Dell VxRail Architecture Overview

External network dependencies for VxRail clusters

VxRail does not require all virtual networks to pass through the uplinks on the Ethernet switch. A subset of the VxRail virtual networks that are used during normal operations require access to external data center resources and end users.

The external management network requires access to data center resources such as DNS and NTP and an optional customer-managed VMware vCenter Server.

If required, the external management network can be used for connectivity to Dell Technologies support resources. If VxRail satellite nodes are deployed at remote sites, the external management network is also used to enable connectivity to manage these resources.

Depending on the type of cluster being deployed, connectivity to data center storage resources may be required. Depending on the network protocol that is required for connectivity to external storage resources, connectivity is enabled with either Ethernet or FC.

The following VxRail network topology is used for VxRail connectivity to external storage resources, but it is not applicable to VMware vSAN.

For more networking overview and planning information, see the VxRail Network Planning Guide.