Dell Active Fabric Manager Owner's manual

Active Fabric Manager (AFM)

Deployment Guide 2.5

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2014 - 4

Rev. A0X

Contents

1 Introduction............................................................................................................... 9

Problem: Challenges to Build a Fabric in the Data Center..................................................................9

Solution: Active Fabric Manager......................................................................................................... 10

2 About AFM.................................................................................................................11

3 Getting Started........................................................................................................ 13

Designing and Deploying a Fabric...................................................................................................... 13

Designing and Deploying a Fabric Flowchart.....................................................................................15

4 AFM Site Map............................................................................................................17

5 Supported Fabric Types.........................................................................................21

Key Considerations for Designing a Layer 3 with Resiliency (Routed VLT) Fabric........................... 22

Gathering Useful Information for a Layer 3 with Resiliency (Routed VLT) Fabric............................ 23

Conventional Core Versus Distributed Core......................................................................................23

Conventional Core........................................................................................................................24

Distributed Core............................................................................................................................24

Key Advantages..............................................................................................................................25

Distributed Core Terminology ..................................................................................................... 25

Key Considerations for Designing a Distributed Core................................................................. 27

Gathering Useful Information for a Distributed Core..................................................................28

Selecting a Layer 3 Distributed Core Fabric Design.....................................................................28

VLT....................................................................................................................................................... 33

Multi-domain VLT..........................................................................................................................34

VLT Terminology...........................................................................................................................34

VLT Fabric Terminology................................................................................................................ 35

VLT Components.......................................................................................................................... 35

Typical VLT Topology....................................................................................................................35

Key Considerations for Designing a Layer 2 VLT Fabric.............................................................. 36

Gathering Useful Information for a Layer 2 VLT Fabric............................................................... 37

Selecting a Layer 2 and Layer 3 with Resiliency (Routed VLT) Fabric Design............................. 37

6 Discovering and Deploying an Existing Fabric................................................57

Step 1: Discover an Existing Fabric.....................................................................................................58

Step 2: View Discovery Status of an Existing Fabric.......................................................................... 63

Step 3: Deploy Discovered Fabric.......................................................................................................67

7 IOA Fabric Designer Wizard.................................................................................69

8 Designing the Fabric.............................................................................................. 75

Network Deployment Summary ........................................................................................................75

Fabric Configuration Phases and States.......................................................................................76

Switch Configuration Phases and States...................................................................................... 77

Using the Fabric Design Wizard..........................................................................................................78

Fabric Design – Step 1: Fabric Name and Type........................................................................... 79

Fabric Design – Step 2: Bandwidth and Port Count....................................................................81

Deployment Topology Use Cases................................................................................................85

Fabric Design – Step 3: Deployment Topology.......................................................................... 96

Fabric Design – Step 3: Fabric Customization...........................................................................103

Fabric Design – Step 5: Output..................................................................................................104

Fabric Design – Step 6: Summary..............................................................................................108

Importing an Existing Fabric Design.................................................................................................109

Editing and Expanding an Existing Fabric Design ........................................................................... 109

Deleting the Fabric............................................................................................................................109

Viewing the Wiring Diagram.............................................................................................................109

9 Configuring and Deploying the Fabric............................................................ 111

Fabric Deployment Summary............................................................................................................112

Switch Configuration Phases and States.................................................................................... 112

Operations Allowed in Each Fabric State..........................................................................................113

Pre-deployment Configuration........................................................................................................ 114

IOA Pre-deployment Wizard.............................................................................................................116

Pre-deployment (IOA) – Step 1: Management IP.......................................................................117

Pre-deployment (IOA) – Step 2: VLAN Configuration............................................................... 118

Isolated Networks........................................................................................................................ 121

Pre-deployment (IOA) — Step 3: Software Images....................................................................122

Pre-deployment (IOA) – Step 4: SNMP and CLI Credentials.....................................................123

Pre-deployment (IOA) – Step 5: Summary................................................................................ 124

IOA Pre-deployment Error Messages......................................................................................... 127

VLT/Distributed Core Pre-Deployment Wizard...............................................................................128

Prerequisites................................................................................................................................ 128

Protocol Configuration — Layer 2 VLT Fabric: Step 1............................................................... 130

Protocol Configuration — Layer 3 Distributed Core Fabric: Step 1.......................................... 138

Protocol Configuration — Layer 3 with Resiliency (Routed VLT) : Step 1.................................144

Pre-deployment – Step 2: Assign Switch Identities...................................................................157

Pre-Deployment – Step 3: Management IP ..............................................................................158

Pre-Deployment – Step 4: SNMP and CLI Credentials............................................................. 159

Pre-Deployment – Step 5: Software Images ............................................................................ 159

Pre-Deployment – Step 6: DHCP Integration...........................................................................160

Pre-Deployment – Step 7: Summary......................................................................................... 161

Viewing the DHCP Configuration File.............................................................................................. 161

Deploying and Validating the Fabric.................................................................................................162

Deploying the Fabric................................................................................................................... 162

Advanced Configuration ............................................................................................................ 165

Validation ....................................................................................................................................168

Viewing Deployment and Validation Status............................................................................... 170

Custom CLI Configuration................................................................................................................170

Managing Templates...................................................................................................................170

Associating Templates.................................................................................................................174

Adding a Switch-Specific Custom Configuration ..................................................................... 175

Viewing Custom Configuration History......................................................................................176

10 Viewing the Fabric..............................................................................................179

Dashboard......................................................................................................................................... 179

Network Topology.............................................................................................................................181

Network Topology Tabular View................................................................................................ 181

Network Topology Graphical View............................................................................................ 182

Fabric Summary ................................................................................................................................183

Displaying the Fabric in a Tabular View......................................................................................184

Displaying the Fabric in a Graphical View.................................................................................. 184

Switch Summary................................................................................................................................185

11 Troubleshooting..................................................................................................187

Ping, Traceroute, SSH, and Telnet....................................................................................................187

Ping.............................................................................................................................................. 187

Traceroute................................................................................................................................... 187

SSH .............................................................................................................................................. 187

Telnet...........................................................................................................................................188

Validation Alarms...............................................................................................................................188

Deployment and Validation Errors................................................................................................... 190

Pre-deployment Errors............................................................................................................... 190

Deployment Errors.......................................................................................................................191

Validation Errors.......................................................................................................................... 192

Switch Deployment Status Errors.....................................................................................................195

TFTP/FTP Error.................................................................................................................................. 201

Validating Connectivity to the ToR...................................................................................................201

12 Alerts and Events................................................................................................ 203

Current — Active Alerts.................................................................................................................... 203

Historical — Alerts and Event History...............................................................................................205

13 Performance Management.............................................................................. 207

Network Performance Management............................................................................................... 207

Fabric Performance Management................................................................................................... 208

Switch Performance Management.................................................................................................. 208

Port Performance Management...................................................................................................... 209

Detailed Port Performance Management........................................................................................ 210

Data Collection..................................................................................................................................211

Threshold Settings.............................................................................................................................212

Reports...............................................................................................................................................213

Creating New Reports.................................................................................................................213

Editing Reports............................................................................................................................ 214

Running Reports..........................................................................................................................214

Duplicating Reports.....................................................................................................................215

Deleting Reports..........................................................................................................................215

14 Maintenance.........................................................................................................217

Back Up Switch..................................................................................................................................217

Restoring a Switch Configuration .............................................................................................. 217

Deleting a Backup Configuration............................................................................................... 218

Editing Description......................................................................................................................218

Viewing and Editing the Switch Backup Configuration...................................................................218

Updating the Switch Software..........................................................................................................219

Replacing an IOA Blade Switch........................................................................................................ 219

Replacing a Switch............................................................................................................................220

Step 1: Decommission a Switch.................................................................................................220

Step 2: Replacing a Switch......................................................................................................... 220

Step 3: Deploy Switch.................................................................................................................222

Updating the AFM ............................................................................................................................ 222

Updating the AFM Server............................................................................................................ 222

Activating the AFM Standby Partition......................................................................................... 223

15 Jobs........................................................................................................................225

Displaying Job Results......................................................................................................................225

Scheduling Jobs................................................................................................................................225

Switch Backup ............................................................................................................................226

Switch Software Updates............................................................................................................226

Switch Software Activation......................................................................................................... 227

Scheduling Switch Software Updates........................................................................................ 228

Activating Standby Partition Software .......................................................................................229

Scheduling a Back Up Switch Configuration ............................................................................229

16 Administration.....................................................................................................231

Administrative Settings......................................................................................................................231

Active Link Settings......................................................................................................................231

CLI Credentials............................................................................................................................233

Client Settings............................................................................................................................. 234

Data Retention Settings.............................................................................................................. 234

DHCP Server Settings................................................................................................................. 234

NTP Server Settings.....................................................................................................................235

SMTP Email .................................................................................................................................235

SNMP Configuration................................................................................................................... 235

Syslog Server IP Addresses......................................................................................................... 236

System Information.....................................................................................................................236

TFTP/FTP Settings....................................................................................................................... 236

Managing User Accounts..................................................................................................................236

Adding a User..............................................................................................................................238

Deleting a User............................................................................................................................239

Editing a User.............................................................................................................................. 239

Unlocking a User.........................................................................................................................240

Changing Your Password........................................................................................................... 240

Managing User Sessions...................................................................................................................240

Audit Log............................................................................................................................................241

8

1

Introduction

Active Fabric Manager (AFM) is a graphical user interface (GUI) based network automation and

orchestration tool that enables you to design, build, deploy, and optimize a Layer 2 Virtual Link Trunking

(VLT), Layer 3 distributed core, and Layer 3 with Resiliency (Routed VLT) fabric for your current and future

capacity requirements. This tool helps you simplify network operations, automate tasks, and improve

efficiency in the data center.

You can monitor performance at the network, fabric, switch, and port level. You can also display

additional performance statistics through AFM using a Dell OpenManage Network Manager (OMNM)

server. It automates common network management operations and provides advanced network element

discovery, remote configuration management, and system health monitoring to proactively alert network

administrators to potential network problems. OMNM provides SOAP-based web services to provide

integration with non-Dell products. AFM supports Dell Networking S4810, S4820T, S55, S60, S5000,

S6000, IOA blade, MXL blade, and Z9000 switches.

Problem: Challenges to Build a Fabric in the Data Center

• How do you design the fabric?

• What kind of switch do you buy?

• Who is going to use Visio® to manually document the fabric, that is, manually document which

switch ports connect to another switch

• Who is going to draw the cables?

• How will I ensure that this fabric design is accurate?

• Who is going to update the fabric design as I change it or expand it?

• Who is going to configure every switch in the fabric and what kind of errors can happen because this

is manually performed?

• How do I keep track of software versions on each switch?

• Who is going to validate every switch in the fabric to verify that they have the correct version of

software and configuration and that the switches are physically connected to the right switches.

Introduction

9

Solution: Active Fabric Manager

10

Introduction

2

About AFM

Active Fabric Manager (AFM) is a graphical user interface (GUI) based network automation and

orchestration tool that allows you to design, build, deploy, and optimize a Layer 3 distributed core, Layer

3 with Resiliency (Routed VLT), and Layer 2 VLT fabric for your current and future capacity requirements.

This tool helps you simplify network operations, automate tasks, and improve efficiency in the data

center.

NOTE: Before you begin, review the Getting Started page. For information about the AFM workflow,

see Flowchart for Designing and Deploying a Fabric. To learn how to install the AFM, including

instructions on completing the Initial Setup, see the Active Fabric Manager Installation Guide.

• Getting Started

• Fabric Designer Wizard

• Pre-deployment Wizard

• Deploying the Fabric

• Alerts

• Administration

• Performance Management

About AFM

11

12

3

Getting Started

This section contains the following topics:

• Designing and Deploying the Fabric

• Flowchart for Designing and Deploying a Fabric

Dell Active Fabric Manager Owner's manual

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