March 2013
Dell EqualLogic Configuration Guide v14.1
9-98
Table 40
3-Way LAG
Connecting M1000e to Non-Stacked external switch infrastructure
Advantages
Concerns
•
Switch Firmware updates can be made on all
switches without downtime
•
SAN Array-to-array traffic is isolated outside
of the M1000e enclosures
•
Supports ability to scale arrays
•
Supports ability to scale host.
•
Supports sharing SAN with non-M1000e
servers.
•
Can support different vendor switches in the
external tier
•
Limited scalability of LAG bandwidth.
•
Spanning Tree may block some links if a
loop is created.
•
All switches must be managed separately
Other Notes
•
Recommend using 10GbE or larger links within inter-switch LAGs to provide better bandwidth
scalability.
•
Care needs to be taken to ensure that addition of switches does not cause a spanning tree
reconfiguration.
•
Do not interconnect the M-series I/O modules together.
•
Additional M1000e enclosures are added in similar fashion to diagram above.