Deploying the Dell PowerConnect 8100 with the Cisco Catalyst
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In-band management traffic is mixed in with production network traffic, and is subject to all of the
filtering rules applied on a switched/routed port such as ACLs and VLAN tagging. See the Dell
PowerConnect 8100 User Guide for more information on OOB versus Management VLAN.
The Cisco Catalyst uses a similar setting known as SVI (switch virtual interface) to do remote switch
management. When activated, an SVI is used only for management and not for user traffic, just like
the management VLAN on the Dell switch.
Figure 5 shows the basic topology of a management VLAN that is configured in this example: creating
and then connecting a management VLAN and an SVI.
Management VLAN across a Dell PowerConnect 8100 Figure 5.
Both switches use the existing cables (that are carrying production traffic from switch to switch)
to
carry
in-band management traffic. The ports that carry switch-to-switch traffic are said to be in trunk
mode and by default accept and pass all management traffic once a management VLAN has been
defined. To create a Management VLAN or SVI, first create a VLAN interface and then add an IP address
to this interface.
The example below shows the commands for setting up a management VLAN on the Dell PowerConnect
8100. After creating a username and password for remote access to the switch, create a VLAN and
assign it an IP address. Assign trunk ports to be attached to the Cisco Catalyst or other switch. Finally,
configure a single access port, though any number of ports may be added and used in the management
VLAN.