dell-networking-smartfabric-director-spec-sheet DELL EMC SMARTFABRIC DIRECTOR
The evolution of networks has seen a shift from legacy, proprietary technologies that are hardware-bound to modern, open technologies that are software-driven and driving innovation. As seen with the rapid adoption of server virtualization throughout data centers, today's organizations are embracing the concepts of a software-defined network based on virtualization concepts that bring enhanced efficiency, agility and security. The challenge that remains is how to ensure the physical underlay network is provisioned and optimized for these virtual environments.
The Dell EMC SmartFabric Director enables data center operators to build, operate and monitor an open network underlay fabric based on Dell Open Networking PowerSwitch Series switches. SmartFabric Director automates and simplifies the provisioning and monitoring of the fabric using Openconfig based models and protocols. Tight integration with VMware vSphere and NSX-T allows SmartFabric Director to dramatically simplify fabric provisioning for dynamic virtualized workloads and overlays.
Fig 1. Declare user intent with minimal user input
SmartFabric Director provides the following key features and functions:
Leaf-Spine Fabric Automation
SmartFabric Director uses a declarative model that allows the user to express intent with a set of well-defined fabric types. User input to SmartFabric Director is in the form of a JSON formatted file that includes wiring diagram information.
The four pre-defined fabric types include:
· A layer 2 leaf-spine fabric
· Layer 3 Border gateway protocol (BGP) leaf-spine fabric
· Layer 3 BGP leaf-spine fabric with NSX-T overlay
· VXLAN based BGP EVPN Layer 2 overlay over L3 BGP leafspine fabric
Network topologies with edge/border leaves with BGP as the peering protocol are also supported.
Fabric discovery is an ongoing process and ensures that the fabric wiring is consistent with the user-defined intent. The quick error-free deployment of the SmartFabric OS10 configuration on the PowerSwitches takes away the guesswork and enables rapid auto-provisioning of fabrics. Complex Day N operations such as add/remove switch, links, etc. are easily handled with a few clicks. SmartFabric Director allows the user to import multiple fabric wiring diagrams to manage changing requirements.
Fig 2. Fabric fully provisioned Fig 3. Switch health visibility
BGP EVPN Fabric Intent
SmartFabric Director supports deployment of VXLAN based BGP EVPN fabric. This intent allows for stretching certain VLANs across clusters while terminating other VLANs at the ToR. SFD now supports two different types of overlays networks:
· NSX-T
· BGP EVPN
Bare Metal Workloads
SmartFabric Director supports non-virtualized Bare Metal workloads. This provides flexibility in deploying virtualized and nonvirtualized workloads in the same fabric.
NSX-T 3.0 Integration
SmartFabric Director can now integrate with NSX-T v3.0. NSX-T 3.0. NSX-T v3.0 is now integrated within VDS 7.0, This should make deploying and maintaining NSX-T much simpler for customers moving forward.
VMware vSphere® and NSX-T Data CenterTM integration
Tight integration of SmartFabric Director with VMware vCenter and NSX-T ensures that the physical underlay/fabric is correctly provisioned to help ensure seamless functioning of the application workloads in a VMware Software-defined data center. This includes provisioning virtual LANs (vlans), auto-creation of Link aggregation (LAGs)/port-channels, auto-detecting add/remove of ESXi hosts and Maximum transmission unit (MTU) consistency checks.
Fabric lifecycle management
Upgrading switch images is a critical operation in a data center. SmartFabric Director automates this download, install and verify process and ensures that the fabric switches are upgraded with
the right images. User defined `switch group' tags offer a highly flexible way to selectively upgrade specific switches that share common attributes. Fabric visibility SmartFabric Director supports highly scalable and flexible openconfig-based streaming telemetry to gather key operational data and statistics from the fabric switches. SmartFabric Director collects telemetry data from the switches and provides out-ofthe-box insights such as switch health and fabric health that can ensure consistency between the operational state and the intended state. Comprehensive and highly intuitive visualization of the time-series data and other telemetry information greatly simplifies the day-to-day operations of the fabric. A switch profile screen includes key operational data that gives the operator a quick and easy way to monitor switch state.
Fig 4. Time-series representation of individual metrics
SmartFabric Director features and capabilities
Feature Intent-based auto- provisioning Comprehensive topology support
SmartFabric OS10 feature support Virtualized infrastructure aware NSX-T integration
Switch life cycle management
Fabric visibility User management Backup/Restore Application programming interface (API) System access/management
Description
Topology discovery and validation. Auto-provisioning of data center fabrics based on user intent.
- L2 leaf-spine fabric, L3 BGP leaf-spine fabric, L3 BGP leaf-spine fabric with NSX-T overlay, VXLAN based BGP EVPN Layer 2 overlay over L3 BGP leaf-spine fabric.
-Edge/border leaf support with BGP as peering protocol
LLDP, VLAN, RSTP, VLT, LAG, LACP, VRRP, BGP, EVPN, VXLAN, BFD, UFD
Integration with VMware vSphere (6.5 and higher versions) to auto learn virtual networks and provision fabric accordingly; auto-detect ESXi hosts and LAGs
Integration with VMware NSX-T (2.3 and higher versions) to auto- provision the fabric/underlay correctly for the NSX-T overlay; verification of transport VLAN, default VTEP gateway, MTU
On-demand and scheduled switch OS upgrade; switchOS support matrix to enable error-free upgrades to certified OS images; user defined tag-based grouping for selective and phased upgrades; support for multiple (FTP/ SFTP/TFTP/HTTP/ SCP) image transfer protocols
Streaming telemetry from fabric switches for real-time visibility into fabric operational state
Local users and Active Directory support for easy integration
Periodic FTP backups of configuration and logging data to ensure easy system recovery in the event of a failure
JSON-based northbound API to enable automation workflows and integrations
Graphical user interface (GUI), API, CLI
System requirements
Hardware
Hypervisor
Form factor
SmartFabric Director VM specifications
Virtualization ready x86 server VMware ESXi 6.5 and higher Virtual appliance (OVA) The minimum requirements are: CPU: 4vCPU Memory: 16GB Disk: 100GB*
*Larger disk size might be required to support telemetry and log collection in larger size fabrics with higher data retention requirements. Please check the user guide for sizing information and best practices.
SmartFabric OS10 supported
SmartFabric Director Version
1.1.1
OS10 Releases Supported
10.5.0.5 10.5.0.4
1.1.0
10.5.0.4
1.2.0
10.5.1.2
2.0.0
10.5.2.0P1
PowerSwitch switches supported
SmartFabric Director Version
1.1.0, 1.1.1, 1.2.0, 2.0.0
Switches supported S4048-ON, S4048T-ON
S4112F-ON, S4112T-ON, S4128F-ON, S4128T-ON, S4148F-ON, S4148FE-ON, S4148T-ON
S4248FB-ON, S4248FBL-ON
S5212F-ON, S5224F-ON, S5232F-ON, S5248F-ON, S5296F-ON
S6010-ON
Z9100-ON, Z9264F-ON, Z9332F-ON*
Ordering information
SKU 634-BTHW 634-BTHX 634-BTHY
Description SmartFabric Director, 8 switches, Perpetual SmartFabric Director, 32 switches, Perpetual SmartFabric Director, 64 switches, Perpetual
*Supported only in 2.0.0
Learn more at Dell.com/SmartFabric-Director
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November 2020 | v1.6 Dell EMC SmartFabric Director Spec Sheet
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