Brocade VDX VCS Data Center Layer 2 Fabric Design Guide For Network OS

DATA CENTER
Brocade VDX/VCS Data Center

Layer 2 Fabric Design Guide for Brocade
Network OS v2.1.1
DATA CENTER
DESIGN GUIDE
CONTENTS
Introduction..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................4
Building a Multi-Node VCS Fabric ................................................................................................................................................................................................4
Design Considerations ....................................................................................................................................................4
Topology....................................................................................................................................................................4
Clos Fabrics .............................................................................................................................................................. 4
Mesh Fabrics ............................................................................................................................................................ 5
VCS-to-VCS Connectivity ..........................................................................................................................................6
Switch Platform Considerations.............................................................................................................................. 7
Oversubscription Ratios ..........................................................................................................................................7
Scalability .................................................................................................................................................................8
Implementation ............................................................................................................................................................... 8
VCS Nuts and Bolts (Within the Fabric)...................................................................................................................................................................................10
Deciding Which Ports to Use for ISLs ...........................................................................................................................10
ISL Trunking............................................................................................................................................................10
Brocade ISL Trunk..................................................................................................................................................12
Brocade Long Distance ISL ...................................................................................................................................12
ECMP Load Balancing ...................................................................................................................................................12
Configurable Load Balancing ................................................................................................................................12
Operational Considerations...................................................................................................................................12
Brocade VDX Layer 2 Features (External to Fabric) ...........................................................................................................................................................13
Active-Standby Connectivity..........................................................................................................................................13
Active-Active Connectivity..............................................................................................................................................13
vLAG Enhancements .....................................................................................................................................................13
vLAG Configuration Guidelines with VMware ESX Server and Brocade VDX.............................................................14
vLAG Minimum Links.....................................................................................................................................................14
LACP SID and Selection Logic.......................................................................................................................................14
LACP SID Assignment....................................................................................................................................................14
LACP Remote Partner Validation ..................................................................................................................................14
Operational Consideration ............................................................................................................................................15
show lacp sys-id: ....................................................................................................................................................15
Edge Loop Detection (ELD) ...........................................................................................................................................16
Connecting the Fabric to Uplinks .................................................................................................................................16
Upstream Switches with MCT................................................................................................................................16
Upstream Switches Without MCT .........................................................................................................................16
Connecting the Servers to Fabric..........................................................................................................................18
Rack Mount Servers ..............................................................................................................................................18
Blade Servers .........................................................................................................................................................18
Manual Port Profiles ..............................................................................................................................................18
Dynamic Port Profile with VM Aware Network Automation .................................................................................18
Data Center Network and vCenter........................................................................................................................18
Network OS Virtual Asset Discovery Process .......................................................................................................18
VM-Aware Network Automation MAC Address Scaling ........................................................................................19
Brocade VDX/VCS Data Center Layer 2 Fabric Design Guide for Brocade Network OS v2.1.1
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Authentication ........................................................................................................................................................19
Port Profile Management ......................................................................................................................................19
Usage Restriction and Limits ................................................................................................................................19
Third-Party Software ..............................................................................................................................................20
User Experience .....................................................................................................................................................20
Building a 2-Switch ToR VCS Fabric.........................................................................................................................................................................................21
Design Considerations ..................................................................................................................................................21
Topology..................................................................................................................................................................21
Licensing.................................................................................................................................................................21
Implementation......................................................................................................................................................21
Building a 2-switch Aggregation Layer Using VCS..............................................................................................................................................................23
Design Considerations ..................................................................................................................................................23
Topology..................................................................................................................................................................23
Licensing.................................................................................................................................................................23
Implementation......................................................................................................................................................23
Building the Fabric .................................................................................................................................................24
24-Switch VCS Reference Architecture..................................................................................................................................................................................25
Appendix A: VCS Use Cases........................................................................................................................................................................................................26
VCS Fabric Technology in the Access Layer.................................................................................................................26
VCS Fabric Technology in the Collapsed Access/Aggregation Layer .........................................................................27
VCS Fabric Technology in a Virtualized Environment..................................................................................................28
VCS Fabric technology in Converged Network Environments ....................................................................................29
Brocade VDX 6710 Deployment Scenarios .................................................................................................................30
Glossary..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................31
Related Documents ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................31
About Brocade.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................32
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INTRODUCTION
This document describes and provides high-level design considerations for deploying Brocade VCS Fabric
technology using the Brocade VDX series switches. It explains the steps and configurations needed to deploy the
following:
A 6-switch VCS Fabric topology providing physical or virtual server connectivity with iSCSI/NAS
A 2-switch Top of Rack (TOR) topology
A 2-switch VCS topology in Aggregation, aggregating 1 GbE switches
A 24-switch VCS topology
The target audience for this document includes sales engineers, field sales, partners, and resellers who want to
deploy VCS Fabric technology in a data center. It is assumed the reader of this document is already aware of the
VCS Fabric technology, terms, and nomenclatures. Explaining the VCS nomenclature is beyond the scope of this
document, and the reader is advised to peruse the publically available documents to become familiar with Brocade
VCS Fabric technology.
BUILDING A MULTI-NODE VCS FABRIC

Design Considerations
Topology
Please note that for all illustrations, the Brocade MLX is shown as the aggregation switch of choice, which is the
current Brocade recommendation. However, Brocade VCS is fully standards-compliant and can be deployed with any
standards-compliant third-party switch.
Multi-node fabric design is a function of the number of devices connected to the fabric, type of server/storage
connectivity (1 GbE/10 GbE), oversubscription and target latency. There are always tradeoffs that need to be made
in order to find the right balance between these four variables. Knowing the application communication pattern will
help you tailor the network architecture to maximize network performance.
When designing a fabric with VCS technology, which is topology agnostic, it is important to decide early in the
process what the performance goal of the fabric is. If the goal is to provide a low-latency fabric with the most path
availability, and scalability is not a priority, then full mesh is the most appropriate topology. However, if a balance
between latency, scalability, and availability is the goal, then a Clos topology is more appropriate. There are multiple
combinations possible in between these two, including partial mesh, ring, star, or other hybrid networks, which can
be designed to handle the tradeoffs between availability and latency. However, Brocade recommends that either a
full-mesh or a Clos topology be used to design VCS Fabrics to provide resilient, scalable, and highly available Layer 2
fabrics.
Multi-node fabrics have several use case models. Appendix 1 provides details of various such models for which
multi-node fabrics are targeted. Up to and including Network OS v2.0.1, direct connectivity between two separate
VCS fabrics is not supported. It is currently required that you place a L2/L3 switch as a hub with multiple VCS fabrics
in a spoke, to prevent loops in a network.
Clos Fabrics
Figure 1 shows a two-tier Clos Fabric. Generally, the top row of switches acts as core switches and provides
connectivity to the edge switches. A Clos Fabric is a scalable architecture with a consistent hop count (3 maximum)
for port-to-port connectivity. It is very easy to scale a Clos topology by adding additional switches in either the core or
edge. In addition, as a result of the introduction of routing at Layer 2 with VCS technology, traffic load is equally
distributed among all equal cost multipaths (ECMP). There are two or more paths between any two edge switches in
a resilient core-edge topology.
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Figure 1: 2-Tier Clos Fabric
Mesh Fabrics
Figure 2 shows a full-mesh fabric built with six switches. In a full-mesh topology, every switch is connected directly to
every other switch. A full-mesh topology is a resilient architecture with a consistently low number of hop counts (2
hops) between any two ports. A full mesh is the best choice when a minimum number of hops is needed and a
future increase in fabric scale is not anticipated, since a change in mesh size can be disruptive to the entire fabric.
For a mesh to be effective, traffic patterns should be evenly distributed with low overall bandwidth consumption.
Figure 2: Full-Mesh Fabric
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VCS-to-VCS Connectivity
VCS-to-VCS connectivity is supported in Network OS v2.1.0 release. VCS-to-VCS connectivity is supported for only a
certain set of topologies, due to the lack of a loop detection mechanism. It is highly recommended that VCS-to-VCS
connectivity be restricted to the following topologies only:
ELD, which is available in Network OS v2.1.1, can be used as a loop detection mechanism between
VCS fabrics. Prior to Network OS v2.1.1 the topology could not have any loops. Also, prior to Network
OS v2.1.1, any local loop even within a single cluster caused broadcast storms and brought down the
network. A local loop in one cluster impaced the other cluster.
Two VCS clusters can be directly connected to each otherone at the access layer and the other at the
aggregation layer.
Figure 3: VCS-to-VCS Cluster
One VCS cluster at the aggregation layer can be directly connected to up to 16 VCS clusters at the
access layer; however, access clusters must not be connected to each other.
All links connecting to the two clusters must be a part of a single vLAG, and all multicast control traffic
and data traffic should be limited to 10 Gbps within the vLAG. This limitation is due to the fact that
there is no distribution of multicast trafficmulticast traffic is always sent out on a primary link.
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Figure 4: VCS-to-VCS Cluster
Switch Platform Considerations

Brocade VCS Fabrics can be designed with the Brocade VDX 6720-24 (16/24 port), VDX 6720-60 (40/50/60 port)
switches, VDX 6710 (481 GbE Copper + 610GbE SFP+), VDX 6730-32 (2410 GbE SFP+, 88 GbE FC ports), and
VDX 6730-76 (6010 GbE SFP+, 168 GbE FC ports). The Brocade VDX 6720-24 switch provides a single ASICbased architecture delivering constant latency of ~600ns port-to-port. The Brocade VDX 6720-60 switch is multiASIC based, with latencies ranging from 600 ns to 1.8 us. When designing a Clos topology, using the higher port
count switches in the core enables greater scalability. The Brocade VDX 6710 provides cost-effective VCS fabric
connectivity to 1 GbE servers, while the Brocade VDX 6730 connects the VCS fabric to the Fibre Channel (FC)
Storage Area Network (SAN).
In addition, it is important to consider the airflow direction of the switches. The Brocade VDX is available in both
port-side exhaust and port-side intake configurations. Depending upon the hot-aisle, cold-aisle considerations, you
can choose the appropriate airflow.
Please note that the Brocade VDX 6710 does not require Port On Demand (POD) or Fibre Channel over Ethernet
(FCoE) License, and the VCS fabric must be through 10 GbE ports. However, 10 GbE ports may be used to connect
to servers. These server-facing ports will not support Data Center Bridging (DCB). Lastly, VCS fabric is supported
only with Brocade VDX 6710.
Oversubscription Ratios
Brocade VDX switches do not have dedicated uplinks. Any of the available 10 GbE ports can be used as uplinks to
provide desired oversubscription ratios. When designing a mesh network, the oversubscription ratio is directly
dependent on the number of uplinks and downlinks. For example, a 120-port, non-blocking mesh can be designed
with four 60-port Brocade VDX switches. Each Brocade VDX switch has 30 downstream ports and 30 upstream ports
(10 connected to each of three Brocade VDX switches). In this case, the oversubscription ratio is 1:1, as there are 30
upstream ports serving 30 downstream ports. In the case of a two-tier Clos topology, there are two levels of
oversubscription, if the fabric uplinks are connected to the core layer. For North-South traffic, oversubscription is the
product of the oversubscription of core switches and edge switches. For example, if the core switch with 60 ports
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has 20 uplinks and 40 downlinks, then it has an oversubscription ratio of 2:1 (40:20). Furthermore, if the edge
switch also has the same oversubscription, then the fabric oversubscription for North-South traffic is 4:1. For EastWest traffic, or if the uplinks are also connected at the edge, the oversubscription is dependent only on the
oversubscription of the edge switches, in other words, 2:1 in this example.
Scalability
When designing the fabric, it is important to consider the current scalability limits mentioned in the release notes of
the software running on the switches. These scalability numbers will be improved in future software releases without
requiring any hardware upgrades. This can be referenced in the release notes.
The Brocade VDX series of switches allows for the creation of arbitrary network topologies. Because of this flexibility,
it is not possible to cover all architectural scenarios. Therefore, the scope of this document is to provide a baseline
of architectural models to give the reader a sense of what can be built.
Implementation
Now that the topology, switch, oversubscription, and other variables have been decided, you can decide how to build
this network. As mentioned earlier, the Brocade VDX series of switches allows for the creation of arbitrary network
topologies. Because of this flexibility, it is not possible to cover all architectural scenarios. Therefore, the scope of
this document is to provide a baseline of architectural models, to give the reader a sense of what can be built. This
document describes one such modelhow to build a core-edge network using 424 port edge switches and 224
port switches in core with a 4:1 oversubscription ratio. This document discusses how to connect various types of
servers and storage to this fabric and how to connect the fabric to upstream devices. Figure 5 shows the basic
design of this topology, and Table 1 lists the equipment required for this design.

Figure 5: Topology for Reference Architecture
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Hardware
Quantity
Comments
BR-VDX 6720-24 (-F or R)
Network OS v2.1.0
10G-SFPP-TWX-0508
24 (6x4)
For ISLs
10G-SFPP-TWX-0308
Depends on number of servers connected
10G-SFPP-SR
32 (4x8)
For Brocade VDX side, assuming that Brocade MLX

already has connectivity and fiber cables
BR-VDX6720-24VCS-01
BR-VDX6720-24FCOE-01
iSCSI Initiators
As needed
iSCSI Targets
As needed
FCoE Initiators
As needed
FCoE Targets
As needed
Table 1: Equipment required for a 6-Switch VCS Fabric Solution

The topology used in the above example is a sample topology. Brocade VCS fabrics can be built with a mix and match
of any number of switches within the scalability limits of the software version running.
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VCS NUTS AND BOLTS (WITHIN THE FABRIC)

Deciding Which Ports to Use for ISLs
Any port can be used to form an Inter-Switch Link (ISL) on the Brocade VDX series of switches. No special
configuration is required to create an ISL. There are two port types supported on the Brocade VDX switchesedge
ports and fabric ports. An edge port is used for any non-VDX-to-VDX connectivityregardless of whether that is a
network switch external to the Brocade VDX when running in VCS mode or whether the port is used for end-device
connectivity. A fabric port is used to form an ISL to another Brocade VDX switch and can participate within a Brocade
VDX ISL Trunk Group.
ISL Trunking
When determining which ports to use for ISL Trunking, it is important to understand the concept of port groups on
Brocade VDX switches, as shown in
Figure 6. ISL Trunks can only be formed between ports of the same port group. In addition, the cable length should
be the same to connect the ports forming the ISLs.
Figure 6: Port Groups on the Brocade VDX 6720-60
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When building a fabric, it is very important to think in terms of ISL bandwidth. Brocade ISL Trunks can be formed
using up to 8 links providing up to 80 Gbps of bandwidth. The throughput of ISLs are, however, limited to 80 mpps
(million packets/sec), which results in lower bandwidth for small-size packets.
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Once it has been decided which ports you will use to form an ISL, VCS needs to be enabled, and the RBridge ID must
be defined. The VCS ID needs to be assigned for each switch that will become part of the fabric. The default VCS ID is
1, and the default RBridge ID is 1. Keep in mind that it is disruptive to change these parameters, and a switch
reboot will be required. During the reboot process, if there is no predefined fabric configuration, the default fabric
configuration will be used upon switch bring-up. Once the switches are in VCS mode, connect the ISLs and the VCS
fabric will form. Lastly, please also reference the section on Upgrade/Downgrade ConsiderationsVCS Fabric
Functionality.
Brocade ISL Trunk

A Brocade Trunk is a hardware-based Link Aggregation Group (LAG). Brocade Trunks are dynamically formed
between two adjacent switches. The trunk formation, which is not driven by Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP),
is instead controlled by the same FC trunking protocol that controls the trunk formation on FC switches that use the
Brocade Fabric OS (FOS). When connecting links between two adjacent Brocade VDX 6720s, Brocade Trunks are
enabled automatically, without requiring any additional configuration. Brocade Trunking operates at Layer 2 and is a
vastly superior technology compared to the software-based hashing used in standard LAG, which operates at Layer
2. Brocade Trunking evenly distributes traffic across the member links on a frame-by-frame basis, without the need
for hashing algorithms, and it can coexist with standard IEEE 802.3ad LAGs.
Brocade Long Distance ISL
Normally, an ISL port with Priority Flow Control (PFC) is supported for a 200 m distance on eAnvil-based platforms.
The longdistance-isl command extends that support up to a distance of 10 km, including 2 km and 5 km links.
For a 10 km ISL link, no other ISL links are allowed on the same ASIC. For 5 km and 2 km ISL links, another shortdistance ISL link can be configured. A maximum of three PFCs (per Priority Flow Control) can be supported on a longdistance ISL port.
To configure a long-distance ISL port, use the long-distance-isl command in interface configuration mode.
Please refer to the Network OS Command Reference and Network OS Administrators Guide, v2.1.1 for more
information on long-distance (LD) ISL.
ECMP Load Balancing

Configurable Load Balancing
Load balancing allows traffic distribution on static and dynamic LAGs and vLAG. Although it is not common, some
traffic patterns fail to distribute, leading to only one ECMP path for the entire traffic. This causes underutilization of
ECMP paths, resulting in a loss of data traffic, even though one or more ECMP paths are available to offload the
traffic. In Network OS v2.1.0, a new command is introduced to configure ECMP load balancing parameters, in order
to offer more flexibility to end users. This command allows users to select various parameters, which can then be
used to create a hashing scheme. Please refer to the Network OS Administrators Guide, v2.1.1 for more information
on hashing scheme and usage guidelines.
Operational Considerations
The ECMP hash value is used to add more randomness in selecting the ECMP paths.
The default value of ECMP hash is a random number, set during boot time.
The default ECMP load balance hashing scheme is based on source and destination IP, MAC address,
VLAN ID (VID), and TCP/UDP port.
In the presence of a large number of traffic streams, load balancing can be achieved without any
additional ECMP-related configuration.
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VDX6720_1(config-rbridge-id-2)# fabric ecmpload-balance ?

Possible completions:
dst-mac-vid
Destination MAC address and VID based load balancing
src-dst-ip
Source and Destination IP address based load balancing
src-dst-ip-mac-vid
Source and Destination IP and MAC address and VID based
load balancing
src-dst-ip-mac-vid-port Source and Destination IP, MAC address, VID and TCP/UDP
port based load balancing
src-dst-ip-port Source and Destination IP and TCP/UDP port based load balancing
src-dst-mac-vid Source and Destination MAC address and VID based load balancing
src-mac-vid
Source MAC address and VID based load balancing
VDX6720_2(config)# rbridge-id 2
VDX6720_2(config-rbridge-id-2)# fabric ecmp load-balance dst-mac-vid
VDX6720_2(config-rbridge-id-2)#
VDX6720_2(config-rbridge-id-2)# fabric ecmp load-balance-hash-swap 34456
VDX6720_2# show fabric ecmpload-balance
Fabric EcmpLoad Balance Information
-----------------------------------Rbridge-Id : 2
BROCADE VDX LAYER 2 FEATURES (EXTERNAL TO FABRIC)

Active-Standby Connectivity
Active/Standby connectivity is used to provide redundancy at the link layer in a network. The most common protocol
used at Layer 2 to provide Active/Standby connectivity is Spanning Tree Protocol (STP). The use of STP was
historically acceptable in traditional data center networks, but as the densities of servers in data centers increase,
there is a requirement to improve the bandwidth availability of the links by fully utilizing the available link capacity in
the networks.
Active-Active Connectivity
MCT and vLAGMulti-Chassis Trunking (MCT) is an industry-accepted solution to eliminate spanning tree in L2
topologies. Link Aggregation Group (LAG)-based MCT is a special case of LAG that is covered in IEEE 802.3ad, in
which the LAG ends terminate on two separate chassis that are directly connected to each other. Virtual LAG (vLAG),
a Brocade innovation, further extends the concept of LAG by allowing its formation across four physical switches that
may not be directly connected to each other (but that participate in the same VCS fabric).
vLAG Enhancements
In Brocade Network OS v2.1, the vLAG feature is enhanced to remove several usage restrictions imposed in the
previous Network OS releases. These are highlights of vLAG enhancement in Network OS v2.1:
The ability to specify a minimum number of links that must be active on a vLAG before it can form
aggregation is now supported in VCS mode. This was supported earlier only in standalone mode. The
existing minimum-links Command Line Interface (CLI) under the port channel is now available in VCS
mode.
The ability to validate a remote partner for dynamic vLAG is also added.
The maximum number of RBridges participating in a vLAG is now increased to 4.
The maximum number of ports participating in a vLAG is 32, with 16 from a single RBridge.
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vLAG Configuration Guidelines with VMware ESX Server and Brocade VDX
VMware recommends configuring an EtherChannel when the admin chooses IP-based hashing as Network Interface
Card (NIC) teaming. All other options of NIC teaming should use regular switch port configuration.
vLAG Minimum Links

The Minimum Links feature allows the user to specify the minimum number of links that must be active on the vLAG
before the links can be aggregated. Until the minimum number of links is reached, the port channel shows protocol
down. The default minimum number of links to form an aggregator is 1. The minimum link configuration allows the
user to create vLAGs with a strict lower limit on active participating port members.
As with all other port-channel configuration commands executed on a Brocade VCS operating in Fabric
Cluster mode, the user is required to configure the new minimum link value on each RBridge participating in
the vLAG. The port channel will be operationally down, if the number of active links in a vLAG falls below the
minimum number of links required to keep the port channel logically up. Similarly, the port channel is
operationally up when the number of active links in the vLAG becomes equal to the minimum number of
links required to bring the port channel logically up. The events that trigger a link active count change are as
follows: an active link going up or down, a link added to or deleted from a vLAG, or a participating RBridge
coming back up or going down.
Please note that only ports with the same speed are aggregated.
LACP SID and Selection Logic

As part of establishing dynamic LACP LAGs (or port channels), LACP PDU frames are exchanged between the switch
and the end devices. The exchange includes a unique identifier for both the switch and the device that is used to
determine which port channel a link should be associated with. In Network OS v2.1, additional support is added for
selecting a unique and consistent Local SID (LACP System ID), which is shared between all RBridges that are
connected to the same vLAG. This SID is unique for each switch in the VCS.
During vLAG split and rejoin events, when the member RBridge leaves from and joins into the cluster, SID reselection
logic is enhanced to support a knob to control split recovery.
Split Recovery: In Network OS v2.1.0, with no-ignore-split, SID is derived using the actual MAC address of one of the
participating RBridges (SID Master). So when a vLAG is formed, the SID from the first RBridge configured into the
vLAG is used. If the RBridge that owns the SID of the vLAG leaves the cluster, a new SID is selected from the MAC of
one of the other Rbridges, and vLAG converges again.
No Split Recovery: In this mode, a VSID (Virtual SID)which is a unique identifier derived using the VCS ID, similar to
Network OS 2.0is used as the LACP SID for the vLAG. Upon split, all RBridges continue to advertise the same VSID
as their LACP SID. No reconvergence is needed when nodes leave or (re)join the vLAG in the VCS mode.
LACP SID Assignment

In Network OS v2.1.0, SID is no longer a virtual MAC address derived using the VCS ID; instead, it is the actual MAC
address of the participating RBridges. This allows scaling of the maximum number of RBridges that can participate in
a VLAG, from 2 to 16.
LACP Remote Partner Validation

A vLAG members links in different RBridges sometimes may be connected to other standalone switches. In the
previous Network OS releases, there was no validation of the remote partner information for a dynamic vLAG across
the RBridges. The user had the responsibility to assure that the links in the dynamic vLAG were all connected to the
same remote device and key. In Network OS v2.1.0, remote partner validation support is added, which ensures that
the first received partner information is sent out to all member R0Bridges. If the vLAG has a member in another
RBridge, the aggregation fails, and vLAG is not formed.
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Operational Consideration
To ensure that the RBridges that join the fabric (RB3 in Figure 11) pick up the partner state, the remote SID state for
vLAGs is included in the local database exchange. The following show command provides information on the SID
Master.
show lacp sys-id:

Port-channel Po 10 - System ID: 0x8000,00-05-33-8d-0e-25 - SID Master: rbridge-id 1 (ignore-split
Disabled)
Port-channel Po 20 - System ID: 0x8000,01-e0-52-00-00-13 - SID Master: N/A (ignore-split Enabled

Default)
Figure 11: SID Update on LACP Join
If both RBridges are connected to the same remote device, the remote SID should match.
Figure 12: LACP SID Assignment
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If the RBridges are configured for the same vLAG but are connected to different remote devices, the remote
SID values do not match. Since the local SID state is forced to synchronize between the connecting
RBridges, the side whose Local SID is forced to change ends up with disabled links.
Edge Loop Detection (ELD)

Edge Loop Detection (ELD) is a Brocade Layer 2 loop detection mechanism. It uses PDUs to detect loops in the
network. This protocol is mainly intended for VCS-to-VCS loop prevention operation, but it can also be used in the
VCS-to-standalone mode of networks.
The ELD feature is implemented to block redundant links between two VCS fabrics: when a device detects a loop by
receiving packets originated from it, it should disable all redundant links in that network. This is to prevent packet
storm created due to loops caused by misconfiguration.
The primary purpose of ELD is to block a Layer 2 loop caused by misconfiguration. ELD should be used as a tool to
detect any loops in the network, rather than using it to replace Layer 2 protocols such as xSTP, Metro Ring Protocol
(MRP), and so on.
The basic ELD functionality is as follows: ELD is enabled on a specific port and VLAN combination. Each ELD-enabled
interface on an RBridge sends an ELD PDU. This PDU contains information about the VCS ID and RBridge ID of the
node it is sending from, the VLAN associated with this interface on which ELD is enabled, the ELD port priority
parameter, and so on. ELD can be configured on Access mode ports and Trunk mode ports, and PDUs follow port
configuration for tagging. The port priority parameter decides which port will be shut down in case ELD detects a
loop. These PDUs are transmitted from every ELD-enabled interface at the configured hello interval rate. When
these PDUs are received back at the originating VCS, ELD detects a loop; this results in shutting down redundant
interfaces based on the port parameter of the redundant links. If the port priority value is the same, then the
decision is based on the port number.
ELD uses the system MAC address of the primary RBridge of VCS with the multicast (bit 8) and local (bit 7) on. For
example, if the base MAC address of the primary RBridge of VCS is 00e0.5200.1800, then the destination MAC
address will be 03e0.5200.1800.
Please refer to the Network OS Administrators Guide, v2.1.1 for more information on ELD.
Connecting the Fabric to Uplinks

Upstream Switches with MCT
In order to connect VCS to upstream servers with MCT, set up a normal LACP-based LAG on the MLX side (or
equivalent core router), and vLAG will form automatically on the VDX side.
Upstream Switches Without MCT
When the upstream devices are not running MCT or cannot support MCT, there are two ways that fabric uplinks can
be connected.
Option 1: Form an EtherChannel between the Brocade VDX and upstream devices, as shown in Figure 13. In this
case, standard IEEE 802.3ad-based port trunks are formed between the fabric and upstream network devices. This
provids link level redundancy, but no node level redundancy. If a core Brocade VDX fails, all of the flows through the
MLX/RX (Brocade BigIron RX Series) that are connected to that device have no path to reach the fabric.
Option 2: Run STP on upstream devices with Active/Standby connections, as shown in Figure 14. Since VCS tunnels
all the STP Bridge Protocol Data Units (BPDUs) through, this topology is ideal to provide both node level and link level
redundancy. An important caveat to keep in mind here is that if there are more than two upstream switches
connected to the fabric, Rapid STP (RSTP) will default to STP, since RSTP requires point-to-point connectivitywhich
is not provided in the fabric.
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Figure 13: Connecting Fabric Uplinks to Upstream Devices, Option 1
Figure 14: Connecting Fabric Uplinks to Upstream Devices, Option 2
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Connecting the Servers to Fabric

Rack Mount Servers
This section describes how rack mount servers, either physical or virtual, can be connected to the Brocade
VCS Fabric. When connecting to the fabric in DCB mode, it is important that flow control is enabled on the
Converged Network Adapters CNAs.
Blade Servers
When connecting blade servers to a VCS Fabric, there are two connectivity optionsembedded switches and passthrough modules. Please consult Brocade support to validate the supported solution. Not all qualified solutions
have been published as of the release of this document.
Manual Port Profiles
Automatic Migration of Port Profiles (AMPP) is a Brocade innovation that allows seamless movement of virtual
machines within the Ethernet fabric. In todays networks, network parameters such as security or VLAN settings
need to be physically provisioned before a machine is moved from one physical server to another within the same
Layer 2 domain. Using the distributed intelligence feature, a VCS fabric is aware of the port profiles associated with
the MAC address of a Virtual Machine (VM) and automatically applies those policies to the new access port that the
VM has moved to. Since AMPP is MAC address based, it is hypervisor-agnostic and works with all third-party
hypervisors.
In Network OS v2.1.0, AMPP is supported over vLAG.
Dynamic Port Profile with VM Aware Network Automation

Server virtualization (VMs, and so forth) is used extensively in current datacenter environments, with VMware being
the dominant player in datacenter virtualization. The server hosts (VMware ESXs) are connected directly to the
physical switches through switch-ports (or edge-ports in the case of VCS). Many of these server hosts implement an
internal switch, called vSwitch, which is created to provide internal connectivity to the VMs and a distributed switch
that spans across multiple Server-Hosts. A new layer called the Virtual Access Layer (VAL) virtualizes connectivity
between the physical switch and virtual machine via vSwitch or dvSwitch. VAL is not visible to the physical switch;
thus, these VMs and other virtual assets remain hidden to the network administrator. The Brocade VM-aware
network automation provides the ability to discover these virtual assets. With VM-aware network automation, a
Brocade VDX 67XX switch can dynamically discover virtual assets and offer unprecedented visibility of dynamically
created virtual assets.
VM-aware network automation also allows network administrators to view these virtual assets using the Network OS
CLI. VM-aware network automation is supported on all the Brocade VDX platforms and can be configured in both VCS
and standalone mode. This feature is currently supported on VMware vCenter 4.0 and 4.1.
Data Center Network and vCenter

In current datacenter environments, vCenter is primarily used to manage Vmware ESX hosts. VMs are instantiated
using the vCenter user interface. In addition to creating these VMs the server administrator also associates these
with VSs (Virtual Switches), PGs (Port Groups), and DVPGs (Distributed Virtual Port Groups). VMs and their network
properties are primarily configured and managed on the vCenter/vSphere. Many VM propertiessuch as MAC
addressesare automatically configured by the vCenter, while some propertiessuch as VLAN and bandwidthare
assigned by vCenter through VAL.
Network OS Virtual Asset Discovery Process
The Brocade switch that is connected to hosts/VMs needs to be aware of network policies in order to allow or
disallow traffic. In Network OS v2.1.0, the discovery process starts upon boot-up, when the switch is preconfigured
with the relevant vCenters that exist in its environment. The discovery process entails making appropriate queries to
the vCenter. The queries are in the form of Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) requests/responses sent to the
vCenter.
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Figure 15: Virtual Asset Discovery Process
VM-Aware Network Automation MAC Address Scaling

In Network OS v2.1.1, the VM-aware network automation feature is enhanced to support 8000 VM MAC addresses.
VM-aware network automation is now capable of detecting up to 8000 VM MACs and supporting VM mobility of this
scale within a VCS fabric.
Authentication
In Network OS v2.1.1, before any discovery transactions are initiated, the first order of transactions involves
authentication with the vCenter. In order to authenticate with a specific vCenter, the following vCenter properties are
configured at the switchURL, Login, and Password. A new CLI is added to support this configuration.
Port Profile Management
After discovery, the switch/Network OS enters the port profile creation phase, where it creates port profiles on the
switch based on discovered DVPGs and port groups. The operation creates port profiles in the running-config of the
switch. Additionally, Network OS also automatically creates the interface/VLANs that are configured in the port
profiles, which also end up in the running-config.
The AMPP mechanism built into Brocade switches may provide a faster way to correlate the MAC address of a VM to
the port it is associated with. Network OS continues to allow this mechanism to learn the MAC address and associate
the port profile with the port. The The vCenter automation process simply enhances this mechanism by providing
automatic creation of port profiles or preassociating the MAC addresses before the VM is powered up.
Usage Restriction and Limits

Network OS creates port profiles automatically based on discovered DVPGs or port groups. The port profiles created
in this way contain the prefix auto- in their names. The user is urged not to modify the policies within these port
groups. If the user modifies these port profiles, the discovery mechanism at some point may overwrite the changes
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the user made. The user is also urged never to create port profiles whose names begin with auto- via CLI or from a
file replay.
The maximum number of VLANs that can be created on the switch is 3583, and port profiles are limited to 256
profiles per switch. A vCenter configuration that exceeds this limit leads to an error generated by Network OS.
Third-Party Software
To support the integration of vCenter and Network OS, the following third-party software is added in Network OS
v2.1.0:
Open Source PHP Module
Net-cdp-0.09
Libnet 1.1.4
User Experience
sw0# show vnetwork hosts
Host
VMNic Name
Iface
============================== =============
============
esx4-248803.englab.brocade.com
vmnic2
0/1
vmnic2
0/2
Associated MAC
(d)vSwitch
Switch-
================= ============
5c:f3:fc:0c:d9:f4
dvSwitch-1
5c:f3:fc:0c:d9:f6
dvSwitch-2
sw0# show vnetwork vms

VirtualMachine Associated MAC
IP Addr
Host
=============== ================= =========== =================================
RH5-078001 00:50:56:81:2e:d5 192.168.5.2
RH5-078002 00:50:56:81:08:3c
Please refer to the Network OS Administrators Guide, v2.1.1 for more information on VM-Aware Network
Automation.
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BUILDING A 2-SWITCH TOR VCS FABRIC

Traditionally, at the access layer in the data center, servers have been configured with standby links to Top of Rack
(ToR) switches running STP or other link level protocols to provide resiliency. As server virtualization increases the
density of servers in a rack, the demand for active/active server connectivity, link-level redundancy, and multichassis EtherChannel for node-level redundancy is increasing. A 2-switch, ToR VCS Fabric satisfies each of these
conditions with minimal configuration and setup.
Topology
The variables that affect a 2-switch ToR design are oversubscription, the number of ports required for server/storage
connections, and bandwidth (1/10 GbE). Latency is not a consideration here, as only a single switch is traversed
(under normal operating conditions), as opposed to multiple switches.
Oversubscription, in a 2-switch topology, requires a simple ratio of uplinks to downlinks. In a 260 port switch ToR
with 4 ISL links, 112 usable ports remain. Of these 112 ports, if 40 are used for uplink and 80 for downlink,
oversubscription will be 2:1. However, if the servers are dual-homed in an active/active topology, there only 40
servers will be connected, with 1:1 oversubscription.
Licensing
VCS will operate in a 2-switch topology without the need to purchase additional software licenses. However, if FCoE
support is needed, a separate FCoE license must be purchased.
For VCS configurations that exceed two switches, VCS licenses are required to form a VCS fabric. In addition, if FCoE
is required, an FCoE licensein addition to a VCS licenseis required.
Implementation
Figure 16 shows a sample topology using a 260 switch Brocade VDX 6720 configuration. This topology
provides 2.5:1 oversubscription and 80 server ports to provide active/active connectivity for a rack of 50
servers and/or storage elements. Table 2 shows the Bill of Materials (BOM).
Hardware
Quantity
Comments
BR-VDX 6720-60 (-F or R)
Network OS v2.1.0
10G-SFPP-TWX-0108
For ISLs
10G-SFPP-SR
10
For uplinks on the VDX side
BR-VDX6720-24FCOE-01
N/A
iSCSI Initiators
As needed
iSCSI Targets
As needed
FCoE Initiators
As needed
FCoE Targets
As needed
Table 2: Equipment Required for a 2-Switch ToR Solution
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Figure 16: 2-Switch ToR VCS
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BUILDING A 2-SWITCH AGGREGATION LAYER USING VCS

At the aggregation layer in the data center, ToR switches have traditionally had standby links to ToR switches running
STP, or other link level protocols, to provide resiliency. As server virtualization increases the density of servers in a
rack, the demand for bandwidth from the access switches must increase, to reduce oversubscription. This in turn
drives the demand for active/active uplink connectivity from ToR switches. This chapter discusses the best practices
for setting up a two-node VCS Fabric for aggregation, which expands the Layer 2 domain without the need for
spanning tree.
Topology
The variables that affect a 2-switch design are oversubscription and latency. Oversubscription is directly dependent
on the number of uplinks, downlinks, and ISLs. Depending upon the application, latency can be a deciding factor in
the topology design.
Oversubscription, in a 2-switch topology, is a simple ratio of uplinks to downlinks. In a 260 port switch Fabric with 4
ISL links, 112 usable ports remain. Any of these 112 ports can be used as either uplinks or downlinks to give the
desired oversubscription ratio.
Licensing
VCS operates in a 2-switch topology without the need to purchase additional software licenses. However, if FCoE
support is needed, a separate FCoE license must be purchased.
For VCS configurations that exceed 2 switches, VCS licenses are required to form a VCS fabric. In addition, if FCoE is
required, an FCoE license in addition to a VCS license is required.
Implementation
Figure 17 shows a sample topology using a 260 switch Brocade VDX 6720. This topology provides a 2.5:1
oversubscription and 80 downlink ports to provide active/active connectivity to 20 Brocade FCX 648 switches with
410G uplinks each. Each of these Brocade FCX switches have 48x1G downlink ports, providing 960 (4820) 1G
server ports. Table 3 shows the BOM.
Hardware
Quantity
Comments
BR-VDX 6720-60 (-F or R)
Network OS v2.0.1
10G-SFPP-TWX-0108
For ISLs
10G-SFPP-TWX-0108
80
For Brocade FCX Uplinks
10G-SFPP-SR
10
FCX-648 E or I
20
Table 3: Equipment List for a 2-Switch Aggregation Solution
For uplinks on VDX side

For 1 GbE server connectivity
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Figure 17: 2-Switch VCS Fabric in Aggregation
Building the Fabric

Please refer to the VCS Nuts and Bolts (Within the Fabric) section. The same best practices apply to a 2switch ToR solution.
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24-SWITCH VCS REFERENCE ARCHITECTURE
Figure 18: 24-Switch Brocade VCS Reference Architecture with 10 GbE Server Access
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APPENDIX A: VCS USE CASES

Brocade VCS fabric technology can be used in multiple places in the network. Traditionally, data centers are built
using three-tier architectures with access layers providing server connectivity, aggregation layers aggregating the
access layer devices, and the data center core layer acting as an interface between the campus core and the data
center. This appendix describes the value that VCS fabric technology delivers in various tiers of the data center.
VCS Fabric Technology in the Access Layer

Figure 19 shows a typical deployment of VCS Fabric technology in the access layer. The most common deployment
model in this layer is the 2-switch ToR, as discussed previously. In the access layer, VCS fabric technology can be
inserted in existing architectures, as it fully interoperates with existing LAN protocols, services, and architecture. In
addition, VCS Fabric technology delivers additional value by allowing active-active server connectivity to the network
without additional management overhead.
At the access layer, VCS Fabric technology allows 1 GbE and 10 GbE server connectivity and flexibility of
oversubscription ratios, and it is completely auto-forming, with zero configuration. Servers see the VCS ToR as a
single switch and can fully utilize the provisioned network capacity, thereby doubling the bandwidth of network
access.
Figure 19: VCS Fabric Technology in the Access Layer
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VCS Fabric Technology in the Collapsed Access/Aggregation Layer

Traditionally, Layer 2 (L2) networks have been broadcast-heavy, which forced the data center designers to build
smaller L2 domains to limit both broadcast domains and failure domains. However, in order to seamlessly move
virtual machines in the data center, it is absolutely essential that the VMs are moved within the same Layer 2
domain. In traditional architectures, therefore, VM mobility is severely limited to these small L2 domains.
Brocade has taken a leadership position in the market by introducing Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links
(TRILL)-based VCS Fabric technology, which eliminates all these issues in the data center. Figure 20 shows how a
scaled-out self-aggregating data center edge layer can be built using VCS Fabric technology. This architecture allows
customers to build resilient and efficient networks by eliminating STP, as well as drastically reducing network
management overhead by allowing the network operator to manage the whole network as a single logical switch.
Figure 20: VCS Fabric Technology in the Access/Aggregation Layer
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VCS Fabric Technology in a Virtualized Environment

Today, when a VM moves within a data center, the server administrator needs to open a service request with the
network admin to provision the machine policy on the new network node where the machine is moved. This policy
may include, but is not limited to, VLANs, Quality of Service (QoS), and security for the machine. VCS Fabric
technology eliminates this provisioning step and allows the server admin to seamlessly move VMs within a data
center by automatically distributing and binding policies in the network at a per-VM level, using the Automatic
Migration of Port Profiles (AMPP) feature. AMPP enforces VM-level policies in a consistent fashion across the fabric
and is completely hypervisor-agnostic. Figure 21 shows the behavior of AMPP in a 10-node VCS fabric.
Figure 21: VCS Fabric Technology in a Virtualized Environment
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VCS Fabric technology in Converged Network Environments

VCS Fabric technology has been designed and built ground-up to support shared storage access to thousands of
applications or workloads. VCS Fabric technology allows for lossless Ethernet using DCB and TRILL, which allows
VCS Fabric technology to provide multi-hop, multi-path, highly reliable and resilient FCoE and Internet Small
Computer Systems Interface (iSCSI) storage connectivity. Figure 22 shows a sample configuration with iSCSI and
FCoE storage connected to the fabric.
Figure 22: VCS Fabric Technology in a Converged Network
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Brocade VDX 6710 Deployment Scenarios

In this deployment scenario, the Brocade VDX 6710s (VCS fabric-enabled) extend benefits natively to 1 GbE servers.
Figure 23: Brocade VDX 6710 Deployment Scenario
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GLOSSARY
BPDU
Bridge Protocol Datagram Unit
ELD
Edge Loop Detection protocol. Used on the edge ports of a VCS fabric to detect and
remove loops.
MAC
Media Access Control. In Ethernet, it refers to the 48-bit hardware address.
PDU
Protocol Datagram Unit
RBridge
Routing Bridge. A switch that runs the TRILL (Transparent Interconnection of Lots of
Links) protocol.
RSTP
Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol. An IEEE standard for building a loop-free LAN (Local-Area
Network), which allows ports to rapidly transition to forwarding state.
VCS
Virtual Cluster Switching. Brocade VCS Fabric technology is a method of grouping a

fabric of switches together to form a single virtual switch that can provide a transparent
bridging function.
vLAG
Virtual Link Aggregation Group. You can create a LAG using multiple switches in a VCS
fabric. vLAG provides better high availability and faster protection switching than a normal
LAG.
VLAN
Virtual LAN. Subdividing a LAN into logical VLANs allows separation of traffic from
different sources within the LAN.
xSTP
An abbreviation used in this document to indicate all types of Spanning Tree Protocol, for
instance, STP, RSTP, MSTP (Multiple STP), PVST+ (Per VLAN Spanning Tree Plus), and
RPVST+ (Rapid PVST+).
RELATED DOCUMENTS
For more information about Brocade VCS Fabric technology, please see the Brocade VCS Fabric Technical
Architecture:
http://www.brocade.com/downloads/documents/technical_briefs/vcs-technical-architecture-tb.pdf
For the Brocade Network Operating System Admin Guide and Network OS Command Reference:
http://www.brocade.com/downloads/documents/product_manuals/B_VDX/NOS_AdminGuide_v211.pdf
http://www.brocade.com/downloads/documents/product_manuals/B_VDX/NOS_CommandRef_v211.pdf
The Network OS Release notes can be found at http://my.brocade.com
For more information about the Brocade VDX Series of switches, please see the product Data sheets:
Brocade VDX 6710 Data Center Switch:

http://www.brocade.com/products/all/switches/product-details/vdx-6710-dc-switches/index.page


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ABOUT BROCADE
As information becomes increasingly mobile and distributed across the enterprise, todays organizations are
transitioning to highly virtualized infrastructure, which often increases overall IT complexity. To simplify this process,
organizations must have reliable, flexible network solutions that utilize IT resources whenever and wherever
neededenabling the full advantages of virtualization and cloud computing.
As a global provider of comprehensive networking solutions, Brocade has more than 15 years of experience in
delivering Ethernet, storage, and converged networking technologies that are used in the worlds most missioncritical environments. Based on the Brocade One strategy, this unique approach reduces complexity and disruption
by removing network layers, simplifying management, and protecting existing technology investments. As a result,
organizations can utilize cloud-optimized networks to achieve their goals of non-stop operations in highly virtualized
infrastructures where information and applications are available anywhere.
For more information, visit www.brocade.com.
2012 Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 04/12 GA-DG-434-00
Brocade, Brocade Assurance, the B-wing symbol, DCX, Fabric OS, MLX, SAN Health, VCS, and VDX are registered trademarks, and AnyIO,
Brocade One, CloudPlex, Effortless Networking, ICX, NET Health, OpenScript, and The Effortless Network are trademarks of Brocade
Communications Systems, Inc., in the United States and/or in other countries. Other brands, products, or service names mentioned may
be trademarks of their respective owners.
Notice: This document is for informational purposes only and does not set forth any warranty, expressed or implied, concerning any
equipment, equipment feature, or service offered or to be offered by Brocade. Brocade reserves the right to make changes to this
document at any time, without notice, and assumes no responsibility for its use. This informational document describes features that may
not be currently available. Contact a Brocade sales office for information on feature and product availability. Export of technical data
contained in this document may require an export license from the United States government.
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Brocade VDX VCS Data Center Layer 2 Fabric Design Guide For Network OS

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DATA CENTER

Brocade VDX/VCS Data Center

A 2-switch Top of Rack (TOR) topology

A 2-switch VCS topology in Aggregation, aggregating 1 GbE switches

A 24-switch VCS topology

BUILDING A MULTI-NODE VCS FABRIC

Figure 1: 2-Tier Clos Fabric

Figure 2: Full-Mesh Fabric

Figure 3: VCS-to-VCS Cluster

Figure 4: VCS-to-VCS Cluster

Switch Platform Considerations

BR-VDX 6720-24 (-F or R)

Depends on number of servers connected

For Brocade VDX side, assuming that Brocade MLX

Table 1: Equipment required for a 6-Switch VCS Fabric Solution

VCS NUTS AND BOLTS (WITHIN THE FABRIC)

Figure 6: Port Groups on the Brocade VDX 6720-60

Figure 7: Port Groups on the Brocade VDX 6720-24

Figure 8: Port Groups on the Brocade VDX 6710-54

Figure 9: Port Groups on the Brocade VDX 6730-32

Figure 10: Port Groups on the Brocade VDX 6730-76

Brocade ISL Trunk

ECMP Load Balancing

VDX6720_1(config-rbridge-id-2)# fabric ecmpload-balance ?

BROCADE VDX LAYER 2 FEATURES (EXTERNAL TO FABRIC)

The maximum number of RBridges participating in a vLAG is now increased to 4.

vLAG Minimum Links

LACP SID and Selection Logic

LACP SID Assignment

LACP Remote Partner Validation

show lacp sys-id:

Port-channel Po 20 - System ID: 0x8000,01-e0-52-00-00-13 - SID Master: N/A (ignore-split Enabled

Figure 11: SID Update on LACP Join

Figure 12: LACP SID Assignment

Edge Loop Detection (ELD)

Connecting the Fabric to Uplinks

Figure 13: Connecting Fabric Uplinks to Upstream Devices, Option 1

Figure 14: Connecting Fabric Uplinks to Upstream Devices, Option 2

Connecting the Servers to Fabric

Dynamic Port Profile with VM Aware Network Automation

Data Center Network and vCenter

Figure 15: Virtual Asset Discovery Process

VM-Aware Network Automation MAC Address Scaling

Usage Restriction and Limits

Open Source PHP Module

sw0# show vnetwork vms

BUILDING A 2-SWITCH TOR VCS FABRIC

BR-VDX 6720-60 (-F or R)

For uplinks on the VDX side

Figure 16: 2-Switch ToR VCS

BUILDING A 2-SWITCH AGGREGATION LAYER USING VCS

BR-VDX 6720-60 (-F or R)

For Brocade FCX Uplinks

For uplinks on VDX side

Figure 17: 2-Switch VCS Fabric in Aggregation

Building the Fabric

24-SWITCH VCS REFERENCE ARCHITECTURE

APPENDIX A: VCS USE CASES

VCS Fabric Technology in the Access Layer

Figure 19: VCS Fabric Technology in the Access Layer

VCS Fabric Technology in the Collapsed Access/Aggregation Layer

Figure 20: VCS Fabric Technology in the Access/Aggregation Layer

VCS Fabric Technology in a Virtualized Environment