Connect the cables. The Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch will

automatically make two two-port LAGs, separating the traffic from between the two groups created earlier, while allowing for further segregation through VLANs.

Figure 6 illustrates the completed configuration for Scenario 5.

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

Figure 6: Graphic representation of Scenario 5.

Scenario 6: Setting up a fully meshed topology

In this section, we provide an overview of setting up a fully meshed

topology while spanning tree protocol (STP) is enabled on an existing

network. STP allows for redundant connections in switches without

creating loops, and the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switches can

automatically integrate themselves into an STP network. The Dell

PowerConnect M8024 in Simple Switch Mode uses LAGs to prevent

loops, but allows Cisco Nexus switches to handle STP states. We

provide detailed instructions in Appendix A

1. On the first Cisco Nexus 5010 switch, set the spanning tree

priority so that it is the root.

2. On the second Cisco Nexus 5010 switch, set the spanning tree

priority so the tree will default to it as the secondary root in the event of failure.

3. Connect the cables between all switches. The Dell PowerConnect

M8024 switches will automatically integrate into the Cisco spanning tree network.

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

Figure 7 illustrates the completed configuration for Scenario 6 and

the network created via STP. The first Cisco Nexus 5010 switch will act

as the root switch in the tree and block the redundant ports.

Figure 7: Graphic representation of Scenario 6.

In the event of a cable failure, the root switch will enable the

appropriate ports to maintain connections with all other switches.

Figure 8 illustrates the new logical network created in the event of a

cable failure.

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

Figure 8: Graphic representation of the modified logical network after a cable failure.

Scenario 7: Setting up a straight-through topology with LAG failover

In this section, we provide an overview of setting up a straight-

through topology with LAG failover. Simple Switch Mode LAG failover

allows Dell switches to automatically change from the primary to the

backup LAG in the event of a port failure, reducing potential

downtime. We provide detailed instructions in Appendix A

1. On the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch, enter the Port

Configuration screen, and change the Lag Role of ports to Secondary (we changed ports 1/xg23-1/xg24 to Secondary).

2. On the Cisco Nexus 5010 switches, create two two-port channel

groups with LACP enabled.

3. Connect the cables. The Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch will

automatically make a two-port LAG with a secondary backup LAG that it will failover to in the event of a cable or port failure.

Figure 9 illustrates the completed configuration for Scenario 7.

Figure 9: Graphic representation of Scenario 7.

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

Scenario 8: Establishing access with vPC enabled across the Cisco Nexus 5010 switches

In this section, we provide an overview of establishing access with

vPC enabled across Cisco Nexus 5010 switches. vPC, or Virtual

PortChannel, is a Cisco technology that allows multiple switches to

present themselves as one switch, combining link aggregation with

switch redundancy. This allows for multiple-port link aggregation

across switches. In our example scenario, each Dell PowerConnect

M8024 switch maintains a 4-port link aggregation with the Cisco

switches, 2 ports in each switch. We provide detailed instructions in

Appendix A.

1. On each Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch, enter the Internal Port

VLAN configuration screen, select a port, and change the default Untagged VLAN (we changed ports 1/xg1 and 1/xg8 to VLAN 101).

2. On the each Cisco Nexus 5010 switch, set up the vPC domain and

keepalive ports, and create the PortChannel for the downstream switch (the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch).

3. Cable the two Cisco Nexus 5010 switches together using the peer

links you configured.

4. Cable the Cisco Nexus 5010 switches to the Dell PowerConnect

M8024 switch. The Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch will automatically make a LAG with the Cisco Nexus 5010 switches and treat the two switches as one.

Figure 10 illustrates the completed configuration for Scenario 8.

Figure 10: Graphic representation of Scenario 8.

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

APPENDIX A – DETAILED SCENARIO METHODOLOGY

In this appendix, we provide detailed descriptions of the test

scenarios we followed and screenshots for each step, as appropriate.

In each scenario, we assume that the associated switches are at

factory default configurations.

Scenario 1: Plug and play using the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch for blade deployment into an existing network

On the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch

1. Log into the switch.

2. Select SystemÆOperational ModeÆOperational Mode

Configuration.

3. In the Operational Mode Configuration screen, select Enable in

the Simple Mode drop-down menu, and left-click Apply Changes (see Figure 11).

Figure 11: Simple Mode configuration on the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch.

On the Cisco Nexus 5010 switch

1. Log into the switch.

2. Type the following commands into the switch (see Figure 12):

configure terminal feature lacp interface ethernet 1/1-4 channel-group 1 mode active

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

Figure 12: Configuring a port channel on the Cisco Nexus 5010 switch.

3. Connect cables from the Cisco Nexus 5010 switch to the Dell

PowerConnect M8024 switch.

Scenario 2: Configuring VLANs on the internal ports of the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch

On the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch

1. Log into the switch.

2. Select SystemÆOperational ModeÆOperational Mode

Configuration.

3. In the Operational Mode Configuration screen, select Enable in

the Simple Mode drop-down menu, and left-click Apply Changes (see Figure 13). The switch will reset after this and you will need to log in again.

Figure 13: Simple Mode configuration on the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch.

4. Select SwitchingÆPort AggregatorÆInternal Port VLAN

Configuration.

5. In the Internal-Port drop-down menu, select a port (we chose

1/xg1). (See Figure 14.)

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

Figure 14: Internal Port VLAN Configuration on the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch.

6. In the Untagged-VLAN textbox, write a VLAN (we chose 101), and

left-click Apply Changes (see Figure 15.)

Figure 15: Selecting a VLAN in Internal Port VLAN Configuration on the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch.

On the Cisco Nexus 5010 switch

1. Log into the switch.

2. Type the following commands into the switch (see Figure 16):

configure terminal feature lacp vlan 101

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

exit interface port-channel 1 interface ethernet 1/1-4 channel-group 1 mode active exit switchport mode trunk switchport trunk allowed vlan 101 end

Figure 16: Configuring a port channel with Trunking on the Cisco Nexus 5010 switch.

3. Connect the cables from the Cisco Nexus 5010 switch to the Dell

PowerConnect M8024 switch.

Scenario 3: Configuring multiple VLANs per internal port to connect to a server NIC with tagging enabled

On the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch

1. Log into the switch.

2. Select SystemÆOperational ModeÆOperational Mode

Configuration.

3. In the Operational Mode Configuration screen, select Enable in

the Simple Mode drop-down menu and left-click Apply Changes (see Figure 17). The switch will reset after this and you will need to log in again.

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

Figure 17: Simple Mode configuration on the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch.

4. Select SwitchingÆPort AggregatorÆInternal Port VLAN

Configuration.

5. In the Internal-Port drop-down menu, select a port (we chose

1/xg1). (See Figure 18.)

Figure 18: Internal Port VLAN Configuration on the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch.

6. In the Tagged-VLANs box, select your VLANs (we chose 101-104),

and left-click Apply Changes (see Figure 19).

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

Figure 19: Selecting tagged VLANs in Internal Port VLAN Configuration on the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch.

On the Cisco Nexus 5010 switch

1. Log into the switch.

2. Type the following commands into the switch (see Figure 20):

configure terminal feature lacp vlan 101-104 exit interface port-channel 1 interface ethernet 1/1-4 channel-group 1 mode active exit switchport mode trunk switchport trunk allowed vlan 101-104 end

Figure 20: Configuring a port channel with Trunking and multiple VLANs on the Cisco Nexus 5010 switch.

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

3. Connect cables from the Cisco Nexus 5010 switch to the Dell

PowerConnect M8024 switch. From this point onward, any VMs configured with VLAN tagging will be encapsulated with appropriate VLAN tags.

Scenario 4: Configuring multiple Port Aggregation Groups and dedicating specific Uplinks

On the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch

1. Log into the switch.

2. Select SystemÆOperational ModeÆOperational Mode

Configuration.

3. In the Operational Mode Configuration screen, select Enable in

the Simple Mode drop-down menu and left-click Apply Changes (see Figure 21). The switch will reset after this and you will need to log in again.

Figure 21: Simple Mode configuration on the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch.

4. Select SwitchingÆPort AggregatorÆ Port Configuration (see

Figure 22).

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

Figure 22: The Port Configuration screen on the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch.

5. In the Port Configuration screen, change the Group ID of the

internal ports (we changed ports 9-16 to Group 2). (See Figure

23.)

Figure 23: Assigning Group 2 to internal ports on the Dell PowerConnect M8024. switch.

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

6. In the Port Configuration screen, change the Group ID of the

external ports (we changed ports 23 and 24 to Group 2), and click Apply Changes (see Figure 24).

Figure 24: Assigning Group 2 to external ports on the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch.

On the Cisco Nexus 5010 switch

1. Log into the switch.

2. Type the following commands into the switch to configure the

first port channel (see Figure 25):

configure terminal feature lacp interface ethernet 1/1-2 channel-group 1 mode active exit

Figure 25: Configuring the first port channel on the Cisco Nexus 5010 switch.

3. Type the following commands into the switch to configure the

second port channel (see Figure 26):

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

interface ethernet 1/3-4 channel-group 2 mode active end

Figure 26: Configuring the second port channel on the Cisco Nexus 5010 switch.

4. Connect cables from the Cisco Nexus 5010 switch to the Dell

PowerConnect M8024 switch. The Dell PowerConnect M8024 should automatically create two two-port LAGs, each configured with half of the internal ports.

Scenario 5: Adding VLANs in a multi-AG configuration

On the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch

1. Log into the switch.

2. Select SystemÆOperational ModeÆOperational Mode

Configuration.

3. In the Operational Mode Configuration screen, select Enable in

the Simple Mode drop-down menu, and left-click Apply Changes (see Figure 27). The switch will reset after this and you will need to log in again.

Figure 27: Simple Mode configuration on the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch.

4. Select SwitchingÆPort AggregatorÆPort Configuration (see

Figure 28).

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

Figure 28: The Port Configuration screen on the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch.

5. In the Port Configuration screen, change the Group ID of the

internal ports (we changed ports 9 through 16 to Group 2). (See Figure 29.)

Figure 29: Assigning Group 2 to internal ports on the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch.

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

6. In the Port Configuration screen, change the Group ID of the

external ports (we changed ports 23 and 24 to Group 2), and click Apply Changes (see Figure 30).

Figure 30: Assigning Group 2 to external ports on the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch.

7. Select SwitchingÆPort AggregatorÆInternal Port VLAN

Configuration (see Figure 31).

Figure 31: Internal Port VLAN Configuration on the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch.

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

8. In the Internal Port drop-down menu, select a port (we chose

1/xg1).

9. In the Tagged-VLANs box, select your VLANs (we chose 101-102),

and left-click Apply Changes (see Figure 32).

Figure 32: Selecting VLANs for the first port in Internal Port VLAN Configuration on the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch.

10. Repeat step 9, applying VLANs 103-104 to port 1/xg9, (see Figure

33).

Figure 33: Selecting VLANs for the second port in Internal Port VLAN Configuration on the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch.

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

On the Cisco Nexus 5010 switches

1. Log into the switch.

2. Type the following commands into your first Cisco Nexus 5010

switch (see Figure 34):

configure terminal feature lacp vlan 101-102 exit interface ethernet 1/1-2 channel-group 1 mode active exit interface port-channel 1 switchport mode trunk switchport trunk allowed vlan 101-102 end

Figure 34: Configuring a port channel with Trunking and multiple VLANs on the first Cisco Nexus 5010 switch.

3. Type the following commands into your second Cisco Nexus 5010

switch (see Figure 35):

configure terminal feature lacp vlan 103-104 exit interface ethernet 1/1-2 channel-group 1 mode active exit interface port-channel 1 switchport mode trunk switchport trunk allowed vlan 103-104 end

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

Figure 35: Configuring a port channel with Trunking and multiple VLANs on the second Cisco Nexus 5010 switch.

4. Connect cables from the Cisco Nexus 5010 switch to the Dell

PowerConnect M8024 switch.

Scenario 6: Setting up a fully meshed topology

On the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switches

1. Log into Switch 1.

2. Select SystemÆOperational ModeÆOperational Mode

Configuration.

3. In the Operational Mode Configuration screen, select Enable in

the Simple Mode drop-down menu, and left-click Apply Changes (see Figure 36).

Figure 36: Simple Mode configuration on the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch.

4. Log into Switch 2.

5. Select SystemÆOperational ModeÆOperational Mode

Configuration.

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

6. In the Operational Mode Configuration screen, select Enable in

the Simple Mode drop-down menu, and left-click Apply Changes (see Figure 37).

Figure 37: Simple Mode configuration on the second Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch.

On the Cisco Nexus 5010 switches

1. Log into the switch.

2. Type the following commands into the first Cisco Nexus 5010

switch (see Figure 38):

configure terminal spanning-tree vlan 1-4094 priority 0

Figure 38: Configuring spanning tree priority on the first Cisco Nexus 5010 switch.

3. Type the following commands into the second Cisco Nexus 5010

switch (see Figure 39):

configure terminal spanning-tree vlan 1-4094 priority 4096

Figure 39: Configuring spanning tree priority on the second Cisco Nexus 5010 switch.

4. Connect the cables from the Cisco Nexus 5010 switches to each

other and to the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switches. The

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

switches will deliberate amongst themselves and create a spanning tree with the first Cisco switch as the root.

Scenario 7: Setting up a straight-through topology with LAG failover

On the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch

1. Log into the switch.

2. Select SystemÆOperational ModeÆOperational Mode

Configuration.

3. In the Operational Mode Configuration screen, select Enable in

the Simple Mode drop-down menu, and left-click Apply Changes (see Figure 40). The switch will reset after this and you will need to log in again.

Figure 40: Simple Mode configuration on the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch.

4. Select SwitchingÆPort AggregatorÆPort Configuration (see

Figure 41).

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

Figure 41: The Port Configuration screen on the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch.

5. In the Port Configuration screen, change the Lag Role of the

external ports (we changed ports 23 and 24 to Secondary), and click Apply Changes (see Figure 42).

Figure 42: Assigning a Secondary LAG to external ports on the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch.

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

On the Cisco Nexus 5010 switch

1. Log into the switch.

2. Assuming that you configured the Dell PowerConnect M8024 with

three different groups, type the following commands into the switch (see Figure 43):

configure terminal feature lacp interface port-channel 1-2 exit interface ethernet 1/1-2 channel-group 1 mode active exit interface ethernet 1/3-4 channel-group 2 mode active end

Figure 43: Configuring two port channels on the Cisco Nexus 5010 switch.

3. Connect cables from the Cisco Nexus 5010 switch to the Dell

PowerConnect M8024 switch. The Dell PowerConnect M8024 should automatically create one two-port LAG with a two-port backup in case of cable or port failure.

Scenario 8: Establishing access with vPC enabled across the Cisco Nexus 5010 switches

On the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch

1. Log into the switch.

2. Select SystemÆOperational ModeÆOperational Mode

Configuration.

3. In the Operational Mode Configuration screen, select Enable in

the Simple Mode drop-down menu, and left-click Apply Changes (see Figure 44). The switch will reset after this and you will need to log in again.

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

Figure 44: Simple Mode configuration on the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch.

4. Select SwitchingÆPort AggregatorÆInternal Port VLAN

Configuration.

5. In the Internal-Port drop-down menu, select a port (we chose

1/xg1). (See Figure 45.)

Figure 45: Internal Port VLAN Configuration on the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch.

6. In the Untagged-VLAN textbox, write a VLAN (we chose 101), and

left-click Apply Changes (see Figure 46).

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

Figure 46: Selecting a VLAN in Internal Port VLAN Configuration on the Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch.

On the Cisco Nexus 5010 switch

1. Log into the switch.

2. Type the following commands into the first Cisco Nexus 5010

switch (see Figure 47):

configure terminal feature lacp feature vpc vlan 101 exit vpc domain 1 peer-keepalive destination 172.185.1.2 exit interface ethernet 1/19-20 channel-group 1 mode active exit interface ethernet 1/1-2 channel-group 10 mode active exit interface ethernet 1/3-4 channel-group 11 mode active exit

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

Figure 47: Initial configuration and assigning ports to port channels on the first Cisco Nexus 5010 switch.

3. Type the following commands into the first Cisco Nexus 5010

switch (see Figure 48):

interface port-channel 1 switchport mode trunk switchport trunk allowed vlan 1,101 vpc peer-link spanning-tree port type network exit interface port-channel 10 switchport mode trunk switchport trunk allowed vlan 101 vpc 10 exit interface port-channel 11 switchport mode trunk switchport trunk allowed vlan 101 vpc 11 end

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

Figure 48: Configuring port channels and assigning vPC domains on the first Cisco Nexus 5010 switch.

4. Type the following commands into the second Cisco Nexus 5010

switch (see Figure 49):

configure terminal feature lacp feature vpc vlan 101 exit vpc domain 1 peer-keepalive destination 172.185.1.1 exit interface ethernet 1/19-20 channel-group 1 mode active exit interface ethernet 1/1-2 channel-group 10 mode active exit interface ethernet 1/3-4 channel-group 11 mode active exit

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

Figure 49: Initial configuration and assigning ports to port channels on the second Cisco Nexus 5010 switch.

5. Type the following commands into the second Cisco Nexus 5010

switch (see Figure 50):

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

Figure 50: Configuring port channels and assigning vPC domains on the second Cisco Nexus 5010 switch.

6. Connect cables from the Cisco Nexus 5010 switch to the Dell

PowerConnect M8024 switch according to the diagram shown in Scenario 8 of the Testing Scenarios section. Each Dell PowerConnect M8024 switch should automatically create a fourport LAG, with two ports connecting to each Cisco Nexus 5010 switch.

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

APPENDIX B – NETWORK SWITCH CONFIGURATION INFORMATION

Figure 51 provides detailed configuration information for the network

switches we used.

Network switch

Software version 3.1.3.12 4.1(3)N2(1) BIOS version — 1.3.0

Figure 51: Detailed configuration information for the network switches.

Dell PowerConnect

M8024

Cisco Nexus 5010

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

ABOUT PRINCIPLED TECHNOLOGIES

Principled Technologies, Inc. 1007 Slater Road, Suite 300 Durham, NC, 27703 www.principledtechnologies.com

We provide industry-leading technology assessment and fact-based marketing services. We bring to every assignment extensive experience with and expertise in all aspects of technology testing and analysis, from researching new technologies, to developing new methodologies, to testing with existing and new tools.

When the assessment is complete, we know how to present the results to a broad range of target audiences. We provide our clients with the materials they need, from market-focused data to use in their own collateral to custom sales aids, such as test reports, performance assessments, and white papers. Every document reflects the results of our trusted independent analysis.

We provide customized services that focus on our clients’ individual requirements. Whether the technology involves hardware, software, Web sites, or services, we offer the experience, expertise, and tools to help our clients assess how it will fare against its competition, its performance, its market readiness, and its quality and reliability.

Our founders, Mark L. Van Name and Bill Catchings, have worked together in technology assessment for over 20 years. As journalists, they published over a thousand articles on a wide array of technology subjects. They created and led the Ziff-Davis Benchmark Operation, which developed such industry-standard benchmarks as Ziff Davis Media’s Winstone and WebBench. They founded and led eTesting Labs, and after the acquisition of that company by Lionbridge Technologies were the head and CTO of VeriTest.

Principled Technologies is a registered trademark of Principled Technologies, Inc. All other product names are the trademarks of their respective owners.

Disclaimer of Warranties; Limitation of Liability: PRINCIPLED TECHNOLOGIES, INC. HAS MADE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO ENSURE THE ACCURACY AND VALIDITY OF ITS TESTING, HOWEVER, PRINCIPLED TECHNOLOGIES, INC. SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, RELATING TO THE TEST RESULTS AND ANALYSIS, THEIR ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS OR QUALITY, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. ALL PERSONS OR ENTITIES RELYING ON THE RESULTS OF ANY TESTING DO SO AT THEIR OWN RISK, AND AGREE THAT PRINCIPLED TECHNOLOGIES, INC., ITS EMPLOYEES AND ITS SUBCONTRACTORS SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY WHATSOEVER FROM ANY CLAIM OF LOSS OR DAMAGE ON ACCOUNT OF ANY ALLEGED ERROR OR DEFECT IN ANY TESTING PROCEDURE OR RESULT.

IN NO EVENT SHALL PRINCIPLED TECHNOLOGIES, INC. BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES IN CONNECTION WITH ITS TESTING, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. IN NO EVENT SHALL PRINCIPLED TECHNOLOGIES, INC.’S LIABILITY, INCLUDING FOR DIRECT DAMAGES, EXCEED THE AMOUNTS PAID IN CONNECTION WITH PRINCIPLED TECHNOLOGIES, INC.’S TESTING. CUSTOMER’S SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDIES ARE AS SET FORTH HEREIN.

How to deploy the Dell M8024 family of switches in a Cisco Nexus network

Dell M8024 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual