You can configure a
Cisco UCS domain to use
a single fabric interconnect in a standalone configuration or to use a
redundant pair of fabric interconnects in a cluster configuration.
A cluster
configuration provides high availability. If one fabric interconnect becomes
unavailable, the other takes over. Only one management port (Mgmt0) connection
is required to support a cluster configuration; however, both Mgmt0 ports
should be connected to provide link-level redundancy.
In addition, a cluster
configuration actively enhances failover recovery time for redundant virtual
interface (VIF) connections. When an adapter has an active VIF connection to
one fabric interconnect and a standby VIF connection to the second, the learned
MAC addresses of the active VIF are replicated but not installed on the second
fabric interconnect. If the active VIF fails, the second fabric interconnect
installs the replicated MAC addresses and broadcasts them to the network
through gratuitous ARP messages, shortening the switchover time.
 Note |
The cluster
configuration provides redundancy only for the management plane. Data
redundancy is dependent on the user configuration and might require a
third-party tool to support data redundancy.
|
To use the cluster
configuration, you must directly connect the two fabric interconnects together
using Ethernet cables between the L1 (L1-to-L1) and L2 (L2-to-L2)
high-availability ports, with no other fabric interconnects in between. Also
you can connect the fabric interconnects directly through a patch panel to
allow the two fabric interconnects to continuously monitor the status of each
other and quickly know when one has failed.
Both fabric
interconnects in a cluster configuration must go through the initial setup
process. You must enable the first fabric interconnect that you set up for a
cluster configuration. When you set up the second fabric interconnect, it
detects the first fabric interconnect as a peer fabric interconnect in the
cluster.
For more information,
see to the
Cisco UCS 6100 Series
Fabric Interconnect Hardware Installation Guide.