Designing A San Using Blade Chassis I/O Modules As Host Access To External Switches For Array Connection - Dell EqualLogic PS6100 series Configuration Manual

9.3 Designing a SAN using blade chassis I/O modules as
host access to external switches for array connection
When attempting to have multiple M1000e blade chassis connected to EqualLogic SAN arrays, or if
there is a need to also attach traditional rack or tower servers to the SAN, it is strongly recommended
that you consider creating a SAN infrastructure that does not directly attach arrays to the blade I/O
modules, but rather consider using a set of external switches to host array connections.
The basic strategy is a slight modification from the basic SAN design guidelines used for SANs that do
not have M1000e enclosures discussed in Section 7.3.3 Equallogic iSCI SAN Design, so this discussion
will start with that basic SAN reference architecture. The difference will be the connection of each
M1000e enclosure's M-Series I/O modules to at least two switches in the external SAN infrastructure
using either Link Aggregation (the primary method) or Stacking interfaces – if the external switches are
stack compatible (See Stack Compatibility for M-Series I/O modules). Even if the M-Series I/O
modules and the external switches are stack compatible, it is recommended that stacking not be used
due to the inability to upgrade switch firmware without taking the SAN network offline.
The following tables provide various methods for uplinking M1000e enclosures to an external SAN
network infrastructure and provide insights into the advantages and concerns that may affect your
configuration, depending on your business environment. In the end, it depends on your specific needs
to determine which configuration is best for your solution.
March 2013 Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1 9-96