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Connecting a QFX3500 Node Device to a Fiber-Based QFX3000-M QFabric System Control Plane Network

Before you begin to connect a QFX3500 Node device to the fiber-based QFX3000-M QFabric system control plane network:

  • Install your QFabric system hardware (Director group, Interconnect devices, and Node devices). For more information, see Installing and Connecting a QFX3100 Director Device, Installing and Connecting a QFX3600 or QFX3600-I Device, and Installing and Connecting a QFX3500 Device.

  • Install your EX4200 or EX4300 switches. See Installing and Connecting an EX4200 Switch or Installing and Connecting an EX4300 Switch.

  • Interconnect the two EX Series switches. See Interconnecting Two EX Series Switches for QFX3000-M QFabric System Control Plane Redundancy.

  • Ensure that you have installed 1-Gigabit Ethernet SFP transceivers in management ports C0 and C1 on each QFX3500 Node device (see Installing a Transceiver in a QFX Series Device). For a list of supported transceivers and required cables, see The Hardware Compatibility Tool.

  • Follow the port assignments in Table 1 and ensure that you have installed 1-Gigabit Ethernet SFP transceivers in the ports (labeled 0 through 15) you are using on each EX Series switch (see Install a Transceiver). For a list of supported transceivers, see The Hardware Compatibility Tool.

  • Ensure that you have taken the necessary precautions for safe handling of lasers (see Laser and LED Safety Guidelines and Warnings for the QFX Series).

  • Use Table 1 to determine the QFX3500 Node device-to-EX4200 switch port mappings. Specific ports have been reserved on the EX Series switch to connect to each of the QFX Series device types. Such design simplifies installation and facilitates timely deployment of a QFabric system.

    Note:

    The numerical identifiers for each Node device below are not preassigned to the Node devices that are shipped to you. They represent the order in which you connect the Node devices. For example, the first Node device (Node0) is connected to port 0 (ge-0/0/0) on the first EX Series switch EX0 and port 0 (ge-0/0/0) on the second EX Series switch EX1.
    Table 1: QFX3500 Node Device-to-EX Series Switch Port Mappings for Fiber-Based Control Plane

    Node Device

    EX Series Switch EX0

    EX Series Switch EX1

    Node0

    Node0, management port C0 to port 0 (ge-0/0/0)

    Node0, management port C1 to port 0 (ge-0/0/0)

    Node1

    Node1, management port C0 to port 1 (ge-0/0/1)

    Node1, management port C1 to port 1 (ge-0/0/1)

    Node2

    Node2, management port C0 to port 2 (ge-0/0/2)

    Node2, management port C1 to port 2 (ge-0/0/2)

    Node3

    Node3, management port C0 to port 3 (ge-0/0/3)

    Node3, management port C1 to port 3 (ge-0/0/3)

    Node4

    Node4, management port C0 to port 4 (ge-0/0/4)

    Node4, management port C1 to port 4 (ge-0/0/4)

    Node5

    Node5, management port C0 to port 5 (ge-0/0/5)

    Node5, management port C1 to port 5 (ge-0/0/5)

    Node6

    Node6, management port C0 to port 6 (ge-0/0/6)

    Node6, management port C1 to port 6 (ge-0/0/6)

    Node7

    Node7, management port C0 to port 7 (ge-0/0/7)

    Node7, management port C1 to port 7 (ge-0/0/7)

    Node8

    Node8, management port C0 to port 8 (ge-0/0/8)

    Node8, management port C1 to port 8 (ge-0/0/8)

    Node9

    Node9, management port C0 to port 9 (ge-0/0/9)

    Node9, management port C1 to port 9 (ge-0/0/9)

    Node10

    Node10, management port C0 to port 10 (ge-0/0/10)

    Node10, management port C1 to port 10 (ge-0/0/10)

    Node11

    Node11, management port C0 to port 11 (ge-0/0/11)

    Node11, management port C1 to port 11 (ge-0/0/11)

    Node12

    Node12, management port C0 to port 12 (ge-0/0/12)

    Node12, management port C1 to port 12 (ge-0/0/12)

    Node13

    Node13, management port C0 to port 13 (ge-0/0/13)

    Node13, management port C1 to port 13 (ge-0/0/13)

    Node14

    Node14, management port C0 to port 14 (ge-0/0/14)

    Node14, management port C1 to port 14 (ge-0/0/14)

    Node15

    Node15, management port C0 to port 15 (ge-0/0/15)

    Node15, management port C1 to port 15 (ge-0/0/15)

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 two EX4300 switches. QFX3500 Node devices have two management ports labeled C0 and C1. Use the management ports to connect the QFX3500 Node device to each EX Series switch (see Figure 1).

Note:

You may not mix EX4200 and EX4300 switches in the same QFabric system.

Figure 1: QFX3500 Node Device Fiber-Based Control Plane Connections for QFX3000-M QFabric SystemQFX3500 Node Device Fiber-Based Control Plane Connections for QFX3000-M QFabric System
CAUTION:

For redundancy, each QFX3500 Node device must be connected to two EX Series switches.

Use the following QFX3500 Node devices and EX Series switches for a fiber-based QFX3000-M QFabric system control plane network:

  • QFX3500 Node devices with an SFP management board installed. The SFP management board provides two small form-factor pluggable (SFP) 1-Gbps management ports labeled C0 and C1.

  • Either an EX4200-24F switch with an SFP+ uplink module installed or an EX4300-48P switch with an SFP+ uplink module installed.

To connect a QFX3500 Node device to the fiber-based QFX3000-M QFabric system control plane network (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 the first management port (labeled C0) on the Node device management board. Save the cap.
  3. Insert the cable connector into the optical transceiver.
  4. Connect the other end of that cable to the appropriate port on the EX Series switch. See Table 1.
  5. Remove the rubber safety cap from the SFP optical transceiver in the second management port (labeled C1) on the Node device management board. Save the cap.
  6. Insert the cable connector into the optical transceiver.
  7. Connect the other end of that cable to the appropriate port on the second EX Series switch. This should be the same port number that you connected to in Step 4. For example, if you connected the first cable to ge-0/0/0 on the first EX Series switch, you connect the second cable to ge-0/0/0 on the second EX Series switch.
  8. Repeat this procedure for each QFX3500 Node device.
  9. 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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