Here is an article that discussed iSCSI optimization on that switch model. It doesn't cover VLANs (management ports and iSCSI VLAN) or the LAG, but it does cover the basic iSCSI optimization for that type of switch.

http://www.delltechcenter.com/page/Configuring+a+PowerConnect+5424+or+5448+Switch+for+use+with+an+iSCSI+storage+system

It sounds odd to disable iSCSI optimization on the switch, but if you're dedicating the switch to iSCSI traffic (and only have a management port for managing the switch from the LAN), it could yield better performance to not let the switch both to inspect packets for iSCSI traffic and then give them priority... just skip that step and the switch treats everything with the same priority.

One note; if you put a management port on each switch, be sure not to plug both into your LAN as I think that creates a network loop, which could cause spanning tree to kill one of the connections.

I would:

- make port 1 (and optionally 2) from both switches a management port (i.e. leave it in VLAN 1)

- make the LAG a trunk port that carries both VLAN 2 and VLAN 1

Then you can manage both switches with a single network cable going only to 1 of the VLAN 1 ports on one of the switches. If that one switch were to fail, you would need to move the cable over, but when a switch fails, you'd generally end up going to the serverroom/datacenter anyway to troubleshoot or swap the switch.

Hi

Thank you for your help!!!

Could you help how to make the lag a trunck port for VLAN 1 (Management), VLAN 2 (iSCSI), VLAN3 (VMotion)?

Thank you very much

DS

I usually don't use ports from different switches for vMotion, as that isn't a critical network capability, but if you want to, you could.

To add multiple VLANs to the LAG, you can use these commands:

[start from 'configuration']

- interface port-channel 1

- flowcontrol on

- switchport mode trunk

- switchport trunk allowed vlan add 1,2,3

- end

Thanks again !

Just to confirm to create VLANs and LAG, I use the GUI:

I have created the 3 VLANs (Switch, VLAN, VLAN Membership) and 1 LAG (Switch, Link Aggreation, LAG Membership, I put a 1 on ports that connect my 2 switchs).

Is it correct?

DS

Is it possible to give me the command line to create VLANs and LAG?

To create vlan, I think, it is:

console(config)# vlan database
console(config-vlan)# vlan 2
console(config-vlan)# exit
console(config)# interface vlan 2
console(config-if)# name iSCSI
console(config-if)# exit

console(config)# vlan database
console(config-vlan)# vlan
console(config-vlan)# exit
console(config)# interface vlan 3
console(config-if)# name VMotion
console(config-if)# exit

But how to assign ports in the VLAN?

And how to create LAG in command line?

Thanks

I never use the GUI on PowerConnect switches, so I can't say if those steps are correct or not. I just know what the correct steps in the command line are.

To assign a port to a VLAN (start from "config"):

- interface ethernet g1 (or if you want to do several ports at the same time, use "interface range ethernet g(1-10),20" (to apply the following settings to ports g1 to g10 and g20))

- switchport mode access (this command is only really needed if the port currently isn't an access port, but I prefer to do this just to be sure)

- switchport access vlan 2

- exit

To create a LAG in the command line (start from "config"):

- [remove all settings from these ports (frame size, flow control, storm control, etc)]

- interface range ethernet g(21-24)

- channel-group 1 mode auto

- exit

Then you do the command I previously mentioned to make this portchannel a trunk that carries the multiple VLANs.

Thank you for all of that.

Is it a way to reset settings on specific ports?

David

There's no way to do 1 command to remove all settings on a port. You'll have to do a "show run" and look for the port and then remove all the settings on the port. Some are removed by just adding "no" in front of the core of the command, but others may require other commands (e.g. to change a port from a trunk to a 'regular' (access) port, you have to do a "switchport mode access".

Hi again,

I follow all th Equallogic Configuration Guide on page 51:

D.2 Enabling the PortFast Option to Configure STP Edge Ports
To enable PortFast on a single port, the spanning-tree portfast command must be used. PortFast should be enabled only on those ports being used to for inter-switch connections. The following steps are an example of using this command to enable portfast on port 10 of the PowerConnect 5448.
console# configure
console(config)# spanning-tree mode rstp
console(config)# interface ethernet g10
console(config-if)# spanning-tree portfast
console(config-if)# exit
console(config)# exit
console# copy running-config startup-config
console# exit

Do I need to do this commands on the LAG Ports, these ports are used for my inter-switch connections?

Thanks

DS

It's probably best not to set portfast on the LAG ports.

OK so where I need to do these commands D.2 Enabling the PortFast Option to Configure STP Edge Ports?

If I read the guide:

D.2 Enabling the PortFast Option to Configure STP Edge Ports
To enable PortFast on a single port, the spanning-tree portfast command must be used. PortFast should be enabled only on those ports being used to for inter-switch connection

Thanks

DS