Configuring Brocade ICX-Series Ethernet Switches

Alteeve Wiki :: How To :: Configuring Brocade ICX-Series Ethernet Switches

Brocade ICX6450-24 ethernet switch. Photo by brocade.

Purpose of This Tutorial

The Brocade-brand ICX-series switches, with a focus on the ICX6450 and ICX6610 switches, are great ethernet switches for use in an Anvil! system.

This mini-tutorial covers how to set them up to provide a stacked, hitless failover configuration with appropriate VLANs to isolate and protect the three networks.

Serial Access

Antaira UTS-1110A single-port USB to RS-232] serial adapter. Photo by Antaira.

By default, the APC AP7900 does not have an IP address assigned.

The easiest way to configure an IP address is to log into the PDU over a serial port. Most servers still come with a built-in 9-pin serial port, but most desktops and laptops do not. If you don't have one, many vendors sell USB to serial adapters. The one we've used quite successfully is the Antaira UTS-1110A, but almost any adapter you can find at your local computer store will work.

Note: The m2 Anvil! installs screen on both nodes and Striker dashboards.

We're going to use a program called screen to talk to the PDU over the serial port.

To do this, you need to know what device the PDU's serial cable is plugged into. Some common ones:

Type	Device path
Serial port 1	/dev/ttyS0
Serial port 2	/dev/ttyS1
USB-Connected port 1	/dev/ttyUSB0
USB-Connected port 2	/dev/ttyUSB1

... and so on.

In my case, I'm using the port on a USB to Serial adapter, so I will use '/dev/ttyUSB0'.

Knowing this, we're ready to go!

Open a terminal window and run:

screen /dev/ttyUSB0

Note: When you are done, to exit screen, press '<ctrl>' + 'a', release, then press 'k'. You will be prompted to kill the session, type 'y'.

Port Assignment

{{note|1=You could use a 48-port switch to host five

We will cover the port assignments for two scenarios;

1. . Both ICX6540 and ICX6610 switches with 24x 1 Gbps ports configured for two Anvil! pairs.
2. . Using the 10 Gbps ports on the ICX6610 to support one Anvil! node pair operating at 10 Gbps.

ICX6450-24 (Applies to all 24-port switches)

In this example, we're showing how to cable up a pair of ICX6450-24 switches in a very typical configuration. It can drive two Anvil! systems along with the usual foundation pack.

The table below represents a pair of these stacked together.

an-switch01
Stack			Back-Channel Network]]					Storage Network			Internet-Facing Network
X1 (1/2/1)	X3 (1/2/3)		1 (1/1/1)	3 (1/1/3)	5 (1/1/5)	7 (1/1/7)	9 (1/1/9)	11 (1/1/11)		13 (1/1/13)	15 (1/1/15)	17 (1/1/17)	19 (1/1/19)	21 (1/1/21)	23 (1/1/23)
To an-switch02 X3	To an-switch02 X1		an-a01n01 BCN - Link 1	an-a01n01 IPMI / Fencing	an-a02n01 BCN - Link 1	an-a02n01 IPMI / Fencing	an-striker01 BCN - Link 2	an-a01n01 SN - Link 1		an-a02n01 SN - Link 1	an-a01n01 IFN - Link 1	an-a02n01 IFN - Link 1	an-striker01 IFN - Link 1	--	--
--	--		an-a01n02 BCN - Link 1	an-a01n02 IPMI / Fencing	an-a02n02 BCN - Link 1	an-a02n02 BCN - Link 1	--	an-a01n02 SN - Link 1		an-a02n02 SN - Link 1	an-a01n02 IFN - Link 1	an-a02n02 IFN - Link 1	--	--	Uplink 1
X2 (1/2/2)	X4 (1/2/4)		2 (1/1/2)	4 (1/1/4)	6 (1/1/6)	8 (1/1/8)	10 (1/1/10)	12 (1/1/12)		14 (1/1/14)	16 (1/1/16)	18 (1/1/18)	20 (1/1/20)	22 (1/1/22)	24 (1/1/24)
Unused			VID 100					VID 200			VID 300
an-switch02
Stack			Back-Channel Network]]					Storage Network			Internet-Facing Network
X1 (2/2/1)	X3 (2/2/3)		1 (2/1/1)	3 (2/1/3)	5 (2/1/5)	7 (2/1/7)	9 (2/1/9)	11 (2/1/11)		13 (2/1/13)	15 (2/1/15)	17 (2/1/17)	19 (2/1/19)	21 (2/1/21)	23 (2/1/23)
To an-switch01 X3	To an-switch01 X1		an-a01n01 BCN - Link 2	an-pdu01	an-a02n01 BCN - Link 2	an-ups01	an-striker02 BCN - Link 1	an-a01n01 SN - Link 2		an-a02n01 SN - Link 2	an-a01n01 IFN - Link 2	an-a02n01 IFN - Link 2	an-striker01 IFN - Link 2	--	--
--	--		an-a01n02 BCN - Link 2	an-pdu02	an-a02n02 BCN - Link 2	an-ups02	--	an-a01n02 SN - Link 2		an-a02n02 SN - Link 2	an-a01n02 IFN - Link 2	an-a02n02 IFN - Link 2	--	--	Uplink 2
X2 (2/2/2)	X4 (2/2/4)		2 (2/1/2)	4 (2/1/4)	6 (2/1/6)	8 (2/1/8)	10 (2/1/10)	12 (2/1/12)		14 (2/1/14)	16 (2/1/16)	18 (2/1/18)	20 (2/1/20)	22 (2/1/22)	24 (2/1/24)
Unused			VID 100					VID 200			VID 300

ICX6610-24 (8x 10 Gbps, 24x 1 Gbps)

In this example, we're showing how to cable up a pair of ICX6610-48 switches in a rather unusual configuration. It is driving three Anvil! pairs. However, only the first is running at 10 Gbps while the second and third pair are running at 1 Gbps.

Note: This is the only case where a foundation pack will support three Anvil! pairs. In all other cases, only two pairs should be used for any given foundation pack in order to maximise isolation in large installations.

The Brocade ICX 6610-24. Picture by Brocade.

an-switch01
BCN	SN	IFN		BCN	SN	IFN			Back-Channel Network						Storage Network		Internet-Facing Network
									1 (1/1/1)	3 (1/1/3)	5 (1/1/5)	7 (1/1/7)	9 (1/1/9)	11 (1/1/11)	13 (1/1/13)	15 (1/1/15)	17 (1/1/17)	19 (1/1/19)	21 (1/1/21)	23 (1/1/23)
									an-a01n01 IPMI	an-a02n01 BCN - Link 1	an-a02n01 IPMI	an-a03n01 BCN - Link 1	an-a03n01 IPMI	an-striker01 BCN - Link 1	an-a02n01 SN - Link 1	an-a03n01 SN - Link 1	an-a02n01 IFN - Link 1	an-a03n01 IFN - Link 1	an-striker01 IFN - Link 1	--
X1 (1/2/1)	X2 (1/2/2)	X3 (1/2/3)	X4 (1/2/4)	X5 (1/2/5)	X6 (1/2/6)	X7 (1/2/7)	X8 (1/2/8)		2 (1/1/2)	4 (1/1/4)	6 (1/1/6)	8 (1/1/8)	10 (1/1/10)	12 (1/1/12)	14 (1/1/14)	16 (1/1/16)	18 (1/1/18)	20 (1/1/20)	22 (1/1/22)	24 (1/1/24)
an-a01n01 BCN - Link 1	an-a01n01 SN - Link 1	an-a01n01 IFN - Link 1	--	an-a01n02 BCN - Link 1	an-a01n02 SN - Link 1	an-a01n02 IFN - Link 1	--		an-a01n02 IPMI	an-a02n02 BCN - Link 1	an-a02n02 IPMI	an-a03n01 BCN - Link 1	an-a03n02 IPMI	an-striker01 BCN - Link 1	an-a02n02 SN - Link 1	an-a03n02 SN - Link 1	an-a02n02 IFN - Link 1	an-a03n02 IFN - Link 1	an-striker02 IFN - Link 1	Uplink 1
VID 100	VID 200	VID 300		VID 100	VID 200	VID 300			VID 100						VID 200		VID 300
an-switch02
BCN	SN	IFN		BCN	SN	IFN			Back-Channel Network						Storage Network		Internet-Facing Network
									1 (1/1/1)	3 (1/1/3)	5 (1/1/5)	7 (1/1/7)	9 (1/1/9)	11 (1/1/11)	13 (1/1/13)	15 (1/1/15)	17 (1/1/17)	19 (1/1/19)	21 (1/1/21)	23 (1/1/23)
									an-pdu01	an-a02n01 BCN - Link 2	an-ups01	an-a03n01 BCN - Link 2	Maintenance	an-striker01 BCN - Link 2	an-a02n01 SN - Link 2	an-a03n01 SN - Link 2	an-a02n01 IFN - Link 2	an-a03n01 IFN - Link 2	an-striker01 IFN - Link 2	Maintenance
X1 (1/2/1)	X2 (1/2/2)	X3 (1/2/3)	X4 (1/2/4)	X5 (1/2/5)	X6 (1/2/6)	X7 (1/2/7)	X8 (1/2/8)		2 (1/1/2)	4 (1/1/4)	6 (1/1/6)	8 (1/1/8)	10 (1/1/10)	12 (1/1/12)	14 (1/1/14)	16 (1/1/16)	18 (1/1/18)	20 (1/1/20)	22 (1/1/22)	24 (1/1/24)
an-a01n01 BCN - Link 2	an-a01n01 SN - Link 2	an-a01n01 IFN - Link 2	--	an-a01n02 BCN - Link 2	an-a01n02 SN - Link 2	an-a01n02 IFN - Link 2	--		an-pdu02	an-a02n02 BCN - Link 2	an-ups02	an-a03n01 BCN - Link 2	--	an-striker01 BCN - Link 2	an-a02n02 SN - Link 2	an-a03n02 SN - Link 2	an-a02n02 IFN - Link 2	an-a03n02 IFN - Link 2	an-striker02 IFN - Link 2	Uplink 1
VID 100	VID 200	VID 300		VID 100	VID 200	VID 300			VID 100						VID 200		VID 300

 

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