Install Guide

PS6210 Install and SetupGuide

3 Connecting the Array Cables

Recommendation Description

Forreplication,a

reliable,adequately

sizednetworklink

Foreffectiveandpredictablereplication,thenetworklinkbetweentheprimaryand

secondarygroupsmustbereliableandprovidesufficientbandwidthforcopyingdata.

Useofspanning-tree

protocol

Ifpossible,donotuseSpanningTreeProtocol(STP)onswitchportsthatconnectendnodes

(iSCSIinitiatorsorarraynetworkinterfaces).

IfyoumustuseSTPorRSTP(STPispreferable),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beenabledonlyonswitchportsthatconnectendnodes.

YoucanuseSTPforasingle-cableconnectionbetweenswitchesandtrunkingfor

multicableconnectionsbetweenswitches.

VLANs

TouseDCB(DataCenterBridging),configureswitchestouseVLANstoseparateiSCSI

SANtrafficfromothernetworktraffic.

DCB

YoumusthaveVLANsenabled.RefertotheDell EqualLogic Group Manager

Administrator's Manual,andtheDellEqualLogic Group Manager CLI Reference Guidefor

moreinformationaboutDCB.

Minimum and Recommended Cable Configurations

Foradualcontrolmodulearray,therecommendedconfigurationistoconnectnetworkcablestoEthernet0on

bothcontrolmodules,andconnecteachcontrolmoduletoanetworkswitch.

Forhighperformanceandavailability,distributetheconnectionsacrossmultiplenetworkswitches.

TheswitchesmustbeconnectedwithinterswitchlinksthathavesufficientbandwidthtohandletheiSCSItraffic,

orbystackingcapability.Dellrecommendsusingstackingconfigurationswhereverpossible.

Figure5illustratestherecommendednetworkconfigurationalternatives.

Note: DelldoesnotrecommendconnectingboththeSFP+and10GBASE-TEthernetportsatthesametime.

Figure 5: Recommended Network Configurations