QFX3000-M QFabric System Installation Overview

Before you begin to install the QFX3000-M QFabric system:

Read General Safety Guidelines and Warnings.
Review Planning a QFX3000-M QFabric System Deployment and the topics it references. Do not start the installation until you have completed the site preparation checklists for each device type:
- Site Preparation Checklist for a QFX3100 Director Device
- Site Preparation Checklist for a QFX5100 Device
- Site Preparation Checklist for a QFX3600 or QFX3600-I Device
- Site Preparation Checklist for a QFX3500 Device
- Site Preparation Checklist for EX4200 Switches or Site Preparation Checklist for EX4300 Switches.
  
  Note:
  Do not mix control plane EX4200 and EX4300 switches in the same QFabric system.

A QFX3000-M QFabric system is formed by interconnecting QFX3500 or QFX3600 Node devices, QFX3600-I Interconnect devices, and QFX3100 Director devices. Two EX4200 or EX4300 switches are used to interconnect the control plane and management network. For more information about the role of each device in the QFX3000-M QFabric system, see Understanding QFX3000-M QFabric System Hardware Configurations.

To install a QFX3000-M QFabric system:

Install all the devices in their permanent location, connect the devices to earth ground, and connect power to the devices. See:
Ensure that each Node device is set to Node device mode. By default, the devices work as standalone switches. You perform this step using the console (CON) port on each Node device. Leave the Node devices powered on. See Converting the Device Mode for a QFabric System Component.
Interconnect the two EX Series switches using the SFP+ uplink module ports. The EX4200 uses 1-Gigabit Ethernet ports; the EX4300 uses 10-Gigabit Ethernet ports. These ports will later be configured in a LAG. See Interconnecting Two EX Series Switches for QFX3000-M QFabric System Control Plane Redundancy.
Interconnect the two QFX3100 Director devices for control plane redundancy. See Connecting QFX3100 Director Devices in a Director Group.
Based on your QFX3000-M QFabric system control plane type, connect each QFX Series device to each EX Series switch for control plane interconnection.
- For a copper-based QFabric system control plane, see:
- For a fiber-based QFabric system control plane, see:
Connect each Node device to each QFX3600-I Interconnect device for data plane interconnection. See:
Leave the Node and Interconnect devices powered on.
Configure each EX4200 or EX4300 switch using the recommended configuration as described in this example: Example: Configuring EX Series Switches for the QFX3000-M QFabric System Control Plane.
Leave the EX Series switches powered on.
Power on the QFX3100 Director devices and complete the initial configuration for the QFX3000-M QFabric system described in Performing the QFabric System Initial Setup on a QFX3100 Director Group.
Note:
When you power on the QFX3100 Director devices in the Director group for the first time the first device to be powered on assumes the Director Group 0 (dg0) role. The second device to be powered on assumes the Director Group 1 (dg1) role.