The intent is to have almost every server or storage device dualhomed to a fex on a different nexus 5000 switch for path redundancy. Nexus 7000 topologies you have a lot fewer options when it comes to connecting a fex to a nexus 7000. The document describes the various topologies supported when the nexus 2000 fabric extender switches fex used when it is connected to the parent switches or to the end hosts. Dec 21, 2011 the second configuration has been donned the dual homed or activeactive configuration. Modern data centers arguably require a purposebuilt switch to meet the unique needs of todays data center network traffic. Compare cisco nexus 2000 models router switch blog. Page 18 manager, via the cisco nexus 2232 fabric extender platform, the cimc does not manage the server anymore.
Dec 11, 2014 if fex units are in use for topofrack, note that only eight of them can hang off of a nexus 5596up with the l3 module. A nexus 2000 series switch, often referred to as a fabric extender or fex, relies entirely upon its parent nexus 5000 or 7000 switch for all forwarding. Cisco nexus 2000 series nxos fabric extender software configuration guide for cisco nexus 7000 series switches, release 6. The cisco roadmap for the 7k does include a multihomed fex topology, however even as of nxos version 7.
Each pair of nexus in the same datacenter is connected to 2 fex in a dualhomed way. Dec 19, 2015 cisco fabric extender fex is a technology which allows you to utilize topoftherack tor design and to simplify management. To make this topology work and provide high availability, both n5k switches have to be configured using the following guidelines. On cisco nexus 2348tq and nexus 2348upq fex, if a port channel is used to connect a parent switch with a fabric extender device, the port channels can have maximum of 8 ports. May 30, 2017 cisco nexus 2000 series nxos fabric extender software configuration guide for cisco nexus 7000 series switches, release 6. In this scenario, the 2248tp fex is connected to switchport ethernet 11 10ge port of the nexus 7000 with a twinax cable.
Displays the status of frontpanel host ports on a particular fex. In this topology, a server would be connected to a single fex, but could be multi homed to a 2nd fex. The cisco nexus 7000 series platform runs on cisco nxos software. For fex support, check the documentation and check with cisco, not all fex were supported initially.
In this topology, a server would be connected to a single fex, but could be multihomed to a 2nd fex. The vpc peers must run the same nxos version except during the nondisruptive upgrade, that is, inservice software upgrade issu. Dual connecting nexus 2000s to nexus 5000s netcraftsmen. In a nexus 7000 series chassis with dual supervisors, you can use the inservice software upgrade issu feature to upgrade the system software while the system continues to forward traffic. Nexus 7000s require you to connect a fex to a n7k with one or more portchannels. Can i connect a single homed server to one of the fex 2ks. The following dualhomed fex procedure is supported only for an upgrade and not for a downgrade. Jan 08, 2012 using dualhomed fexes with cisco nexus 5000 switches presents some new issues for the network admins. The view is that when connecting fex to the nexus 7000, dualhoming does. The vpc domain is configured as follows and all vlans are in the peerlink. Switchports on the fex can be used for layer 2 and layer 3 connections. The fex fabric interfaces support static port channels.
The enhanced vpc is able to set up an etherchannel link from two different nexus switches. Sep 10, 2014 so when i was looking at configuration examples i noticed some confusion between a dualhomed fex setup and an enhanced vpc setup, so ill try to clear the air. This impacts shops using fex as a part of the overall data center design, and is a unique consideration. First off, the port configuration needs to match on both 5ks. Using enhanced vpc cisco nexus 5000 series switches cisco. The next section will show the nexus 7000 fex topologies. Uses a vpc to provide a seamless failover and fast convergence when one. As the name implies, the fex extends the fabric ie, the network out. So when i was looking at configuration examples i noticed some confusion between a dualhomed fex setup and an enhanced vpc setup, so ill try to clear the air.
Configuring the cisco nexus 2000 series fabric extender. If fex units are in use for topofrack, note that only eight of them can hang off of a nexus 5596up with the l3 module. Cisco documents state that the nxos software by design will allow an upgraded dualhome fex to interoperate with the vpc secondary switches running the original version of cisco nxos while the primary switch is running the upgrade version. Cisco nexus 7000 series nxos interfaces configuration guide 8. Deployment of the cisco nexus fex technology and analysis by. Using dualhomed fexes with cisco nexus 5000 switches presents some new issues for the network admins. Can i configure vpc with vdc virtual device context vdcs is a virtual instance of a switch running on the cisco nexus 7000 series. It was specifically designed for the most missioncritical deployments in the data center and on campus. Feb 16, 2016 nexus 7000 topologies you have a lot fewer options when it comes to connecting a fex to a nexus 7000. The cisco nexus 7000 series switches currently support only straightthrough deployment using dynamic pinning. Assuming youre talking about nexus 9000 in standalone nxos mode, there is no support for dual homed, or activeactive fex, as of the latest release nxos 7. In this scenario, each fex has a dualconnection to the 5ks via a vpc.
There seems to be some confusion on what the supported nexus 70005000 fex topologies are. Why would you dual home a fex to two separate n7ks. Nexus 5500 fex support network engineering stack exchange. Cisco nexus 7000 module replacement i wanted to just share a few pictures of an rma i had to do on an nexus 7000 blade. Using fex with the f2 card in a nexus 7000 netcraftsmen. Each pair of nexus in the same datacenter is connected to 2 fex in a dual homed way. For this reason its recommended to have at least two io modules in the chassis that support fex and distribute the uplinks across those two. The viable cisco nexus 5500 core switch for the midsized.
Jun 29, 2012 this topology supports up to 48 fexs 24 per nexus 5500 in l2 mode and 32 fexs 16 per nexus 5500 in l3 mode. Though the nexus parent switch and nexus 2000 series switch are physically separate, they are managed as a single entity from a software image, configuration, and stp perspective. Setting up enhanced vpc on nexus 5600 cisco skills. This topology supports up to 48 fexs 24 per nexus 5500 in l2 mode and 32 fexs 16 per nexus 5500 in l3 mode. Virtual environment software on pc to practice ios cli. If so, are there any restrictions on software and hardware. A nexus 7k series with compatible line cards can cope with 32 fex. This is an area where things are happening quickly, and the preliminary slideware may have gaps or not be 100% complete and current. Enter the nexus 7000 with support for nexus 2000 fabric extenders fex. As a result of this technical evolution, the cisco nexus family of. The nexus 7k switches 7000 and 7700 series do not allow for a multi homed fex topology, and only allow for a single homed fex.
Feb 15, 2016 vpc on the cisco nexus 7000 series topology a. This is the same fex module, and each download of the image took the fex offline for 15 minutes or so. At least cisco acknowledges that the 9k platform has fexaa on the roadmap. Both cisco nexus 7000 series switches can configure the fex. In this scenario, each fex has a dual connection to the 5ks via a vpc. Cisco public network resiliency and high availability across network and compute increased network bandwidth active nic teaming can also be used for further options. Dual attaching the fex to pair of nexus 7000 is not supported as of today on the nexus 7000 which means in the event of io module failure all fexs hanging off of that module will be knocked out. November 18, 2011 the nexus 7000 is constantly evolving and there seems to be more and more design parameters that have to be taken into consideration when designing data center networks with these switches. The dual homed fex topology is ideal for servers with one nic, because the failure of one cisco nexus 5500 series device does not bring down the fex and does not cut the single nic server out of the network. The cisco roadmap for the 7k does include a multi homed fex topology, however even as of nxos version 7.
May 07, 2012 a nexus 2000 series switch, often referred to as a fabric extender or fex, relies entirely upon its parent nexus 5000 or 7000 switch for all forwarding. Cisco nexus 2000 series nxos fabric extender configuration. Single attached host with port channel fex uplink pinning. Your answer just because the hardware can support more doesnt mean there isnt a software limitation is completely irrelevant michael may sep 7 15 at 23. Feb 22, 2017 ciscos fex guide for the 9k found here still points out that a dualhomed fex is still not supported on the nexus 9ks. Configuring cisco nexus 5500 series switches with dual. As per the fex section in the unsupported features part of the release notes. Ive been looking through cisco nexus 2000 series fabric extender software configuration guide, release 4. Remember, a fex should only be thought of as a remote linecard of the upstream nexus switch i. The fex, unlike a traditional switch, has no capability to store a forwarding table or run any control plane protocols. The first section deals with the supported nexus 50005500 fex topologies.
Nexus 7706 and fabric extenders cisco dslreports forums. I went with an activeactive dualhomed design for fexes 12 x 2248 using vpc to each fex. Jun 30, 2011 there seems to be some confusion on what the supported nexus 70005000 fex topologies are. Also note that the cisco nexus 7000 switch does have a 48port 10100 line card option, but a 7000 slot is an awfully expensive bit of real estate to fill with 1 gbe ports. Nexus 5000 switches, nexus 2000 fex and multiple links. Server a is using activepassive nic configuration, so that nicb is only active when nica, or fex01, is faulty. This topology can also consist of portchannels with each host connected either with one or more links to each cisco nexus 7000 series.
Cisco fabric extender fex is a technology which allows you to utilize topoftherack tor design and to simplify management. A packet that ingresses the port channel uses one of the. Nexus 7000 and dualhomed fex issue cisco community. Enhanced virtual port channel hit the scene in about january 2012, with version 5. A fex device is connected to a parent switch, like nexus 5000 or nexus 7000. When connecting a fex to the nexus 7000 youre able to run vpc from the host. Dears, please find the attached state of a fex nexus. Nexus 7000 and dualhomed fex issue hi, i have two cisco nexus 7009 with n7ksup2 connected in vpc through n7kf312fq25 cards.
Lan switches had to evolve to accommodate new bandwidth, fault tolerance, latency and centralized management requirements. Single homed server in a cisco vpc nexus 9k and fex 2k. In topology d on the other hand each fex is dualhomed and so is the server. Each fex is dualhomed to both nexus 5596up switches using vpc feature. Ciscos fex guide for the 9k found here still points out that a dualhomed fex is still not supported on the nexus 9ks.
The parent switch can be a cisco nexus 5000 series switch, nexus 6000 series switch, nexus 7000 series switch or a cisco nexus 9000 series switch. I also have 5 fex n2kc2348tq10ge connected in dual home, the 7k have the ios 7. Mar 30, 2016 o the dual homed fex topology is ideal for servers with one nic, because the failure of one cisco nexus 5500 series device does not bring down the fex and does not cut the single nic server out of the network. It relies on its parent 50007000 to perform those functions. Brief nexus 5000600070009000 platform introduction. Cisco nexus 7k design with activeactive fex egroup. Gentlemen im facing some doubts regarding a project im responsible. Aug 28, 2012 a fabric extender fex for short is a companion to a nexus 5000 or nexus 7000 switch. For more information about the fex itself ill refer to this link all configuration is done on the nexus 7000 with nxos 6. I dont think that dual home vpc active active is supported in 7k.
The following topologies are valid for these nxos versions. May 05, 2015 single homed server in a cisco vpc nexus 9k and fex 2k. Deployment of the cisco nexus fex technology and analysis. Lets see the topology example where the fex is connected to the switches with vpc dualhomed fex. A singlehomed server provides a failover path when one of the cisco nexus 5000 series devices or the link between a cisco nexus 5000 series device and a fex fails. Using enhanced vpc cisco nexus 5000 series switches. This is my experience of upgrading nexus 7000 series switches without disturbing the existing traffic. Why i wouldnt bother with enhanced vpc rednectars blog. Cisco nexus 50007000 fex topologies it tips for systems.
The dual homed fex topology can also be deployed for servers that have multiple nics but do not support 802. In this video i show how a nexus 5596 can provide an active active configuration for full redundancy with a fabric extender nexus 2248tp. Dual homed fex on nexus 9372px hi all, im trying to connect a nexus 2232tme fex to two nexus 9372px switches and im either missing something or dual homed fex configurations are not supported by this line of switches. Using the topology below as a reference, for host a to send a packet to host b, that packet must be sent up to the parent nexus 5000 for a forwarding decision to be made and then back down to. So the nic on the server must support lacp as in c.
Cisco nexus 2000 series nxos fabric extender software. We can see that the nexus 2200 shipped with nxos 4. Nexus 7000 nexus 5600 nexus 2000 nexus 700056002000 virtual port channel active dual homed nexusfex, dual homed fex aahost ucs hosts brkarc3454 66 66. Brkarc 3454 indepth and personal with the cisco nexus. Each pair of nexus are located in different datacenter. The second configuration has been donned the dualhomed or activeactive configuration.
In this topology you can have up to 24 fexs in l2 mode and 16 fexs in l3. The reason it isnt supported should be posed as a different question. This topology consists of access layer switches dualhomed to the cisco nexus 7000 series with a switch portchannel with gigabit ethernet or 10 gigabit ethernet links. What software, hardware, and licenses are required in a nexus 7000 otv. It is not possible to configure vpc on a pair of switches consisting of a nexus 7000 series and a nexus 5000 series switch. This is mainly due to the more redundant architecture of the nexus 7000 as compared to the nexus 50005500. If it is a dual homed setup, vpc to the fabric extender device, only 4 ports per switch are. In this scenario, the fex is dual homed using vpc to different parent switches. The output of this command provides details as to the software versions, operational configuration, uplink status, and much more.
Each nexus in datacenter1 is connected to a single ne. Provides verbose status information about a particular nexus 2000. One important feature is that the fex port configuration needs to exist on the both n5ks. N2kc2248tpe datasheet get a quote overview n2kc2248tpe is a cisco nexus 2000 platform chassis, o. A dualhomed server runs a port channel to the same fex shown as h2 in the figure 65. The nexus 7000s have been shipping for close to 3 years now and have a well established install base, mature software and have proven themselves as scalable data center platforms. Cisco nexus 2000 series fabric extender software configuration. This topology can also consist of hosts connected with virtual portchannels to each cisco nexus 7000 series switch. For information about interfaces, see the cisco nexus 7000 series nxos.
The nexus 7k switches 7000 and 7700 series do not allow for a multihomed fex topology, and only allow for a single homed fex. The software keeps all traffic that forwards across the vpc peer devices as local traffic. A server with only a single nic can only attach to a single fex, but given that fex is supported by a fully redundant nexus 7000 i. Cisco nexus 2000 series fabric extenders comprise a category of data center products designed to simplify. Part of the reason was that this was a migration from a single 6500 with redundant sups and a significant amount of systems didnt have the port capacity or capability on the server side to dualhome to a pair of fexes without giving up dedicated storage. This topology comprises access layer switches dual homed to the cisco nexus 7000 series with a switch portchannel with gigabit ethernet or 10 gigabit ethernet links. Cisco catalyst 6500 vss and cisco nexus 7000 vpc it tips. Fex topologies for nexus bacon, overlays and virtualization.
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