Implementing IBM System Networking 10Gb Ethernet Switches

Implementing IBM System Networking 10Gb Ethernet Switches

by Sangam Racherla, Ionut Bunea, David A Gray, Sebastian Oglaza, Jose Rodriguez Ruibal
Released June 2012
Publisher(s): IBM Redbooks
ISBN: None

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Book description

In today’s infrastructure, it is common to build networks based on 10 Gb Ethernet technology. The IBM® portfolio of 10 Gb systems networking products includes Top-of-Rack switches, and the embedded switches in the IBM BladeCenter® family. In 2010, IBM formed the IBM System Networking business (by acquiring BLADE Network Technologies), which is now focused on driving data center networking by using the latest Ethernet technologies.

The main focus of this IBM Redbooks® publication is on the IBM System Networking 10Gb Switch Modules, which include both embedded and Top-of-Rack (TOR) models. After reading this book, you can perform basic to advanced configurations of IBM System Networking 10Gb Switch Modules.

In this publication, we introduce the various 10 Gb switch models that are available today and then describe in detail the features that are applicable to these switches.

We then present two architectures that use these 10 Gb switches, which are used throughout this book. These designs are based on preferred practices and the experience of authors of this book. Our intention is to show the configuration of the different features that are available with IBM System Networking 10Gb Switch Modules. We follow the three-tier Data Center design, focusing on the Access and Aggregation Layers, because those layers are the layers that IBM System Networking Switches use.

Table of contents

  1. Notices
    1. Trademarks
  2. Preface
    1. The team who wrote this book
    2. Now you can become a published author, too!
    3. Comments welcome
    4. Stay connected to IBM Redbooks
  3. Chapter 1: Introduction to IBM System Networking 10Gb Ethernet products
    1. Overview
      1. Product information and features
      2. Reference architecture
      3. Initial configuration
      4. IBM RackSwitch Implementation
      5. Embedded switch implementation
      6. Maintenance and troubleshooting
    2. IBM System Networking 10Gb RackSwitch information
      1. High reliability and availability
    3. IBM System Networking RackSwitch G8052
      1. Switch inclusions
      2. IBM System Networking RackSwitch G8052 features
      3. Features and specifications
      4. RackSwitch G8052 LED status details
      5. More information
    4. IBM System Networking RackSwitch G8124
      1. Switch inclusions
      2. IBM System Networking RackSwitch G8124 features
      3. Features and specifications
      4. IBM System Networking RackSwitch G8124 LED status details
      5. More Information
    5. IBM System Networking RackSwitch G8264
      1. Switch inclusions
      2. IBM System Networking RackSwitch G8264 benefits
      3. Features and specifications
      4. IBM System Networking RackSwitch G8264 LED status details
      5. More information
    6. IBM BladeCenter switches
      1. IBM Virtual Fabric 10Gb Switch Module for IBM BladeCenter
      2. IBM 1/10 Uplink Ethernet Switch Module for IBM BladeCenter
      3. IBM BladeCenter H
      4. IBM BladeCenter HT
    7. Connectors, cables, and options
      1. More information
    8. Product interoperability
  4. Chapter 2: IBM System Networking Switch 10Gb Ethernet switch features
    1. Virtual Local Area Networks
      1. VLANs overview
      2. VLANs and Port VLAN ID numbers
      3. Protocol-based VLANs
    2. Spanning Tree Protocol
      1. Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol
      2. Per-VLAN Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (PVRST)
      3. Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol
    3. IP routing
      1. Static routes
      2. Equal-Cost Multi-Path static routes
      3. Routing Information Protocol
      4. Open Shortest Path First
      5. Border Gateway Protocol
    4. IP multicast
      1. Internet Group Management Protocol
      2. Protocol Independent Multicast
    5. IPv6
      1. IPv6 address format
      2. IPv6 address types
      3. IPv6 address auto-configuration
      4. Neighbor Discovery protocol
      5. IPv6 support
    6. Monitoring
      1. Port mirroring
      2. ACL-based mirroring
      3. sFlow
      4. Remote Monitoring (RMON)
    7. High availability
      1. Trunking
      2. Virtual Link Aggregation Groups
      3. Hot links
      4. Fast Uplink Convergence
      5. NIC teaming and Layer 2 failover
      6. Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol
      7. Active Multipath Protocol
      8. Stacking
    8. Security
      1. Private VLANs
      2. Securing administration
      3. Authentication and authorization protocols
      4. MAC address notification
      5. 802.1x Port-based network access control
      6. Access control lists
      7. VLAN maps
      8. Storm-control filters
    9. Quality of Service
      1. QoS overview
      2. Using ACL filters
      3. Summary of ACL actions
      4. ACL metering and re-marking
      5. DiffServ Code Points
      6. QoS 802.1p
      7. Queuing and scheduling
  5. Chapter 3: Reference architectures
    1. Overview of the reference architectures
    2. Top-of-Rack architecture
      1. Layer 1 architecture
      2. Layer 2 architecture
      3. Layer 3 architecture
    3. IBM BladeCenter architecture
      1. Layer 1 architecture
      2. Layer 2 architecture
      3. Layer 3 architecture
    4. Final architecture
  6. Chapter 4: Initial configuration: IBM System Networking 10Gb Ethernet switches
    1. Overview of the initial setup
    2. Administration interfaces
      1. Console, Telnet, and Secure Shell (SSH)
      2. Browser-Based interface
    3. First boot of the RackSwitch G8264 switch
      1. Logging on to the switch
      2. Global Configuration mode
      3. Setup tool (1/3)
      4. Setup tool (2/3)
      5. Setup tool (3/3)
    4. First boot of the Virtual Fabric 10Gb Switch Module embedded switch
      1. Basic options
      2. Setting an IP address
      3. Advanced options
      4. Telnet access
      5. Web access
      6. Setting the date and time
      7. Firmware upgrade from the AMM web interface
      8. Working with users and passwords
    5. IBM System Networking Element Manager
      1. IBM System Networking Element Manager solution architecture
      2. IBM System Networking Element Manager solution requirements
  7. Chapter 5: IBM System Networking RackSwitch implementation
    1. Layer 1 implementation
      1. Network topology for Layer 1 configuration
      2. Port settings configuration (1/2)
      3. Port settings configuration (2/2)
    2. Layer 2
      1. VLANs
      2. Ports and trunking (1/2)
      3. Ports and trunking (2/2)
      4. Spanning Tree Protocol
      5. Quality of Service
    3. Layer 3
      1. Basic IPv4 configuration
      2. Basic IPv6 configuration (1/6)
      3. Basic IPv6 configuration (2/6)
      4. Basic IPv6 configuration (3/6)
      5. Basic IPv6 configuration (4/6)
      6. Basic IPv6 configuration (5/6)
      7. Basic IPv6 configuration (6/6)
      8. Border Gateway Protocol
    4. High availability
      1. Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (1/2)
      2. Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (2/2)
      3. Layer 2 Failover (1/2)
      4. Layer 2 Failover (2/2)
      5. Trunking
      6. Hot Links
    5. More information
  8. Chapter 6: IBM Virtual Fabric 10Gb Switch Module implementation
    1. Purpose of this implementation
    2. Stacking
      1. Stacking overview
      2. Stacking requirements
      3. Stacking limitations
      4. Stack membership (1/3)
      5. Stack membership (2/3)
      6. Stack membership (3/3)
    3. Layer 1 implementation
      1. Network topology for Layer 1 configuration
      2. Port settings configuration
    4. Layer 2 implementation
      1. VLANs
      2. Ports and trunking
      3. Spanning Tree Protocol
      4. Quality of Service
    5. High availability
      1. Stacking
      2. Layer 2 Failover
      3. Trunking
      4. Hot Links
      5. VRRP (1/2)
      6. VRRP (2/2)
    6. IPv4 and IPv6 end-to-end connectivity verification
    7. More information
  9. Chapter 7: Maintenance and troubleshooting
    1. Configuration management
      1. Configuration files
      2. Configuration blocks
      3. Managing configuration files
      4. Factory defaults
      5. Password recovery
    2. Firmware management
      1. Firmware files
      2. Boot Management Menu
      3. Loading the new firmware
      4. Recovering from a failed firmware upgrade
    3. Logging and reporting
      1. System logs
      2. SNMP
      3. Remote Monitoring (RMON)
      4. Management applications
    4. Troubleshooting
      1. LEDs
      2. Basic troubleshooting procedure
      3. Connectivity troubleshooting
  10. Appendix A: Configuration files
    1. AGG-1: Aggregation switch (RackSwitch G8264)
    2. AGG-2: Aggregation switch (RackSwitch G8264)
    3. ACC-1: Access switch (RackSwitch G8124)
    4. ACC-2: Access switch (RackSwitch G8124)
    5. ACC-3: Access switch (Virtual Fabric 10G Switch Module stack)
  11. Related publications
    1. Locating the web material
    2. IBM Redbooks
    3. Other publications
    4. Online resources
    5. Help from IBM
  12. Index (1/3)
  13. Index (2/3)
  14. Index (3/3)
  15. Back cover

Product information

  • Title: Implementing IBM System Networking 10Gb Ethernet Switches
  • Author(s): Sangam Racherla, Ionut Bunea, David A Gray, Sebastian Oglaza, Jose Rodriguez Ruibal
  • Release date: June 2012
  • Publisher(s): IBM Redbooks
  • ISBN: None