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5 Replies Last post: Jul 30, 2009 7:46 AM by lwatta  

vSphere Servers w/ CNAs to two Nexus 5Ks? posted: Jul 29, 2009 2:11 PM

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NetJnkie
30 posts since
Nov 1, 2007
What's the best method to connect two CNAs in a server to two Nexus 5Ks? Can you do a vPC with these now? If you do that, are there any issues with doing FCoE over them at the same time?
Tags: vsphere, cna, nexus, 5000, vpc

Re: vSphere Servers w/ CNAs to two Nexus 5Ks?

1. Jul 30, 2009 5:03 AM in response to: NetJnkie
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lwatta
92 posts since
Aug 4, 2008

Assuming you are not using the N1K software switch than right now the only option is to use load balancing within ESX. vPC should be available in the next release of code for the N5K.

As far FCOE, I'm pretty sure you can run it over a vPC link but I don't think automatic failover will occur at the hardware level. You'll still have to use some form of FC load balancing software on ESX.

louis

Re: vSphere Servers w/ CNAs to two Nexus 5Ks?

2. Jul 30, 2009 6:22 AM in response to: lwatta
Click to view NetJnkie's profile Novice
NetJnkie
30 posts since
Nov 1, 2007
What can I do if I'm using the N1Kv? I believe the new code for the 5K just came out a week or two ago with vPC support...I'll check on that. Thanks!

Re: vSphere Servers w/ CNAs to two Nexus 5Ks?

3. Jul 30, 2009 6:56 AM in response to: NetJnkie
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lwatta
92 posts since
Aug 4, 2008

With N1KV you can do vPC-HM (vPC - Host mode). We load a Virtual Ethernet Module on the ESX host that will vPC the two CNAs together. This only works when the two CNAs are connected to different N5Ks. If you connect the two CNAs to the same N5K then you have to use standard Etherchannel.

I can check on the availability of the N5K code, but i think its still in beta.

louis

Re: vSphere Servers w/ CNAs to two Nexus 5Ks?

4. Jul 30, 2009 7:02 AM in response to: lwatta
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NetJnkie
30 posts since
Nov 1, 2007

Thank you Louis. Let me make sure I understand the subtleties. With vPC-HM I'm basically letting the N1Kv do the balancing so a single VM will only use one uplink connection? Not a big deal for us here since that single uplink is 10Gb. But I want to make sure I understand what is happening. Once the N5K supports vPC the N1Kv will just use a standard port-channel that it thinks is to the same upstream switch and therefore can balance a single VM traffic across both connections, correct?

Thanks again!

Re: vSphere Servers w/ CNAs to two Nexus 5Ks?

5. Jul 30, 2009 7:46 AM in response to: NetJnkie
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lwatta
92 posts since
Aug 4, 2008

On the N1KV with vPC-HM it will use both connections for uplink. So it is active/active on the N1KV. We support something like 14 load balancing algorithms on the N1KV with vPC-HM.

If you have one N5K than yes you would run etherchannel. If you have multiple N5Ks I'm not sure how the hardware vPC on the N5K is going to integrate with vPC-HM on the N1KV.

I'll try and find out more info on what they plan to do.

louis


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