Support - 04-Chapter 4 Setting Up an IRF Fabric (2024)

You can use H3C IRF technology to connect andvirtualize S12500X-AF switches into a large virtual switch called an "IRFfabric" for flattened network topology, high availability, scalability,and manageability. For more information about IRF, see H3CS12500-X&S12500X-AF Switch Series IRF Configuration Guide.

IRF fabric setup flowchart

The setup flow is shown in Figure4-1. Forthe actual procedure, see H3C S12500-X&S12500X-AF SwitchSeries IRF Configuration Guide for the software release you are using.

Figure4-1 IRF fabric setup flowchart

To set up an IRF fabric:

Planning IRF fabric setup

This section describes issues that an IRFfabric setup plan must cover.

Planning IRF fabric size and theinstallation site

Plan IRF fabric size and the installationsite, as follows:

1.Use H3C S12500-X&S12500X-AFSwitch Series IRF Configuration Guide as a reference to identify thenumber of member switches that your system software version supports for an S12500X-AF IRF fabric.

2.Choose S12500X-AF switchmodels for your network.

An S12500X-AF IRFfabric supports a maximum of two member switches. The member switches must bethe same model.

3.Select LPUs that can provide 10-GE/40-GE/100-GE ports.

The S12500X-AF switchseries requires 10-GE/40-GE/100-GEports for IRF connection. Formore information about the LPUs,see H3C S12500X-AF Switch Series Hardware Reference.

4.Select SFP+/QSFP+/QSFP28/CXP/CFP2transceiver modules and fibers forlong distance transmission. Select SFP+/QSFP+/QSFP28/QSFP+ to SFP+copper cables for shortdistance transmission. Selecttwisted pair cables to connect 10GBase-T ports over a short distance.

For more information about transceiver modules and cables, see H3C S12500X-AF Switch Series Hardware Reference.

5.Plan the installation site.

Identifying the master switch andplanning IRF member IDs

Determine which switch you want to use asthe master for managing all member switches in the IRF fabric.

An IRF fabric has only one master switch.You configure and manage all member switches in the IRF fabric at the CLI ofthe master. IRF member switches will automatically elect a master. You canaffect the election result by assigning a high member priority to the intendedmaster switch. For more information about master election,see H3C S12500-X&S12500X-AF SwitchSeries IRF Configuration Guide.

Prepare an IRF member ID assignment scheme.An IRF fabric uses member IDs to uniquely identify and manage its members, andyou must assign each IRF member switch a unique member ID.

Planning IRF topology and connections

Connect the IRF member switches through IRFports, the logical interfaces for the connections between IRF member switches. EachIRF member switch has two IRF ports: IRF-port 1 and IRF-port 2. To use an IRFport, you must bind a minimum of one physical port to it.

When connecting two neighboring IRF memberswitches, you must connect the physical ports of IRF-port 1 on one switch tothe physical ports of IRF-port 2 on the other switch.

A two-member IRF fabric must use the daisychain topology.

Figure4-2 Daisy chain topology

Identifying physical IRF ports on themember switches

Identify the physical IRF ports on themember switches according to your topology and connection scheme.

Only 10-GE/40-GE/100-GE ports on the switchcan be used for IRF connection.

The switch supports multi-card link aggregationfor IRF ports. You can bind up to eight physical ports to one IRF port.

Installing IRF member switches

Configuring basic IRF settings

After you install the IRF member switches, poweron the switches, and log in to each IRF member switch (see "Connectingyour switch to the network") to configure their member IDs, memberpriorities, and IRF port bindings.

Follow these guidelines when you configure theswitches:

·First configure themember IDs, member priorities, and IRF port bindings for the IRF memberswitches, save the configuration, connect the memberswitches, and change the operating mode of the switchesto IRF mode.

·Assign the master switch higher member prioritythan any other switch.

·Bind physical ports to IRF-port 1 on one switch and to IRF-port 2 on the other switch.

·Execute the display irfconfiguration command to verify the basic IRF settings.

For moreinformation about configuring basic IRF settings, see H3CS12500-X&S12500X-AF Switch Series IRF Configuration Guide.

Connecting the physical IRF ports

Follow these guidelines to connect the10GE/40GE/100GE ports between the IRF member switches:

·Use SFP+ transceiver modules and fibers or SFP+ coppercables to connect SFP+ ports. SFP+ copper cables are mainly used for short distance transmission.

·Use QSFP+ transceiver modulesand fibers or QSFP+ copper cables to connect QSFP+ ports. QSFP+ copper cables are mainly used forshort distance transmission.

·Use QSFP28 transceiver modulesand fibers or QSFP28 copper cables to connect QSFP28 ports. QSFP+ coppercables are mainly used for short distance transmission.

·Use CXP transceiver modules and fibers toconnect CXP ports.

·Use CFP2 transceiver modules and fibers toconnect CFP2 ports.

·Use twisted pair cables to connect 10GBase-Tports.

·When connecting SFP+ports, connect the transmit port of the SFP+ transceiver module at one end tothe receive port of the SFP+transceiver module at the other end.

·When connecting CFP2 ports, connect the transmit port of the CFP2 transceivermodule at one end to the receive port of the CFP2 transceivermodule at the other end.

·The transceiver modules at the two ends of anIRF link must be the same type.

For more information about installing transceivermodules, see "Installing FRUs." For more information about connectingfibers, see "Connecting your switch to the network."

Figure4-3 Connecting two IRF member switches

Verifying the IRF fabric configuration

After you finish configuring basic IRFsettings and connecting IRF ports, verify the basic functionality of the IRF fabric,as follows:

1.Log in to the IRF fabric through the consoleport of any member switch.

2.Create a Layer 3 interface, assign it an IPaddress, and make sure the IRF fabric and the remote network management stationcan reach each other.

3.Use Telnet or SNMP to access the IRF fabricfrom the network management station. (See H3C S12500-X&S12500X-AF Switch Series Fundamentals Configuration Guide.)

4.Verify that you canmanage all member switches as if they were one node.

5.Display the running status of the IRF fabricby using the commands in Table4-1.

Table4-1 Displaying and maintaining IRF configuration and running status

To avoid IP address collision and networkproblems, configure a minimum of one MAD mechanism to detect the presence ofmultiple identical IRF fabrics and handle collisions. For more informationabout MAD, see H3C S12500-X&S12500X-AF Switch SeriesIRF Configuration Guide.