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Sunday, 29 June 2014

Dell FS8600 FS Networking

Dell FS8600 FS Networking

Working with the Dell Storage Compellent FS8600 is a bit of a challenge. Especially if you are the network engineer trying to comply with the Server and Storage guys.

The core issue with the current version 3.0.9x, is that all interfaces uses the same routing domain/table, even the mgmt-interface.

Most of us are used to using network devices having a mgmt-interface in a different routing domain/table, making it a pure OOB mgmt-interface for the device. But this does not exist in the Dell FS8600, so you have to rethink your design.

If you want to use a separate subnet for your mgmt-interface compared with the client network, which is still possible, it will follow the client network default route. You can still add static routes for your client networks, but NOT for the mgmt-interface, which is STUPID! that means that Dell designed it for the mgmt-ips to be on the same network of any of your Client networks.

So if you still want to use a separate subnet for the mgmt-interface, my suggestion would be to use a firewall/router, if your firewall have an interface on the considered mgmt-interface-subnet and do a Destination NAT with Source NAT enabled, so that the mgmt-interfaces of the FS86000 can be reached without having to think of the routing table.

You can of course still manage the FS8600 via the client network, but it would not be recommended you don't if you need to change tags and ip-ranges on the client network for any reason. Always better to use the dedicated mgmt-inteface to ensure you don't loose the connection, aka "cut your leg off".

Hopefully Dell will reconsider and change this in their next major release so that the mgmt-interface will have its own routing domain/table with its own default route.

Good luck. if anything, you can email me.

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