Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide

Dell
EqualLogic
Configuration
Guide
A guide to building an
iSCSI based SAN solution
with Dell EqualLogic
PS Series Arrays
January 2009
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Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents..............................................................................................................ii
Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1
EqualLogic Infrastructure Requirements .......................................................................... 1
Network Configuration and Design Considerations ......................................................... 1
Infrastructure Configuration ............................................................................................ 4
Array to Switch Infrastructure ...................................................................................... 4
Single Switch/Single Array Controller ....................................................................... 4
Single Switch/Dual Array Controller ......................................................................... 5
Dual Switch/Single Array Controller ......................................................................... 5
Dual Switch/Dual Array Controller ........................................................................... 6
Host to Switch Infrastructure ....................................................................................... 7
Single Initiator per Server......................................................................................... 7
Multiple Initiators per Host/Single Switch ................................................................ 7
Multiple Initiators per Host/Dual Switch .................................................................. 8
Switch to Switch Connections ...................................................................................... 9
Stackable Switches ................................................................................................... 9
Non-Stackable Switches ......................................................................................... 10
Putting It All Together ................................................................................................ 11
Fully Redundant SAN .............................................................................................. 12
Partially Redundant SAN Configurations ................................................................ 13
Appendix A: General Requirements for Switches When Used with EqualLogic PS Series
Arrays ............................................................................................................................ 16
Appendix B: PowerConnect 54xx Configuration ............................................................ 18
Disabling iSCSI Optimization Setting .......................................................................... 19
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Enabling the PortFast Option to Configure STP Edge Ports ........................................ 19

Configuring Flow Control ........................................................................................... 20
Configuring Storm Control ......................................................................................... 20
Configuring Jumbo Frames......................................................................................... 21
Appendix C: PowerConnecct 62xx Configuration .......................................................... 22
Interface Naming Convention .................................................................................... 22
Configuring Storm Control ......................................................................................... 24
Appendix D: Cisco IOS Based Switch Configuration ....................................................... 26
Disabling Unicast Storm Control ................................................................................ 29
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Introduction
The Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide is provided as an aid to help storage
administrators determine how best to build an iSCSI infrastructure for use within an
EqualLogic SAN solution. This document will focus on configuration best practices,
connection rules, general switch configuration parameters, and other helpful
information. This document should not be considered a statement of support for any
specific configuration. Actual viability of any configuration will depend on the
capabilities of the individual components (switches, initiators, etc.) that make up the
SAN infrastructure. This document should be used strictly as a guide in planning an
EqualLogic SAN solution.
EqualLogic Infrastructure Requirements
Dell recommends Cisco and PowerConnect 5400 and 6200- series switches for use with
EqualLogic arrays. Configuration guidance for these switches is provided in the
Appendix of this document.
Dell will support any switch infrastructure component within an EqualLogic SAN solution
assuming it meets minimum standards (Defined in Appendix A) required to support
high-performance iSCSI traffic. Dell will provide full support to resolve customer issues
within the SAN solution. If an infrastructure component is identified as causing an issue,
the customer may be required to directly contact that component vendor for further
support.
Network Configuration and Design Considerations
Each control module has three network interface ports, labeled eth0, eth1, and eth2. A
dual control module array provides three pairs of network interfaces. For example, eth0
on Control Module 0 (CM0) and eth0 on Control Module 1(CM1) is a pair. Only one port
in a pair is active for I/O at one time. All ports are considered active on a single
controller at a time.
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In addition to the requirements and recommendations described in the following tables,

all the usual rules for proper network configuration apply to the group members.
General network configuration is beyond the scope of this document.
Requirement
At least one network
connection
Description
An array must have at least one functioning network interface connected to a
network (through a network switch, if possible). When you run the setup utility,
you will assign an IP address and subnet mask to this interface.
Connectivity to group IP
address
Each array must have at least one functioning network interface that is on the
same subnet as the group IP address.
Switch connectivity
In a single-subnet group in which the arrays are connected to multiple switches,

there must be network connectivity between the switches.
Flow Control enabled on Enable Flow Control on each switch port that handles iSCSI traffic. If your server
is using a software iSCSI initiator and NIC combination to handle iSCSI traffic, you
switches and NICs
must also enable Flow Control on the NICs to obtain any performance benefit. PS
Series storage arrays will correctly respond to Flow Control.
Table 1: Network Requirements
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Recommendation
Redundant network
Paths
Description
Using a multi-pathing solution helps to ensure that no single point of failure exists
between hosts and arrays. MPIO implementations should be available for most
modern operating system environments.
For replication, a
reliable, adequately
sized network link
For effective and predictable replication, be sure that the network link between
the primary and secondary groups is reliable and provides sufficient bandwidth for
copying data.
No STP functionality on
switch ports that
connect end nodes
Do not use Spanning-Tree (STP) on switch ports that connect end nodes (iSCSI
initiators or storage array network interfaces). However, if you want to use STP or
Rapid STP (preferable to STP), you should enable the port settings available on
some switches that let the port immediately transition into STP forwarding state
upon link up. This functionality can reduce network interruptions that occur when
devices restart, and should only be enabled on switch ports that connect end
nodes.
Note: The use of Spanning-Tree when using multiple independent single-cable connection
between switches is encouraged.
Note: Using native Link Aggregation trunking functionality between non-stacking
switches rather than multiple, independent, single-cable connections is highly
encouraged.
Jumbo Frames enabled

on switches and NICs
Enable Jumbo Frames on each switch that handles iSCSI traffic. If your server is
using a software iSCSI initiator and NIC combination, you must also enable Jumbo
Frames on the NICs that handle iSCSI traffic to obtain any performance benefit
and ensure consistent behavior.
VLANs
Configure switches to use VLANs in order to separate iSCSI SAN traffic from other
network traffic.
Switched Gigabit
Ethernet network
Connect arrays and hosts to a switched network and ensure that all network
connections between hosts and arrays are Gigabit Ethernet. An array can operate
at 10 and 100 Mbps, but performance will be significantly degraded.
Access to the group IP

address
In a multi-subnet group, each configured network interface should have access to

the subnet on which the group IP address resides.
Multiple network
Connections
Connect multiple network interfaces on an array (to different switches, if

possible). You can configure the interfaces (assign an IP address and subnet mask)
after adding the array to the group.
Unicast Storm Control
Disabled unicast storm control on on each switch that handles iSCSI traffic.
Table 2: Network Recommendations

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Infrastructure Configuration
Dell recommends that all EqualLogic SAN solutions be configured for full redundancy.
The following table identifies all opportunities for redundancy:
Component
Hosts
SAN Switches
EqualLogic Array
Redundant Configuration
Two or more network interface ports attached to the SAN. Each
port should be connected to a different switch within the SAN.
MPIO software solution enabled for redundancy
Two or more switches configured for inter-switch communications
with standard ports for uplink or stacked using proprietary stacking
technology.
Each array should have at least one port from each controller
connected to each switch.
Table 3: Redundancy Definitions

Based on these definitions, the following sections will further define the connection
recommendations for the primary component connections within the SAN
infrastructure. While full redundancy in all SAN components is recommended, nonredundant connections are provided for those situations where full redundancy is not
viable.
Array to Switch Infrastructure
Single Switch/Single Array Controller
Single controller arrays can connect to one or more switches within the SAN
infrastructure. For the single array controller/single switch solution, one, two or more
array controller ports should be connected to the switch as illustrated in Figure 1.
These connections must not be aggregated in any way.
Note: This configuration does not provide a fully redundant storage infrastructure from
host to array. Additional components are required for full redundancy.
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CM0
Stackable Switch 0
EqualLogic
Figure 1: Single Controller Array to Single Switch Configuration

Single Switch/Dual Array Controller
For dual controller arrays connecting to a single Ethernet switch, one, two or more ports
from controller CM0 should be connected to the switch. In addition, at least one port
from array controller CM1 should also be connected to the switch. All three ports from
CM1 can be connected to the switch to ensure that there is no performance decrease if
there is a failure in CM0. This will provide a redundant path to the array should an array
controller fail as shown in Figure 2.
Stackable Switch 0
CM0
CM1
EqualLogic
Figure 2: Dual Controller Array to Single Switch Configuration

Dual Switch/Single Array Controller
Single controller arrays can be connected to redundant switches as shown in Figure 3.

Ensure that at least one port from CM0 is connected to the second switch. The two
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switches must be connected together via stacking connections or uplinking ports that
are aggregated together to provide equivalent bandwidth based on the active CM0
ports connected to the SAN.
Stackable Switch 0
CM0
Stacking
Connection
Stackable Switch 1
EqualLogic
Figure 3: Dual Controller Array to Single Switch Configuration

Dual Switch/Dual Array Controller
Stackable Switch 0
CM0
Stacking
Connection
Stackable Switch 1
CM1
Dual controller arrays should be configured such that two ports on Controller 0 attach to
one switch and the third port connects to a second switch. Two ports on Controller 1
should connect to the second switch and the third port should connect to the first
switch. The complete diagram in Figure 4 illustrates this connection requirement.
EqualLogic
Figure 4: Dual Controller Array/ Dual Switch Configuration

NOTE: It is highly recommended that all components and connections within an
EqualLogic SAN should be redundant in nature.
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Host to Switch Infrastructure

Host computers should be configured with one or more network interface controllers
(NICs) dedicated to iSCSI SAN communications or with one or more iSCSI host bus
adapters (HBAs). If NICs are used for iSCSI communications, a supported softwarebased iSCSI initiator will be required. Most modern operating systems in use today
provide software iSCSI initiators. If one is not available, then an iSCSI HBA will be
required to connect the host to the iSCSI SAN.
NOTE: It is highly recommended that all components and connections within an
EqualLogic SAN should be redundant in nature.
Single Initiator per Server
In a non-redundant host connection solution, a single NIC or HBA will be connected to

one switch within the SAN infrastructure as illustrated in Figure 5.
iSCSI
Server
NIC 0
NIC 1
Switch 0
Corporate
LAN
Figure 5: Host to Switch Configuration- Single Initiator/Single Switch
Multiple Initiators per Host/Single Switch
Redundant host solutions will incorporate two or more NICs or HBAs connected to one
or more SAN switches. For hosts connecting to a single switch SAN, each NIC or HBA
should be connected to the SAN switch as illustrated in Figure 6. Each NIC should have
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Server
iSCSI
MPIO
the iSCSI software initiator enabled and have either the Dell EqualLogic MPIO driver
(located in the Host Integration Toolkit for Windows) or the native MPIO functionality
for the host OS installed. HBA connections should leverage the standard MPIO
functionality of the driver provided by the vendor to support failover and/or loadbalancing features.
NIC 2
NIC 3
NIC 1
NIC 0
Switch 0
Corporate
LAN
Figure 6: Host to Switch Configuration- Dual Initiator / Single Switch

Multiple Initiators per Host/Dual Switch
For a redundant host connection to more than two switches, two or more NICs or HBAs
will be configured such that one NIC/HBA is connected to one switch within the SAN
infrastructure and the other NIC/HBA is connected to a second switch within the SAN
infrastructure as show in Figure 7.
NOTE: See the Section discussing switch to switch connections elsewhere in this
document for details on configuring a redundant SAN switch infrastructure.
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iSCSI
NIC 2
NIC 3
NIC 1
NIC 0
Stacking
Connection
Server
MPIO
Stackable Switch 1
Stackable Switch 0
Corporate
LAN
Figure 7: Single Controller Array to Switch Configuration

When multiple NICs or HBAs are configured to support redundant host connections to
the iSCSI SAN, the iSCSI initiators must be configured to support connection failover
(and potentially load balancing) using industry standard Multi-Path Input/Output (MPIO)
functionality. The steps to configure MPIO and the level of MPIO functionality are
different for each operating system, so please consult your operating system
documentation for further information.
Switch to Switch Connections
Stackable Switches
Stackable switches provide dedicated, high-bandwidth ports that connect switches

together into either a bus, or more typically, loop architecture. High-bandwidth, interswitch connectivity is an important factor in the overall performance of an EqualLogic
SAN allowing the individual arrays to coordinate SAN activities and to allow data to be
balanced between multiple arrays.
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Stackable Switch 0
Stackable Switch 1
Stackable Switch 2
Stacking Port
Stacking Cable
Figure 8: Example: 3 Switch Stack

In general, follow the instructions provided by the switch vendor for implementing a
multiple-switch stack. If the switch vendor supports multiple stack topologies,
implement the topology that provides the most redundancy and provides the ability to
expand the stack without interruption of SAN traffic. Figure 8 illustrates an example
using three stackable switches.
Non-Stackable Switches
Non-Stacking switches are a viable solution only for small EqualLogic SANs of 3 or fewer
arrays. Non-stacking switches should be connected by using standard Ethernet ports
configured into a Link Aggregation Group (LAG). Depending on the vendor, this will
either be a LACP-compliant link group or an EtherChannel link group. If the switches
are of different vendors, LACP will be the standards-based protocol to be used. Please
follow the directions provided by the switch vendor to implement the appropriate LAG
type.
All LAGs should consist of an equivalent number of links to the total number of active
ports on all arrays within the SAN. Each array can have up to 3x 1Gbps active ports, so
LAG should be configured for 3x 1Gbps links per array. Figure 9 illustrates a nonstackable switch infrastructure with 4 ports on each switch configured into a LAG.
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Non-Stacking Switch 1
Non-Stacking Switch 0
Ethernet Port
Ethernet Cable
LACP Aggregation/EtherChannel
Figure 9: Example: 4-port Aggregated Uplink

Putting It All Together
Based on the previous discussions focusing on the three main infrastructure component
connections - hosts, arrays, and switches, the following set of diagrams illustrate a set of
redundant and non-redundant SAN configurations with all of the components combined
into a complete set of solutions.
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Fully Redundant SAN
The only design that addresses all of the possible failure modes for an iSCSI SAN that utilizes an
EqualLogic array is illustrated in Figure 10. In this SAN design, each component of the SAN
infrastructure has a redundant connection or path.
NIC 3
Switch 0
CM0
iSCSI
NIC 2
NIC 0
Stack
or
Uplink
Server
MPIO
Switch 1
NIC 1
CM1
NOTE: For any production environment, this is the ONLY configuration that will completely
protect your access to data and is the ONLY configuration recommended by Dell.
EqualLogic
Corporate
LAN
Figure 10: End-to-End Redundant SAN
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Partially Redundant SAN Configurations
Though each of the SAN designs below will allow each host to access its data within the SAN,
these are not recommended for production deployment, and should not be interpreted as a
recommendation, as they do not provide a fully redundant SAN solution.
NIC 0
NIC 1
Switch 0
CM0
iSCSI
Server
Single Array Controllers Configurations
EqualLogic
Corporate
LAN
iSCSI
NIC 2
NIC 3
NIC 1
NIC 0
Switch 0
CM0
Server
MPIO
Figure 11: Single Switch/Single NIC
EqualLogic
Corporate
LAN
Figure 12: Single Switch/Dual NIC
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NIC 3
NIC 0
Switch 0
CM0
iSCSI
NIC 2
Stack
or
Uplink
Server
MPIO
Switch 1
NIC 1
EqualLogic
Corporate
LAN
Figure 13: Dual Switch/Dual NIC
NIC 0
NIC 1
Switch 0
CM0
iSCSI
Server
CM1
Dual Array Controllers Configurations
EqualLogic
Corporate
LAN
Figure 14: Single Switch/Single NIC
Page 14
NIC 0
NIC 1
Switch 0
CM1
CM0
Stack
or
Uplink
iSCSI
MPIO
Server
Switch 1
EqualLogic
Corporate
LAN
NIC 3
CM1
iSCSI
NIC 2
NIC 1
NIC 0
Switch 0
CM0
Server
MPIO
Figure 15: Dual Switch/Single NIC
EqualLogic
Corporate
LAN
Figure 16: Single Switch/Dual NIC
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Appendix A: General Requirements for Switches When Used with

EqualLogic PS Series Arrays
For a switch to provide reliable operation within a Dell EqualLogic SAN
infrastructure, the following features must be available:
Non-Blocking backplane design
A switch should be able to provide the same amount of backplane
bandwidth to support full duplex communication on ALL ports
simultaneously.
Support for Inter-Switch Linking (ISL) or Dedicated Stacking Architecture
ISL support is required to link all switches in SAN infrastructure together.
For non-stacking switches, the switch should support designating one or
more (through Link Aggregation Groups) ports for inter-switch links.
For stacking switches, the use of stacking ports for ISL is assumed. Switch
should provide at least 20Mbps full-duplex bandwidth.
Support for creating Link Aggregation Groups (LAG)
For non-stacking switches, the ability to bind multiple physical ports into a
single logical link for use as an ISL is required. Switch should support
creating LAGs of at least 8x 1Gbps ports or at least 1x 10Gbps port.
Note: Non-stacking switches with more than three EqualLogic Arrays could
exhibit some performance reduction.
Support for active or passive Flow Control (802.3x) on ALL ports.
Switches must be able to actively manage pause frames received from
hosts, or they must passively pass all pause frames through to the target
arrays.
Support for Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (R-STP)
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For SAN infrastructures consisting of more than 2 non-stacking switches, RSTP must be enabled on all ports used for ISLs. All non-ISL ports should be
marked as edge ports or set to portfast.
Support for Jumbo Frames
Not a requirement, but desirable. Many storage implementations can take
advantage of Jumbo Frames. Jumbo frames may not provide any
performance increases depending on the application and data
characteristics.
Ability to disable Unicast Storm Control
iSCSI in general, and Dell EqualLogic SANs in particular can send packets in a
very bursty profile that many switches mis-diagnose as a viral induced
packet storm. Since the SAN should be isolated from general Ethernet
traffic, the viral possibilities are non-existent. Switches need to always pass
Ethernet packets regardless of bandwidth utilization.
Adequate Buffer Space per switch port
The Dell EqualLogic SAN solution makes use of the SAN infrastructure to
support inter-array communication and data load balancing on top of
supporting data transfers between the hosts and the SAN. For this reason,
the more buffer space per port that a switch can provide the better.
Due to the multitude of buffer implementations used by switch vendors,
Dell cannot provide definitive guidelines as to how much is enough, but this
should not be an issue for most Enterprise-class switch vendors solutions.
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Appendix B: PowerConnect 54xx Configuration

The PowerConnect 54xx Family of switches must be placed in privileged mode
to perform configuration steps in this Appendix. Use the following command to
enter privileged mode:
console> enable
console#
Note: You may be prompted for a password after submitting the enable
command
The PowerConnect 54xx Family of switches must be place into configuration
mode before any configuration steps can be performed. To enter configuration
mode, the following command must be entered:
console# configure
console(config)#
PowerConnect 54xx Family of switches are non-stacking switches and must be

configured independently using either the web-based Switch manager or the
Command Line Interface (CLI). The instructions in this Appendix provide CLI
commands for configuration. Please go to Dells support website for the latest
documentation if the web-interface is preferred.
Port references for the PowerConnect 54xx switch must use the interface
command and the port references are in the form of g+<port#>.
For example, Port 10 on the Powerconnect 5424 would be referenced as
console(config)# interface ethernet g10
To reference a range of ports, the interface range command must be used

with the port reference in the form of g(+<begport#> + - + <endport#>+ ).
For example, to reference all ports between port g1 and port g15 would be
referenced as
console(config)# interface range ethernet g(1-15)
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Disabling iSCSI Optimization Setting

The PowerConnect 54xx family of switches has a global feature called iSCSI
Optimization that is designed to configure the Quality of Service settings to allow
iSCSI frames to have priority over other frame types within the switch. The
settings used when this command is enabled are designed to optimize an iSCSI
storage solution consisting of a single iSCSI storage device and is not optimal for a
SAN consisting of multiple EqualLogic PS Series arrays in a peer storage
configuration and must be disabled for switches used within a PS Series SAN.
To disable the iSCSI Optimization settings for the PowerConnect 54xx family of
switches, perform the following steps:
console# configure
console(config)# no iscsi enable
console(config)# exit
console# copy running-config startup-config
console# exit
Enabling the PortFast Option to Configure STP Edge Ports

To enable PortFast on a single port, the spanning-tree portfast command must be
used. PortFast should be enabled only on those ports being used to for interswitch connections.
The following steps are an example of using this command to enable portfast on
port 10 of the PowerConnect 5448
console# configure
console(config)# spanning-tree mode rstp
console(config)# interface ethernet g10
console(config-if)# spanning-tree portfast
console(config-if)# exit
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console# exit
Configuring Flow Control

Flow control on the PowerConnect 54xx Family of switches is off by default. To
enable flow control on all ports in the switch, use the system flowcontrol
command. Flow control only works when the port is in full duplex mode, so be
sure to enable full duplex on the port before enabling flow control
To enable flow control on all ports of a PowerConnect 5448, enter the following
commands:
console# configure
console(config)# interface range ethernet g(1-48)
console(config-if)# speed 1000
console(config-if)# duplex full
console(config-if)# flowcontrol on
console# exit
Configuring Storm Control

To disable port storm control on the PowerConnect 54xx switch, use the no port
storm-control broadcast enable command. The following steps are an
example of using this command to disable storm control on a single port of a
PowerConnect 5448 switch:
console# configure
console(config)#
interface Ethernet g1
console(config-if)# no port storm-control broadcast enable
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console(config)#
exit

console# exit
The following steps are an example of how to disable storm control on all ports of
a PowerConnect 5448 switch:
console# configure
console(config)# interface range ethernet all
console(config-if)# no port storm-control broadcast enable
console# exit
Configuring Jumbo Frames

Jumbo frames are not enabled by default. To enable jumbo frames on the
PowerConnect 54xx switch, use the port jumbo-frame global configuration
command. Jumbo frames are enabled on all ports on a switch when enabled.
console# configure
console(config)# port jumbo-frame
console# exit
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Appendix C: PowerConnecct 62xx Configuration

The PowerConnect 62xx Family of switches must be placed in privileged mode
to perform configuration steps in this Appendix. Use the following command to
enter privileged mode:
console> enable
console#
Note: You may be prompted for a password after submitting the enable
command
The PowerConnect 62xx Family of switches must be place into configuration
mode before any configuration steps can be performed. To enter configuration
mode, the following command must be entered:
console# configure
console(config)#
PowerConnect 62xx Family of switches are stacking switches and must be

configured as a stack using either the web-based Switch manager or the
Command Line Interface (CLI). The instructions in this Appendix provide CLI
commands for configuration. Please go to Dells support website for the latest
documentation if the web-interface is preferred.
Interface Naming Convention
The conventions for naming interfaces on Dell PowerConnect 62xx family of
switches are as follows:
Unit#/Interface ID each interface is identified by the Unit# followed by a
/ symbol and then the Interface ID (see below). For example, 2/g10
identifies gigabit port 10 within the second unit of a stack.
Unit# the unit number is used only in a stacking solution where a
number of switches are stacked to form a virtual device. In this case, the
unit number identifies the physical device identifier within the stack.
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Interface ID is formed by the interface type followed by the interface

number. There is currently a predefined list of interface types (see below).
If additional interface types are to be defined, they must be registered with
Dell. For example, 2/g10 identifies the gigabit port 10 on the second unit.
Interface Types the following interface types are defined in the 6200
series switches:
g gigabit Ethernet port (for example, 1/g2 is the gigabit Ethernet
port 2).
xg 10 Gigabit Ethernet port (for example, 1/xg2 is the 10 gigabit
Ethernet port 2).
To enable PortFast on a single port, the spanning-tree portfast command must be
used. The following steps are an example of using this command to enable
portfast on port 10 of the first PowerConnect 6248 in a stack
console# configure
console(config)# spanning-tree mode rstp
console(config)# interface ethernet 1/g10
console(config-if)# spanning-tree portfast
console# exit

Flow control on the PowerConnect 62xx Family of switches is off by default. To
enable flow control on all ports in the switch, use the flowcontrol command.
To enable flow control on all ports of a PowerConnect 6248, enter the following
commands:
console# configure
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console(config)# flowcontrol
console# exit
Configuring Storm Control

To disable port storm control on the PowerConnect 62xx switch, use the no
storm-control unicast command. The following steps are an example of
using this command to disable the unicast storm control on a single port Port 10
of Switch 3 in a stack:
console# configure
console(config)# interface ethernet 3/g10
console(config-if)# no storm-control unicast
console# exit
The following steps are an example of how to disable unicast storm control on all
ports in a PowerConnect 62xx switch stack:
console# configure
console(config-if)# no storm-control unicast
console# exit
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Jumbo frames are not enabled by default. To enable jumbo frames on the
Powerconnect 62xx switch, use the mtu interface configuration command with a
parameter of 9216. Because the mtu command is an interface configuration
command, each port must be individually configured with the mtu command. All
ports on a switch can be configured using the port range command.
console# configure
console(config-if)# mtu 9216
console# exit
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Appendix D: Cisco IOS Based Switch Configuration

Cisco IOS based switches must be placed in privileged mode to perform
configuration steps in this Appendix. Use the following command to enter
privileged mode:
Switch> enable
Switch#
Cisco IOS based switches must be place into configuration mode before any
configuration steps can be performed. To enter configuration mode, the
following command must be entered:
Switch# configure terminal
To configure a port on non-chassis based Cisco IOS switch, the interface type,
stack member number, module number, and switch port number must be
provided, and enter interface configuration mode.
Interface TypeGigabit Ethernet and small form-factor pluggable (SFP)

modules(gigabitethernet or gi), 10-Gigabit Ethernet
(tengigabitethernet or te).
Stack member numberIdentifies the switch within the stack. The switch
number range is 1 to 9 and is assigned the first time the switch initializes. All
standalone switches have stack member number equal to 1. When a switch is
added to an existing stack it will receive a new stack member number and it
keeps that number until another is assigned to it. Non-Stackable switches
have a stack member number of 1.
The switch port LEDs can be configured in Stack mode to identify the stack
member number of a switch.
Module numberThe module or slot number on the switch is always 0.
Port numberReflects the actual port number on the switch. Port numbers
always begin at 1, starting with the far left port when facing the front of the
switch.
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For switches that have Cisco TwinGig Converter Modules in 10-Gigabit

Ethernet module slots, the interface type is tengigabitethernet, and
the port numbers restart at 1. For example, the first port on the first TwinGig
Converter Module is referenced as tengigabitethernet1/0/1 and the first
port on the second TwinGig Converter Module would be referenced as
tengigabitethernet1/0/3.
For switches that are using Cisco dual SFP X2 converter modules in the 10Gigabit Ethernet module slots, the SFP module ports are numbered
consecutively following the fixed port interfaces. For example, if the switch
has 24 fixed ports, the SFP module ports are gigabitethernet1/0/25
through gigabitethernet1/0/28.
A Catalsyt 3750-E example:
Port 4 is idenetified by entering the following command:
Switch(config)# interface gigabitethernet1/0/4

To configure STP edge ports on Cisco IOS-based switches, the Portfast option
must be set on the desired port(s).
The following example shows how to enable PortFast on Gigabit Ethernet
interface 0/1 on switch 1:
Switch> enable
Switch# configigure terminal
Switch(config)# interface gi1/0/1
Switch(config-if)# spanning-tree portfast
Switch(config-if)# exit
Switch(config)# exit
Switch# copy running-config startup-config
To view or confirm Port Fast status on a port, use the following command.
Page 27
Switch# show spanning-tree interface gigabitethernet0/1
Note: Use the spanning-tree portfast default global configuration command to

globally enable the PortFast feature on all non-trunking ports.
This example shows how to globally enable PortFast by default on all access ports:
Switch# config terminal
Switch(config)# spanning-tree portfast default
Switch(config)# end
For additional information on understanding and configuring Spanning-Tree

Protocol on Catalyst switches, see:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/tech/tk389/tk621/technologies_configuratio
n_example09186a008009467c.shtml
This section describes how to configure Flow Control on Cisco Catalyst 3750 and
2970switches. You must enable Flow Control on each switch port that handles
iSCSI traffic.
Note: Cisco Catalyst switch ports are capable of receiving, but not sending, pause
frames.
The following commands shows how to configure Gigabit Ethernet interface 0/1
on switch 1 to auto-negotiate the correct Flow Control setting with the device to
which it is connected:
Switch> enable
Switch(config-if)# flowcontrol receive desired
Page 28
To view or confirm Flow Control status on a port, use the following command:
Switch# show flowcontrol interface gigabitethernet1/0/1
Disabling Unicast Storm Control

This section describes how to disable unicast storm control on Cisco Catalyst 3750
and 2970 switches.
The following example shows how to disable unicast storm control on Gigabit
Ethernet interface 0/15 on switch 1 and verify the configuration:
Switch> enable
Switch(config-if)# no storm-control unicast level
To view or confirm storm control status on a port, use the following command.
Switch# show storm-control gigabitethernet1/0/15 unicast
Interface Filter state Level

Current
--------- ------------ ----------Gi2/0/15 Inactive
100.00% N/A
For more information on configuring port-based traffic control on Catalyst
switches, see:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps5023/products_configura
tion_guide_chapter09186a008021272b.html
Page 29

On Cisco Catalyst switches, MTU size cannot be set for an individual interface.
Instead, it must be configured for all Gigabit Ethernet ports on the switch, or for
all ports in a VLAN. When the MTU size is changed, the switch must reset before
the new configuration takes effect. If a value is entered that is outside the
allowed range for the specific type of interface, the value is not accepted.
Use the following commands to configure Jumbo Frames, which sets the
maximum packet size to 9000 bytes:
Switch> enable
Switch# config terminal
Switch(config)# system mtu jumbo 9000
Switch# reload
The following example shows the output when you try to set Gigabit Ethernet
interfaces to an outof-range number:
Switch(config)# system mtu jumbo 25000
^
% Invalid input detected at '^' marker.
Once the switch reloads, the configuration can be verified by entering the
following commands:
Switch> enable
Switch# configure t
Switch(config)# show system mtu
Page 30
The commands shown next are used to enable an individual VLAN to use Jumbo
Frames. Note that VLAN1 cannot have Jumbo Frames enabled. VLAN 2 must be
used if Jumbo Frames are required.
Switch# vlan database
Switch(vlan)# vlan 2 mtu 9000
Switch(vlan)# exit
To view or confirm MTU size on port 7 of the switch, use the following command.
Switch# show interface gigabitethernet1/0/7
For more information on configuring Jumbo Frames or Giant Frames on Catalyst

switches, see:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps700/products_configurati
on_example09186a008010edab.shtml
Page 31

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