ME5012 to FC switches and host servers to switches

Aeeehmmmm......   youre mixing SFP+ ETHERNET NETWORK SWITCHES vs. FibreChannel Switches and  the later always supports Zoning.  Your FS S5850-24S2Q is a Ethernet Switch and you would use VLAN IDs for separate Traffic when needed.

Is your ME5012 a iSCSI or a FibreChannel variant?

Your Screenshot from above shows a iSCSI (Ethernet) Setup.   The ME5 with iSCSI always is a SFP28 (10/25GbE) or BaseT (10GbE Only) Option and when ordering with SFP28 the included Transceiver supports 10/25.

I leave FCoE out of the game here because i am not sure if ME5 supports this.

Regards,

Joerg

Hello I think you were supposed to use ethernet switches instead of FC switches.

https://dell.to/3FJQJq6

https://dell.to/3MqP8te

https://dell.to/3MT5aML

@Origin3k​ - Hi Joerg, i am sorry for using the wrong term on FS switch and not providing more detail.  This is what i have:

- The ME5 has FC controller (32Gb FC Type-B 8 Port Dual Controller).

- The 2 Dell R740 host servers have Broadcom 574114 dual port 10/25GbE SFP28 rNDC

- and the 2 FS switches are Ethernet SFP+ that does not support Zoning.

Can i connect the ME5's controller A to Switch-1/VLAN 10 (suppose switch-1 has VLAN 10, switch-2 has VLAN 20) and ME5's controller B to Switch-2/VLAN 20 and isolate traffic between vlan 10 & vlan 20?

How can i attach the host servers (with ethernet SFP+) to ME5 (FC controller) through the Ethernet switches?   Thank you very much for your help.

@DELL-Young E​ - Hi Young, yes you are right.  I have to use the Ethernet switches.  I am sorry i used the wrong term.  They are Ethernet SFP+ switches, not FC switches.

As i replied to Joerg, the ME5 has Fibre Channel controller, the switches and 2 hosts have Ehernet SFP+, how can i attach the hosts to the ME5 trough the ethernet switches.

I am a secure area so i can not access the 3 links you sent me.  I will check them out at home.

At the mean time, can you please let me know if it is possible to connect the mismatched  between ME5 (FC controller) and host servers/Switch (Ethernet SFP+).  Thank you.

@DELL-Chris H​ - I think it is the best solution for me.  Thanks Chris.

@LKkevin 

can you please share the STAG of your ME5 as PM so that we can verify if you have a FC or iSCSI ME5.   The "SmallFormfactorPlugable" (SFP) looks identical for a SFP28 or FC ME5.  If you check the transceivers which comes with the ME5 check if there is "10/25" printed on then if so you have a iSCSI M5.

If you realy have the FC variant of the ME5 than youre in big trouble.   I can check if the ME5 FC supports FC direct attached (which i expect) and than you can add additional  Qlogic or Emulex FC HBAs into the ESXi hosts for a direct connection.  I hope you have not more than 4 ESXi Hosts because the ME only have 4 Ports per Controler module.

Regards,
Joerg

@Origin3k​ - Hi Joerg, the ME5 is at the warehouse, i will get teh ServiceTag tomorrow.  I am sure it has FC (as show in the screenshot)

Ah ok. Thats the FC.  I once "clicked by accident" a Compellent SC5020 with FC instead SAS and it was a huge surprise when opend the box at customer site. :)

If you cant give the ME5 back

1. Get FC HBAs for the Hosts and small FC switches and setup a Fabric

2. Get FC HBAs for the Hosts  and cable it for direct Access FC ( i will check the ME5 later if this is supportet). Its supportet by ESXi and you can use HA, vMotion.

Who bought a SAN with only 2 drives?

@Origin3k​ -  thanks for your advice.

We was able to return for exchange the ME5012 with iSCSI controllers but Dell charged 15% for restocking fee.

I did.  I bought the ME5012 with 2 drives (picked the lowest price) and smallest number of mem stick.  I then will add in 18 disks (22TB) and more ram.  I save some budgets but doing it that way.   

Thank you very much for all your help.

Keep us updating when you insert your 22TB drives.

Regards,
Joerg

@Origin3k​ - I will.  I was able to return the ME5 (with FC controllers) and reorder ME5 (with iSCSI controllers).  It might arrive next month.

I just finished setting up the R740 (running ESXi 8) and R740xd (running windows 2022).  These 2 servers have 2 NICs: Broadcom 574114 dual port 10/25GbE SFP28 rNDC (the other server has Broadcom 57412, i think). The NICs are connecting to the 2 FS switches.

When the new order ME5 (iSCSI) arrive, i will connect it the the 2 switches (as illustrate in the picture above). 

Do you think i can attach the 2 servers, R740 & R740xd (i PMed you their Service tags) to the ME5 (iSCSI) thought the FS switches.  Do i need to buy any NIC for R740 & R740xd server?

Thank you.

@DELL-Chris H​ , @Origin3k​ , @DELL-Young E - can you please let me know if i do need to purchase anything else in order to connect the dell R740 & R740xd server to the iSCSI ME5012, as i described in my post above, 15-11-2023 22:14 PM.

I am looking for your advice.  Thank you.