Switch This
What is the purpose of a switch
The main purpose of a switch is to connect devices together
What does a management switch do?
So an OOB or management switch is nothing more than a 1GB ethernet switch that devices connect to so an admin can log into a machine without having to be in the Data Center.
Name two block protocols.
iSCSI and FC
What are Base-T cables made of and what speeds does it support
Base-T Copper: These cables are made up of twisted pair of copper cables (CAT 5/6). These cables connect to an RJ45 port. (the same port found on any laptop or PC)
Utilize 10GbE and 1GbE speeds and can auto negotiate.
Name 3 IP Switches
Dell
Cisco
Juniper
HPE
Arista
Nokia
Aruba
Can we just connect things directly?
You totally can, and in some cases it is easier for a customer to do it this way.
What is OOB?
OOB – Out of band, anything not carrying active application or storage data. Used only for remote management of devices.
4/8/16/32 Gb/s are examples of what protocol?
FC
Describe a 10GbE Twinax (DAC) Copper
Very similar to a coax cable used in homes for router/cable connectivity. There are two copper wires that sit side by side and share their protective jacketing.
Utilize SFP+ transceivers to terminate at ends.
Name 2 FC Switches
Cisco
Brocade
ATTO
Juniper
What are Director level switches?
Basically really big switches
What is InBand
Active application traffic and/or storage data. All other traffic accept for OOB traffic is considered InBand.
What type of network does iSCSI leverage?
Utilizes an Ethernet network underlying Ethernet network is all purpose (so can be dedicated or shared)
What is 10Gb SFP+ made out of?
10Gb SFP+ Optical: Made of glass or plastic and the diameter of a human hair. The cables use light to transfer data.
What are Connectrix switches?
Connectrix are FC ONLY rebranded Cisco and Brocade switches.
They come in two flavors:
MDS-XXXX (Cisco)
DS-XXXX (Brocade)
What is a Core/Spine switch?
These are typically the Director style switches at the middle of your network.
Are TOR switches considered OOB or InBand
InBand!
What type of protocol is "lossless" in its order delivery
FC
What does a transceiver, gbic, sfp do?
A transceiver that connects at each end of the cable to plug into a 10GbE Optical port.
What is NSX?
VMware NSX is the network virtualization platform that enables the implementation of virtual networks on your physical network and within your virtual server infrastructure. It delivers the operational model of a virtual machine for the network.
What are Edge/Leaf switches?
These are typically smaller switches that all connect back into your Core/Spine!
What type of switch does iDRAC use?
So an OOB or management switch is nothing more than a 1GB ethernet switch that devices connect to so an admin can log into a machine without having to be in the Data Center.
THIS IS WHAT iDRAC USES – integrated Dell Remote Access Controller
What protocol utilizes a dedicated network with one job to do – storage.
Do You Job!
FC
Can FC run over 10 Base-T
No! Fibre Channel only runs over optical
What is a VLAN?
Virtual Lan. You're able to segment 1 physical switch into smaller "Virtual Networks"