Flexport - Extreme Networks ExtremeSwitching VDX 6740 Hardware Installation Manual

Product features
The VDX 6740 devices run on the Extreme Network OS v4.0.0 or later. The 100 Mbps speed for Base-T ports on the VDX 6740T is
available with Extreme Network OS v4.1.0 and later. For details about Extreme Network OS, refer to the Extreme Network OS
Management Configuration Guide.
A key feature of this device is ExtremeSwitching VCS
allows users to create flatter, virtualize, and converged data center networks. VCS fabrics are scalable, permitting users to expand at their
own pace, and simplified, allowing users to manage the fabric as a single entity. VCS-based Ethernet fabrics are convergence-capable
with technologies such as Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) for storage.
This device can also be deployed in IP fabrics. An IP fabric can be described as a collection of discrete Layer 3 elements (such as switch-
routers) arranged in a spine-leaf network. These elements exchange Layer 2 and Layer 3 database information to provide a flexible, non-
blocking and scalable framework while retaining the semantics of a single logical switch. There can be competing protocols for
exchanging this distributed database across such discrete elements. Spine-leaf networks are designed to be a three-stage architecture,
an ingress stage, a middle stage, and an egress stage. The concept is that there are multiple paths for the call to be switched through the
network so that traffic can always connect and not be blocked. For full details and configuration procedures for IP fabrics, refer to the
Extreme Network OS IP Fabrics Configuration Guide.

FlexPort

The FlexPort feature is supported on the VDX 6740 with Network OS 5.0.0 and later and on the VDX 6740T with Network OS 6.0.0
and later. This feature allows you to attach a FC device to run encapsulated FC over Ethernet (FCOE) traffic through the device.
To configure FlexPort and Fibre Channel operation for specific VDX 6740 ports, follow steps in the "FlexPort" section of the Network OS
Management Configuration Guide.
FlexPort allows you to configure specific groups of ports, called connector groups, as 10 Gbps Ethernet ports or as Fibre Channel (FC)
ports. Up to 32 ports can be configured as FlexPorts. These ports can be changed from Ethernet to Fibre Channel operation without a
reboot. Qualified 10 GbE SFP+ transceivers or 4x10 GbE breakout cables must be installed to allow Ethernet operation. Qualified 8
Gbps FC, 16 Gbps FC, or 4x16G QSFP+ transceivers must be installed to allow Fibre Channel operation.
Connector groups share common speed and protocol type properties. You can configure the following speed and protocol combinations
in each connector group:
• LowMixed - 2, 4, and 8 Gbps FC and 1/10 Gbps Ethernet
• HighMixed - 16 Gbps FC and 10 Gbps Ethernet only
• FibreChannel - 2, 4, 8, and 16 Gbps FC (no Ethernet)
For the VDX 6740T, Ethernet operation is supported on 40 GbE QSFP ports configured in 40 GbE mode that use qualified 40 GbE
transceivers and on 40 GbE ports in SFP breakout mode (also referred to as 4x10 GbE breakout mode) that use qualified 4x10 GbE
QSFP transceivers. Fibre Channel operation is supported on 40 GbE ports configured in SFP breakout mode that use qualified 4x16
QSFP+ transceivers. FlexPort is not supported on 40 GbE QSFP ports on the VDX 6740.
The default port FlexPort setting is Ethernet. Consider the following for Fibre Channel operation and ISL connections:
• Ports that do not support the Fibre Channel protocol are not allowed to have their connector group setting changed from the
default setting.
• When the system is booted up, by default, a FlexPort can become an ISL port because it is an Ethernet port in no-shut state.
However, if the FlexPort is configured as FC port, it won't become an ISL port.
For details on the FlexPort feature, including port ranges on VDX 6740 models that can be configured as FlexPorts, connector groups,
and configuration procedures, refer to the Network OS Management Configuration Guide.
14
™
technology, which includes virtual cluster switching, a set of technologies that
ExtremeSwitching VDX 6740 Hardware Installation Guide
9036108-00