Configuring Layer 2 Interfaces

Information About Unified Ports

The interface numbering convention is extended to support use with a Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extender as follows:

switch(config)# interface ethernet [chassis/]slot/port

•Chassis ID is an optional entry to address the ports of a connected Fabric Extender. The chassis ID is configured on a physical Ethernet or EtherChannel interface on the switch to identify the Fabric Extender discovered via the interface. The chassis ID ranges from 100 to 199.

Information About Unified Ports

Cisco Nexus unified ports allow you to configure a physical port on a Cisco Nexus 5500 Platform switch as a 1/10-Gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), or 1-, 2-, 4-, 8-Gigabit native Fibre Channel port.

Currently, most networks have two types of switches for different types of networks. For example, LAN switches carry Ethernet traffic up to Catalyst switches and SAN switches carry FC traffic from servers to MDS switches. With unified port technology, you can deploy a unified platform, unified device, and unified wire approach. Unified ports allow you to move from an existing segregated platform approach where you choose LAN and SAN port options to transition to a single, unified fabric that is transparent and consistent with existing practices and management software. A unified fabric includes the following:

•Unified platform—Uses the same hardware platform and the same software code level and certifies it once for your LAN and SAN environments.

•Unified device—Runs LAN and SAN services on the same platform switch. The unified device allows you to connect your Ethernet and Fibre Channel cables to the same device.

•Unified wire—Converges LAN and SAN networks on a single converged network adapter (CNA) and connects them to your server.

A unified fabric allows you to manage Ethernet and FCoE features independently with existing Cisco tools.

Guidelines and Limitations for Unified Ports

•Ethernet ports and Fibre Channel ports must be configured in the following order:

•Fibre Channel ports must be configured from the last port of the module.

•Ethernet ports must be configured from the first port of the module.

If the order is not followed, the following errors are displayed:

ERROR: Ethernet range starts from first port of the module

ERROR: FC range should end on last port of the module

•On the Cisco Nexus 5548UP switch, the 32 ports of the main slot (slot1) are unified ports. The Ethernet ports start from port 1/1 to port 1/32. The Fibre Channel ports start from port 1/32 backwards to port 1/1.

•For the Cisco Nexus 5596T switch, the last 16 ports (ports 33-48) are Fiber Channel and are configurable as unified ports. The first 32 ports (1-32) are 10GBase-T Ethernet ports only and cannot be configured as unified ports.

 

Cisco Nexus 5000 Series NX-OS Interfaces Configuration Guide, Release 5.2(1)N1(1)

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Cisco Systems N5KC5596TFA manual Information About Unified Ports, Guidelines and Limitations for Unified Ports
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N5KC5596TFA specifications

The Cisco Systems N5KC5596TFA is a high-performance data center switch designed specifically for modern architectures requiring low-latency, high-bandwidth connectivity. As part of the Nexus 5000 series, the N5KC5596TFA addresses the needs of virtualized environments, cloud computing, and highly dynamic workloads, making it an essential choice for enterprises and service providers.

One of the standout features of the N5KC5596TFA is its impressive port density. The switch offers 48 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) ports and 4 40 Gigabit Ethernet (40GbE) uplinks, providing flexibility to connect a variety of devices and ensuring high throughput across the network. This port configuration is ideal for connecting multiple servers and storage devices, making it perfect for environments with significant data traffic.

The switch supports a range of advanced technologies such as Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) for improving scalability and multi-tenancy in data center networks. VXLAN encapsulates Layer 2 Ethernet frames within Layer 4 UDP packets, allowing for a larger address space and effective overlay networking, which is crucial for cloud deployments.

Another notable aspect of the N5KC5596TFA is its support for Data Center Bridging (DCB), which enhances the reliability and performance of Ethernet networks. DCB features like Priority Flow Control (PFC) and Enhanced Transmission Selection (ETS) help to minimize data loss and ensure Quality of Service (QoS) for various types of traffic, including storage and regular data, which is critical in a converged infrastructure.

Security is also a priority with the N5KC5596TFA, as it comes equipped with features such as Access Control Lists (ACLs) and port security, helping to safeguard the network from unauthorized access and potential threats.

In terms of management, the switch offers integration with Cisco's Data Center Network Manager (DCNM), providing tools for monitoring, management, and automation, which simplifies operational tasks. Additionally, it supports Cisco's Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI), enabling a more comprehensive and application-focused approach to networking.

Overall, the Cisco Systems N5KC5596TFA is engineered for organizations looking to build robust, highly efficient, and secure data center environments. Its combination of high density, versatile connectivity options, and advanced networking technologies makes it a powerful solution for meeting the demands of today’s enterprise workloads.
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