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Cisco Nexus 2000 Series NX-OS Fabric Extender Software Configuration Guide First Published: May 03, 2012 Last Modified: August 22, 2012 Americas Headquarters Cisco Systems, Inc. 170 West Tasman Drive San Jose, CA 95134-1706 http://www.cisco.com Tel: 408 526-4000 800 553-NETS (6387)
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HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. http:// Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. To view a list of Cisco trademarks, go to this URL: www.cisco.com/go/trademarks .
Layer 2 Host Interface Port Channels VLANs Protocol Offload Quality of Service Access Control Lists IGMP Snooping Switched Port Analyzer Oversubscription Management Model Forwarding Model Port Channel Fabric Interface Connection Cisco Nexus 2000 Series NX-OS Fabric Extender Software Configuration Guide OL-25816-02...
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Configuring a Host Interface in a vPC Topology Connected to Two FEXs Dual-homing of a Server to a FEX with FabricPath Verifying the Configuration Verifying the Fabric Extender Configuration Verifying the Chassis Management Information Additional References Related Documents Feature History Cisco Nexus 2000 Series NX-OS Fabric Extender Software Configuration Guide OL-25816-02...
Preface This preface describes the audience, organization, and conventions of the Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extender Software Configuration Guide. It also provides information on how to obtain related documentation. This chapter includes the following sections: • Audience, page v •...
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Means reader take note. Notes contain helpful suggestions or references to material not covered in the manual. Caution Means reader be careful. In this situation, you might do something that could result in equipment damage or loss of data. Cisco Nexus 2000 Series NX-OS Fabric Extender Software Configuration Guide OL-25816-02...
Related Documentation for Cisco Nexus 7000 Series NX-OS Software Related Documentation for Cisco Nexus 7000 Series NX-OS Software The entire Cisco Nexus 7000 Series NX-OS documentation set is available at the following URL: http://www.cisco.com/en/us/products/ps9402/tsd_products_support_series_home.html Release Notes The release notes are available at the following URL: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps9402/prod_release_notes_list.html...
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• Cisco Nexus 7000 Series NX-OS Unicast Routing Command Reference • Cisco Nexus 7000 Series NX-OS Virtual Device Context Command Reference • Cisco NX-OS FCoE Command Reference for Cisco Nexus 7000 and Cisco MDS 9500 Other Software Documents You can locate these documents starting at the following landing page: http://www.cisco.com/en/us/products/ps9402/tsd_products_support_series_home.html...
Obtaining Documentation and Submitting a Service Request For information on obtaining documentation, submitting a service request, and gathering additional information, see the monthly What's New in Cisco Product Documentation, which also lists all new and revised Cisco technical documentation, at: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/general/whatsnew/whatsnew.html...
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Preface Obtaining Documentation and Submitting a Service Request Cisco Nexus 2000 Series NX-OS Fabric Extender Software Configuration Guide OL-25816-02...
C H A P T E R Overview This chapter provides an architectural overview of the Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extender and includes the following sections: • Information About the Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extender, page 2 •...
Information About the Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extender The Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extender, also known as FEX, is a highly scalable and flexible server networking solution that works with Cisco Nexus Series devices to provide high-density, low-cost connectivity for server aggregation.
In Cisco NX-OS Release 5.1 and earlier releases, the default port mode is Layer 2. To run a host interface in Layer 2 mode, use the switchport command. For Cisco NX-OS Release 5.2 and later releases, to change the port mode to Layer 3, use the no switchport command.
• Any edge switch that leverages a link redundancy mechanism not dependent on spanning tree such as Cisco FlexLink or vPC (with the BPDU Filter enabled) can be connected to a Fabric Extender host interface. Because spanning tree is not used to eliminate loops, you should ensure a loop-free topology below the Fabric Extender host interfaces.
Note Protocol Offload To reduce the load on the control plane of the Cisco Nexus Series device, Cisco NX-OS allows you to offload link-level protocol processing to the Fabric Extender CPU. The following protocols are supported: • Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) and Data Center Bridging Exchange (DCBX) •...
Rx configured, and again as the packet egresses on an interface with Tx configured. For more information about SPAN, see the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series NX-OS System Management Configuration Guide.
Overview Management Model The Cisco Nexus 2248TP can be run with no oversubscription when its host interfaces are running in 100-Mb mode. The Cisco Nexus 2248TP-E Fabric Extender has 4 10-Gigabit Ethernet fabric interfaces and 48 100/1000BASE-T (100-Mb/1-Gigabit) Ethernet host interfaces. When its host interfaces are running in Gigabit Ethernet mode, it offers 1.2 to 1 oversubscription (48 host interfaces for four fabric interfaces).
Forwarding Model Forwarding Model The Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extender does not perform any local switching. All traffic is sent to the parent switch that provides central forwarding and policy enforcement, including host-to-host communications between two systems that are connected to the same Fabric Extender as shown in the following figure.
• chassis is configured by the administrator. A Fabric Extender must be directly connected to its parent Cisco Nexus Series device via a port channel fabric interface. You configure a chassis ID on a port channel on the switch to identify the Fabric Extender that is discovered through those interfaces.
Fabric Extender. When you enter the install all command, it upgrades the software on the parent Cisco Nexus Series switch and also upgrades the software on any attached Fabric Extender. To minimize downtime as much as possible, the Fabric Extender remains online while the installation process loads its new software image.
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• When you connect a FEX is to a Cisco Nexus 7000 series device, the queuing capability on the FEX host interface is limited. A router connected to an Layer 2 (using SVI interfaces) or Layer 3 FEX interface cannot participate in routing protocol adjacency.
Overview Configuration Limits Configuration Limits The configuration limits are documented in the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series NX-OS Verified Scalability Guide. Default Settings This table lists the default settings for the Fabric Extender parameters. Table 1: Default Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extender Parameter Settings...
C H A P T E R Configuring the Fabric Extender This chapter describes how to configure a Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extender using a parent Cisco Nexus 7000 Series device and includes the following sections: • Configuring the Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extender, page 13 •...
• The feature set must be installed in the default VDC. • The feature set must not be enabled in any VDC. Step 3 exit Exits configuration mode. Example: switch(config)# exit switch# Cisco Nexus 2000 Series NX-OS Fabric Extender Software Configuration Guide OL-25816-02...
By default, when you install the Fabric Extender feature set, it is allowed in all VDCs. You can disallow the installed Fabric Extender feature set in a specific VDC on the device. Before You Begin Ensure that you have installed the feature set in the default VDC. Cisco Nexus 2000 Series NX-OS Fabric Extender Software Configuration Guide OL-25816-02...
You must have installed and enabled the Fabric Extender features with the install feature-set fex and feature-set fex commands before you can configure and use a Fabric Extender that is connected to the parent switch. Cisco Nexus 2000 Series NX-OS Fabric Extender Software Configuration Guide OL-25816-02...
101 Step 6 show interface port-channel channel fex-intf (Optional) Displays the association of a Fabric Extender to a port channel interface. Example: switch# show interface port-channel 4 fex-intf Cisco Nexus 2000 Series NX-OS Fabric Extender Software Configuration Guide OL-25816-02...
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If you try to associate a physical port to a FEX before that physical port is joined to a port channel, the physical port moves to the err-disable state and the Cisco Nexus 7000 series device does not communicate with the FEX on that link. You must enter the shutdown command and the no shutdown command on the Ethernet interface (not the port channel interface) to clear the err-disable state and bring the link up.
You can associate the Fabric Extender to an F2 module. Before You Begin Ensure that you have installed and enabled the Fabric Extender feature set. • switch# configure terminal • switch(config)# install feature-set fex • switch(config)# feature-set fex Cisco Nexus 2000 Series NX-OS Fabric Extender Software Configuration Guide OL-25816-02...
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7. channel-group <port-channel number> 8. no shutdown 9. int po <port-channel number> 10. no shutdown DETAILED STEPS Command or Action Purpose Step 1 vdc switch Specifies the VDC. Example: switch(config)# vdc switch Cisco Nexus 2000 Series NX-OS Fabric Extender Software Configuration Guide OL-25816-02...
1 Step 10 no shutdown Brings up the port channel. Example: switch(config-if)# no shutdown Configuring Fabric Extender Global Features You can configure global features on the Fabric Extender. Cisco Nexus 2000 Series NX-OS Fabric Extender Software Configuration Guide OL-25816-02...
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• N2224TP—24 100Base-T/1000Base-T Ethernet host interfaces and 2 switch(config-fex)# type N2248T 10-Gigabit SFP+ Ethernet fabric interfaces module • N2232P and N2232TM—32 10-Gigabit SFP+ Ethernet host interfaces and 8 10-Gigabit SFP+ Ethernet fabric interfaces module Cisco Nexus 2000 Series NX-OS Fabric Extender Software Configuration Guide OL-25816-02...
• N2248T and N2248TP-E—48 100Base-T/1000Base-T Ethernet host interfaces and 4 10-Gigabit SFP+ Ethernet fabric interfaces module. The parent Cisco Nexus Series device remembers the type of the Fabric Extender in its binary configuration. When this feature is configured, the Fabric Extender is only allowed to come online if its type matches the configured FEX-type.
Configuring the Fabric Extender Configuration Examples Dual-homing of a Server to a FEX with FabricPath To configure FabricPath interfaces for two Cisco Nexus 7000 switches that are connected with FabricPath, perform the following tasks on each switch: • Enable FabricPath on each switch.
Displays the Fabric Extender ports that are pinned to a specific switch interface. show interface fex-fabric Displays the switch interfaces that have detected a Fabric Extender uplink. Cisco Nexus 2000 Series NX-OS Fabric Extender Software Configuration Guide OL-25816-02...
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Po101 Eth101/1/23 Down Po101 Po101 Eth101/1/24 Down Po101 Po101 Eth101/1/25 Down Po101 Po101 Eth101/1/26 Down Po101 Po101 Eth101/1/27 Down Po101 Po101 Eth101/1/28 Down Po101 Po101 Eth101/1/29 Down Po101 Po101 Cisco Nexus 2000 Series NX-OS Fabric Extender Software Configuration Guide OL-25816-02...
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A0 serial number is MOC13321057 nominal bitrate is 12000 MBits/sec Link length supported for 50/125mm fiber is 0 m(s) Link length supported for 62.5/125mm fiber is 0 m(s) Cisco Nexus 2000 Series NX-OS Fabric Extender Software Configuration Guide OL-25816-02...
This example shows how to display the inventory information about a specific Fabric Extender: switch# show inventory fex 101 NAME: "FEX 101 CHASSIS", DESCR: "N2K-C2248TP-1GE CHASSIS" PID: N2K-C2248TP-1GE , VID: V00 , SN: SSI13380FSM Cisco Nexus 2000 Series NX-OS Fabric Extender Software Configuration Guide OL-25816-02...
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This example shows how to display the SPROM for a specific Fabric Extender: switch# show sprom fex 101 all DISPLAY FEX 101 SUP sprom contents Common block: Block Signature : 0xabab Block Version Block Length : 160 Cisco Nexus 2000 Series NX-OS Fabric Extender Software Configuration Guide OL-25816-02...
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: Cisco Systems Inc NXK-PAC-400W Product Number : NXK-PAC-400W Serial Number LIT13370QD6 Part Number Part Revision : -037 CLEI Code : 5-01 snmpOID : 12336.12336.12336.12336.12336.12336.12374.12336 H/W Version : 43777.2 Current : 36 Cisco Nexus 2000 Series NX-OS Fabric Extender Software Configuration Guide OL-25816-02...
Current 110v : 36 Current 220v : 36 Stackmib OID Additional References This section includes additional information that is related to configuring the Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extender. Related Documents Related Topic Document Title Cisco NX-OS Licensing Cisco NX-OS Licensing Guide...
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Layer 3 support 5.2(1) Layer 3 capability was added to the Fabric Extender host interface ports including IPv4 and IPv6 and IGMP snooping. Cisco Nexus 2000 Series NX-OS Fabric Extender Software Configuration Guide OL-25816-02...
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Ethernet fabric interface Link Aggregation Control Protocol, See LACP Link Layer Discovery Protocol, See LLDP LLDP local switching loopback address assignment fabric extender loopback address range guidelines licensing requirements limitations Cisco Nexus 2000 Series NX-OS Fabric Extender Software Configuration Guide OL-25816-02 IN-1...
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2, 3 port channel host interface port numbering priority flow control, See type version compatibility quality-of-service, See VLANs related documents Cisco Nexus 2000 Series NX-OS Fabric Extender Software Configuration Guide IN-2 OL-25816-02...