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Example: Configuring Network Director 1.6 for MetaFabric Architecture 1.1

This example shows how to configure Network Director 1.6 for MetaFabric Architecture 1.1. For more details on the MetaFabric architecture, see the MetaFabric™ Architecture Virtualized Data Center Design and Implementation Guide .

Requirements

This example uses the following hardware and software components:

Four QFX5100-24Q switches used as the spine layer in the mixed-mode VCF
Two QFX5100-24Q switches used in the leaf layer in the mixed-mode VCF
Four QFX5100-48S switches used in the leaf layer in the mixed-mode VCF
Two EX4300 switches used in the leaf layer in the mixed-mode VCF
Junos OS Release 13.2X51-D25 or later for all EX Series and QFX Series switches in the mixed-mode VCF
Network Director 1.6 for VCF orchestration

Overview and Topology

MetaFabric Architecture 1.1 continues to provide the proper foundation for a virtualized environment that supports virtual machine movement (VMware), robust application hosting (IBM), load balancing (F5), storage (EMC), and security (Firefly Host and SRX3600 devices). However, this evolved architecture now introduces Virtual Chassis Fabric as a next-generation fabric technology and Network Director 1.6 for orchestration and dynamic configuration.

In this example, Network Director 1.6 is used to provide orchestration services for a Virtual Chassis Fabric (VCF). The VCF replaces the core switches and QFabric systems seen in the original MetaFabric Architecture 1.0 solution. As a result, the VCF connects directly to servers, storage, and load balancers on the access side (also known as the leaf layer in a VCF), and SRX security devices on the core network side (also known as the spine layer in a VCF). Figure 1 shows the topology used in this example.

Network Director 1.6 can provision the Virtual Chassis Fabric, and use orchestration services to update the VCF configuration dynamically as virtual machines move between servers. The VCF used in this example is a mixed-mode fabric that implements four QFX5100-24Q switches in the spine layer. The leaf layer uses two QFX5100-24Q switches, four QFX5100-48S switches, and two EX4300 switches for a total of eight leaf layer devices. All server and storage destinations are a maximum of two hops from each other to keep latency to a minimum and application performance to a maximum.

Configuring Network Director 1.6 for MetaFabric Architecture 1.1

This section explains how to provision devices in a Virtual Chassis Fabric and enable orchestration services.

It includes the following sections:

Using Network Director 1.6 to Provision Devices into a Virtual Chassis Fabric

GUI Step-by-Step Procedure

Note

Do not use this procedure if you have already provisioned your Virtual Chassis Fabric with the preprovisioning method shown in Example: Configuring a Virtual Chassis Fabric for MetaFabric Architecture 1.1.

Network Director 1.6 enables you to autoprovision a Virtual Chassis Fabric. If you configure the serial number and role for each spine layer device, you can connect factory-default leaf devices to the spine devices and have these leaf devices automatically join the VCF. Using autoprovisioning enables you to get your VCF up and running quickly so you can offer new services to your customers more rapidly.

To use Network Director 1.6 to autoprovision the Virtual Chassis Fabric:

In Network Director, navigate to Views > Logical View > Device Management > Setup Virtual Chassis Fabric as shown in Figure 2. For the Select Provisioning Method step, click the Auto Provision radio button, check the Provision VCF in Mixed Mode box when using more than one device model in your VCF, and click the Next button:
Figure 2: Network Director 1.6 — VCF Autoprovisioning
For the Add Devices step, click the Add Spines button, as shown in Figure 3:
Figure 3: Network Director 1.6 — Add Spine Devices to the VCF
As shown in Figure 4, click the New Devices button in the Add Device as Spine Node(s) box, and add the serial numbers and Routing Engine role for the four QFX5100 switches that you want to act as the spine layer:
Figure 4: Network Director 1.6 — Specify the Serial Number and Role for VCF Spine Devices
Connect the factory-default leaf devices to the 40-Gigabit Ethernet VCP ports of the four spine members by using fiber optic cables. The leaf devices will automatically sense their addition to the VCF, receive a configuration from the master VCF member, reboot, and join the VCF.

Using Network Director 1.6 and Junos Space to Verify Virtual Chassis Fabric Operations

Verifying VCF Operations with Network Director 1.6 and Junos Space

Purpose

Use the verification tools in Network Director 1.6 and Junos Space to ensure that your VCF is working correctly.

Action

In Network Director, navigate to Views > Logical View > Device Management > Manage Virtual Chassis Fabric to verify VCF members, as shown in Figure 5:
Figure 5: Network Director 1.6 — Verifying VCF Membership
In Junos Space, navigate to Applications > Network Management Platform > Audit Logs > Audit Log to verify all login events and configuration changes in the audit trail, as shown in Figure 6:
Figure 6: Junos Space — Verifying Login Events and Configuration Changes
In Network Director, navigate to Views > Logical View and Task Categories > Monitor > Summary to view alarms for VCF members, as shown in Figure 7:
Figure 7: Network Director 1.6 — Verifying VCF Alarms
In Network Director, navigate to Views > Logical View and Task Categories > Monitor > Fabric Analysis to view a fabric health check for connections between members in the VCF, as shown in Figure 8:
Figure 8: Network Director 1.6 — Verifying Fabric Health
In Network Director, navigate to Views > Logical View and Task Categories > Monitor > Equipment to verify CPU memory utilization and status of the VCF, as shown in Figure 9:
Figure 9: Network Director 1.6 — Verifying VCF Status and CPU Memory Utilization

Using Network Director 1.6 to Configure Orchestration for a Virtual Chassis Fabric