> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.vergeos-demo.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.vergeos-demo.com/plan-and-deploy/implementation-guide/switch-configuration.md).

# Switch configuration guide

## Overview

This guide covers switch port configuration for VergeOS node deployments. You'll configure two network types: **Core Fabric** (internal System/vSAN Storage) and **External** (workload connectivity). Proper switch configuration ensures optimal performance, security, and reliability.

**Target Audience:** Infrastructure and network administrators deploying VergeOS Systems

## What You'll Learn

* Configure isolated VLAN access ports for core fabric with jumbo frames
* Set up VLAN trunk ports with LACP for external networks
* Verify switch configuration and troubleshoot common issues

**Common questions answered:**

* What switch configuration does VergeOS require?
* How do I configure jumbo frames for storage traffic?
* Should I use LACP or active-backup for external networks?
* How do I isolate core fabric from external traffic?

## Quick Reference

| Network Type    | Configuration                                                      | Purpose                               |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------- |
| **Core Fabric** | Access port, Isolated VLANs, MTU 9216, No STP                      | Isolate cluster/storage traffic       |
| **External**    | Trunk port, Multiple VLANs, Active/Backup bonding, LACP (optional) | Workload connectivity with redundancy |

***

## Understanding Network Types

### Core Fabric Network

Private high-speed network for VergeOS cluster operations carrying vSAN storage, cluster coordination, and VM migration traffic.

**Requirements:**

* Dedicated VLANs (isolated from **ALL OTHER** networks)
* Jumbo frames (MTU 9216) for storage efficiency
* Access port configuration (single untagged VLAN per core network)
* 10Gbps or higher recommended

### External Networks

Networks connecting VMs and workloads to users, internet, and other infrastructure.

**Requirements:**

* Multiple VLANs for tenant/workload separation
* LACP bonding for redundancy (or active-backup)
* Trunk port configuration
* Standard MTU 1500 (or 9000 if workloads require)

***

## Configuration Steps

### 1. Prepare Switch

**Access the switch** via console/SSH and enter configuration mode.

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Cisco IOS/IOS-XE" %}
**Enter configuration mode:**

```
enable
configure terminal
```

**Create VLANs:**

```
vlan 900
    name VergeOS-Core-Fabric-1
vlan 901
    name VergeOS-Core-Fabric-2
vlan 10
    name VergeOS-External-Management
vlan 20
    name VergeOS-External-Production
exit
```

**Enable jumbo frames globally:**

```
system mtu jumbo 9216
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Dell OS10" %}
**Enter configuration mode:**

```
enable
configure terminal
```

**Create VLANs:**

```
interface vlan 900
    description VergeOS-Core-Fabric-1
    no shutdown
    exit
interface vlan 901
    description VergeOS-Core-Fabric-2
    no shutdown
    exit
interface vlan 10
    description VergeOS-External-Management
    no shutdown
    exit
interface vlan 20
    description VergeOS-External-Production
    no shutdown
    exit
```

**Enable jumbo frames globally:**

```
system mtu 9216
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="HPE/Aruba" %}
**Enter configuration mode:**

```
enable
configure terminal
```

**Create VLANs:**

```
vlan 900
    name VergeOS-Core-Fabric-1
vlan 901
    name VergeOS-Core-Fabric-2
vlan 10
    name VergeOS-External-Management
vlan 20
    name VergeOS-External-Production
exit
```

**Enable jumbo frames globally:**

```
max-frame-size 9216
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
**MTU Size Requirement**

VergeOS requires MTU 9216 on switch ports to accommodate the 9000-byte payload plus VLAN tags, headers, and overhead for Tenants. Setting MTU below 9216 will cause packet fragmentation and degrade storage performance.
{% endhint %}

### 2. Configure Core Fabric Ports

Configure each port connecting to node core fabric NICs as an access port with jumbo frames.

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Cisco IOS/IOS-XE" %}
**Configuration (per core fabric port):**

```
interface GigabitEthernet1/0/1
 description VergeOS-Node1-Core-Fabric-1
 switchport mode access
 switchport access vlan 900
 mtu 9216
 spanning-tree bpduguard disable
 spanning-tree portfast disable
 no shutdown
 exit

interface GigabitEthernet1/0/2
 description VergeOS-Node1-Core-Fabric-2
 switchport mode access
 switchport access vlan 901
 mtu 9216
 spanning-tree bpduguard disable
 spanning-tree portfast disable
 no shutdown
 exit
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Dell OS10" %}
**Configuration (per core fabric port):**

```
interface ethernet1/1/1
 description VergeOS-Node1-Core-Fabric-1
 no shutdown
 switchport mode access
 switchport access vlan 900
 mtu 9216
 spanning-tree bpduguard disable
 spanning-tree port type normal
 exit

interface ethernet1/1/2
 description VergeOS-Node1-Core-Fabric-2
 no shutdown
 switchport mode access
 switchport access vlan 901
 mtu 9216
 spanning-tree bpduguard disable
 spanning-tree port type normal
 exit
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="HPE/Aruba" %}
**Configuration (per core fabric port):**

```
interface 1/1/1
 description VergeOS-Node1-Core-Fabric-1
 no shutdown
 no routing
 vlan access 900
 mtu 9216
 spanning-tree bpdu-guard disable
 spanning-tree port-type normal
 exit

interface 1/1/2
 description VergeOS-Node1-Core-Fabric-2
 no shutdown
 no routing
 vlan access 901
 mtu 9216
 spanning-tree bpdu-guard disable
 spanning-tree port-type normal
 exit
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

\*\*Repeat for all nodes:\*\*

* Node1: Core fabric ports 1-2
* Node2: Core fabric ports 1-2
* Node3: Core fabric ports 1-2

**Key settings:**

* Mode: **access** (untagged, single VLAN)
* VLAN: **900/901** (core fabric isolation)
* MTU: **9216** (jumbo frames for storage)
* Spanning Tree: **Disabled** (not needed for core-fabric links)

### 3. Configure External Network Ports (LACP)

For external networks, configure LACP port-channels for redundancy and bandwidth aggregation.

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Cisco IOS/IOS-XE" %}
**Create port-channel:**

```
interface Port-channel1
 description VergeOS-Node1-External-Bond
 switchport mode trunk
 switchport trunk allowed vlan 10,20
 no shutdown
 exit
```

**Add member ports:**

```
interface range GigabitEthernet1/0/7-8
 description VergeOS-Node1-External-Members
 switchport mode trunk
 switchport trunk allowed vlan 10,20
 channel-group 1 mode active
 no shutdown
 exit
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Dell OS10" %}
**Create port-channel (LAG):**

```
interface port-channel 1
 description VergeOS-Node1-External-Bond
 no shutdown
 switchport mode trunk
 switchport trunk allowed vlan 10,20
 exit
```

**Add member ports:**

```
interface range ethernet1/1/7-1/1/8
 description VergeOS-Node1-External-Members
 no shutdown
 channel-group 1 mode active
 no switchport
 exit

interface port-channel 1
 switchport mode trunk
 switchport trunk allowed vlan 10,20
 exit
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="HPE/Aruba" %}
**Create LAG (port-channel):**

```
interface lag 1
 description VergeOS-Node1-External-Bond
 no shutdown
 no routing
 vlan trunk native 1
 vlan trunk allowed 10,20
 exit
```

**Add member ports:**

```
interface 1/1/7
 description VergeOS-Node1-External-Member-1
 no shutdown
 lag 1
 exit

interface 1/1/8
 description VergeOS-Node1-External-Member-2
 no shutdown
 lag 1
 exit
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

\*\*Repeat for additional nodes\*\* (Po2, Po3, etc.)

**Key settings:**

* Mode: **trunk** (multiple tagged VLANs)
* Allowed VLANs: **10,20** (only workload and VergeOS management VLANs)
* LACP mode: **active** (initiates negotiation)

### 4. Configure External Ports (Active-Backup Alternative)

If LACP isn't available or preferred, configure individual trunk ports without bonding.

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Cisco IOS/IOS-XE" %}

```
interface range GigabitEthernet1/0/7-8
 description VergeOS-Node1-External-NoLACP
 switchport mode trunk
 switchport trunk allowed vlan 10,20
 switchport trunk native vlan 99
 spanning-tree portfast trunk
 no shutdown
 exit
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Dell OS10" %}

```
interface range ethernet1/1/7-1/1/8
 description VergeOS-Node1-External-NoLACP
 no shutdown
 switchport mode trunk
 switchport trunk allowed vlan 10,20
 switchport access vlan 99
 spanning-tree port type edge
 exit
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="HPE/Aruba" %}

```
interface range 1/1/7-1/1/8
 description VergeOS-Node1-External-NoLACP
 no shutdown
 no routing
 vlan trunk native 99
 vlan trunk allowed 10,20
 spanning-tree port-type admin-edge
 exit
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

{% hint style="info" %}
VergeOS can handle failover in software using active-backup bonding if LACP is not available.
{% endhint %}

***

## Verification

### Check Core Fabric Configuration

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Cisco IOS/IOS-XE" %}

```
show interfaces GigabitEthernet1/0/1 switchport
show interfaces GigabitEthernet1/0/1 | include MTU
show vlan id 900
```

**Expected results:**

* Mode: access
* VLAN: 900
* MTU: 9216
  {% endtab %}

{% tab title="Dell OS10" %}

```
show interface switchport ethernet1/1/1
show interface ethernet1/1/1 | grep MTU
show vlan 900
```

**Expected results:**

* Mode: access
* Access VLAN: 900
* MTU: 9216
  {% endtab %}

{% tab title="HPE/Aruba" %}

```
show interface 1/1/1
show vlan 900
```

**Expected results:**

* Mode: access
* Access VLAN: 900
* MTU: 9216
  {% endtab %}
  {% endtabs %}

### Check External Network Configuration (LACP)

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Cisco IOS/IOS-XE" %}

```
show etherchannel summary
show interfaces Port-channel1 trunk
```

**Expected results:**

* Port-channel status: SU (in use)
* Member ports: (P) bundled
* Allowed VLANs: 10,20
* Native VLAN: 99
  {% endtab %}

{% tab title="Dell OS10" %}

```
show interface port-channel 1
show interface port-channel 1 switchport
show lacp interfaces
```

**Expected results:**

* Port-channel status: up
* Member ports: Active
* Allowed VLANs: 10,20
* LACP mode: active
  {% endtab %}

{% tab title="HPE/Aruba" %}

```
show lacp interfaces
show interface lag 1
show vlan trunk
```

**Expected results:**

* LAG status: up
* Member ports: Active
* Allowed VLANs: 10,20
* LACP mode: active
  {% endtab %}
  {% endtabs %}

### Test Connectivity After Node Connection

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Cisco IOS/IOS-XE" %}
**Verify links are up:**

```
show interfaces status
```

**Check LACP negotiation:**

```
show lacp neighbor
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Dell OS10" %}
**Verify links are up:**

```
show interface status
```

**Check LACP negotiation:**

```
show lacp interfaces
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="HPE/Aruba" %}
**Verify links are up:**

```
show interface brief
```

**Check LACP negotiation:**

```
show lacp interfaces
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

**Test jumbo frames from VergeOS node:**

```bash
ping -M do -s 9188 <other-node-core-ip>
```

***

## Troubleshooting

| Issue                    | Cause                      | Fix                            |
| ------------------------ | -------------------------- | ------------------------------ |
| No link on core ports    | Port shutdown              | `no shutdown` command          |
| Slow storage performance | Jumbo frames disabled      | Set MTU 9000                   |
| Node can't join cluster  | Wrong VLAN                 | Assign port to VLAN 100        |
| LACP not forming         | Mode mismatch              | Set `mode active` on both ends |
| VLANs not working        | Not in allowed list        | Add VLANs to trunk             |
| Port-channel suspended   | Config mismatch on members | Ensure identical config        |

**Get help:**

* Review switch vendor documentation
* Contact VergeOS support with `show running-config` and `show interfaces status` output

***

## Configuration Summary

### Core Fabric Ports

* **Mode:** Access (untagged)
* **VLAN:** Dedicated (e.g., 900,901)
* **MTU:** 9216 (jumbo frames)
* **Speed:** 10Gbps+ recommended

### External Network Ports

* **Mode:** Trunk (802.1Q tagged)
* **VLANs:** Multiple allowed (e.g., 10,20,30)
* **Bonding:** LACP active mode (or active-backup)

### Save Configuration

```
copy running-config startup-config
```

***

## Next Steps

1. **Configure VergeOS Network Bonds** - Set up bonding on VergeOS side
2. **Create VergeOS Networks** - Define internal and external networks
3. **Verify Connectivity** - Test inter-node and external routing

### Additional Resources

* VergeOS Networking Architecture Overview
* Network Bonding Best Practices
* Switch vendor configuration guides

**VergeOS Support:** <support@verge.io> | <https://docs.verge.io>

***

*Last Updated: January 2025 | VergeOS v4.x | Applies to: Cisco IOS/IOS-XE, Dell OS10, HPE/Aruba*


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