Configuring Virtual Port Channels

Terminology

A vPC provides the following benefits:

Allows a single device to use an EtherChannel across two upstream devices

Eliminates Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) blocked ports

Provides a loop-free topology

Uses all available uplink bandwidth

Provides fast convergence if either the link or a switch fails

Provides link-level resiliency

Assures high availability

Terminology

vPC Terminology

The terminology used in vPCs is as follows:

vPC—The combined EtherChannel between the vPC peer devices and the downstream device.

vPC peer device—One of a pair of devices that are connected with the special EtherChannel known as the vPC peer link.

vPC peer link—The link used to synchronize states between the vPC peer devices.

vPC member port—Interfaces that belong to the vPCs.

Host vPC port—Fabric Extender host interfaces that belong to a vPC.

vPC domain—This domain includes both vPC peer devices, the vPC peer-keepalive link, and all of the port channels in the vPC connected to the downstream devices. It is also associated to the configuration mode that you must use to assign vPC global parameters. The vPC domain ID must be the same on both switches.

vPC peer-keepalive link—The peer-keepalive link monitors the vitality of a vPC peer Cisco Nexus device. The peer-keepalive link sends configurable, periodic keepalive messages between vPC peer devices.

No data or synchronization traffic moves over the vPC peer-keepalive link; the only traffic on this link is a message that indicates that the originating switch is operating and running vPCs.

Fabric Extender Terminology

The terminology used for the Cisco Nexus Fabric Extender is as follows:

Fabric interface—A 10-Gigabit Ethernet uplink port designated for connection from the Fabric Extender to its parent switch. A fabric interface cannot be used for any other purpose. It must be directly connected to the parent switch.

EtherChannel fabric interface—An EtherChannel uplink connection from the Fabric Extender to its parent switch. This connection consists of fabric interfaces bundled into a single logical channel.

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

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Cisco Systems N5KC5596TFA manual VPC Terminology, Fabric Extender Terminology

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.