Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switch CLI Software Configuration Guide, NX-OS 4.0(1a)N1 (OL-16597-01, January 2009)

CHAPTER
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5-1
Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switch CLI Software Configuration Guide
OL-16597-01
5
Configuring Ethernet Interfaces
This section describes the configuration of the Ethernet interfaces on a Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switch.
It includes the following sections:
• Information About Ethernet Interfaces, page 5-1
• Configuring Ethernet Interfaces, page 5-5
• Displaying Interface Information, page 5-10
Information About Ethernet Interfaces
The Ethernet ports can operate as standard Ethernet interfaces connected to servers or to a LAN.
The Ethernet interfaces also support Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE). FCoE allows the physical
Ethernet link to carry both Ethernet and Fibre Channel traffic. For additional information, see
Chapter 29, “Configuring FCoE” and Chapter 30, “Configuring Virtual Interfaces.”
On a Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switch, the Ethernet interfaces are enabled by default.
This section includes the following topics:
• About the Interface Command, page 5-1
• About the Unidirectional Link Detection Parameter, page 5-2
• About Interface Speed, page 5-4
• About the Cisco Discovery Protocol, page 5-4
• About the Debounce Timer Parameters, page 5-4
• About MTU Configuration, page 5-5
About the Interface Command
You can enable the various capabilities of the Ethernet interfaces on a per-interface basis using the
interface command. When you enter the interface command, you specify the following information:
• Interface type—All physical Ethernet interfaces use the ethernet keyword.
• Slot number
– Slot 1 includes all the fixed ports.
– Slot 2 includes the ports on the upper expansion module (if populated).