Deployment Guide

SmartFabric vCenter

Enterprises are adopting the power of automation to transform their IT operations, and enable a more agile and responsive infrastructure

in their data center. Network operators must leverage the power of automation within and across their departmental functions, delivering

integrated solutions which cater to cloud-based consumption models.

SmartFabric Services

SmartFabric Services (SFS) are an automation framework that is built into the Dell EMC SmartFabric OS10 network operating system,

integrating converged and hyperconverged infrastructure systems. These solutions deliver autonomous fabric deployment, expansion, and

life cycle management.

SFS enables converged infrastructure (CI) and hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) for system administrators to deploy and operate the

network fabric for the infrastructure solution as an extension of the solution being deployed. This integrated network fabric is built using

industry-standard protocols adhering to the best practice recommendations for that solution, and is interoperable with customers existing

data center networks.

OpenManage Network Integration

Dell EMC OpenManage Network Integration (OMNI) is a management application that is designed to complement SFS, providing a web-

based GUI for operating one or more automated network fabrics deployed using SFS (called SmartFabric instances).

OMNI is delivered as a virtual appliance which can be deployed as:

• A stand-alone virtual machine enabling a web portal to manage one or more SmartFabric Instances

• Deployed as an external plug-in for VMware vCenter. OMNI when deployed as a plug-in for VMware vCenter enables:

• Enables zero-touch automation of physical underlay network fabric running SFS corresponding to changes in the virtual network

layer

• Extends vCenter Host Network Inventory data to include physical switch connectivity details for easy monitoring and

troubleshooting

• Enables single pane of management for one of more SmartFabric instances through the OMNI portal pages that are embedded

within vCenter

VxRail SFS integration solution

Dell EMC VxRail integrated with SFS automates and simplifies networking for VxRail hyperconverged infrastructure deployments and

ongoing network operations. As hyperconverged domains scale, the network fabric becomes the critical piece of successful deployment.

VxRail integration with SFS allows customers to deploy network fabrics for VxRail clusters as an extension of the VxRail clusters without

extensive networking knowledge. The network fabric is automatically configured for the VxRail nodes as the operators deploy their VxRail

clusters.

Key benefits

• Faster time to production

• Plug and play fabric formation for VxRail

• VxRail Manager automatically creates fabric policies for VxRail nodes

• SmartFabric to automate all fabric functions

• Integrated life cycle

• Fabric creation, expansion, and maintenance follow the VxRail application model

• HCI fabric operations are fully managed through VxRail Manager/vCenter

• Better infrastructure visibility

• Tight integration between VxRail appliance and Dell EMC ON-Series PowerSwitches

• Fabric connectivity extended to PowerSwitches required for VxRail solutions only

• Improved SLA

4 SmartFabric vCenter