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Interconnecting Two EX Series Switches for QFX3000-M QFabric System Control Plane Redundancy

Before you begin to interconnect two EX Series switches for QFX3000-M QFabric system control plane redundancy:

A QFX3000-M QFabric system control plane and management network is formed by connecting the QFX Series devices in your network to two EX4200 or to two EX4300 switches. For redundancy and communication, you must connect the two EX Series switches using the Ethernet SFP+ uplink module ports configured as a link aggregation group (LAG) (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: QFX3000-M QFabric System Control Plane—Inter-EX Series Switch LAG ConnectionsQFX3000-M QFabric System Control Plane—Inter-EX Series Switch LAG Connections

For an EX4200 control plane, use the 1-Gigabit Ethernet SFP+ uplink module ports; for an EX4300 control plane, use the 10-Gigabit Ethernet SFP+ uplink module ports. Do not mix EX4200 and EX4300 switches in the same control plane.

Specific ports have been reserved on the EX Series switches to connect to each of the QFX Series device types. Such design simplifies installation and facilitates timely deployment of a QFabric system.

To interconnect two EX Series switches for QFabric system control plane redundancy (see Figure 1):

Laser Warning:

Do not look directly into a fiber-optic transceiver or into the ends of fiber-optic cables. Fiber-optic transceivers and fiber-optic cables connected to transceivers emit laser light that can damage your eyes.

  1. If the fiber-optic cable connector is covered by a rubber safety cap, remove the cap. Save the cap.
  2. Remove the rubber safety cap from the SFP optical transceiver in port 0 of the first EX Series switch uplink module. Save the cap.
  3. Insert the cable connector into the optical transceiver (see Figure 2).
    Figure 2: Connecting a Fiber-Optic Cable to an Optical Transceiver Installed in an EX Series SwitchConnecting a Fiber-Optic Cable to an Optical Transceiver Installed in an EX Series Switch
  4. If the connector at the other end of the fiber-optic cable is covered by a rubber safety cap, remove the cap. Save the cap.
  5. Remove the rubber safety cap from the SFP optical transceiver in port 0 of the second EX Series switch uplink module. Save the cap.
  6. Insert the cable connector into the optical transceiver.
  7. Repeat Step 1 through Step 6 to interconnect uplink module port 1 on both the EX Series switches.
  8. Secure the cables so that they are not supporting their own weight. Place excess cable out of the way in a neatly coiled loop. Placing fasteners on a loop helps cables maintain their shape.
    CAUTION:

    Do not bend fiber-optic cables beyond their minimum bend radius. An arc smaller than a few inches in diameter can damage the cables and cause problems that are difficult to diagnose.

    Do not let fiber-optic cables hang free from the connector. Do not allow fastened loops of cables to dangle, which stresses the cables at the fastening point.

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