NX-OS and Cisco Nexus Switching

Next-Generation Data Center Architectures

Second Edition

The complete guide to planning, configuring, managing, and troubleshooting NX-OS in the enterprise-updated with new technologies and examples

Using Cisco Nexus switches and the NX-OS operating system, data center professionals can build unified core networks that deliver unprecedented scalability, resilience, operational continuity, flexibility, and performance. NX-OS and Cisco Nexus Switching, Second Edition, is the definitive guide to applying these breakthrough technologies in real-world environments. This extensively updated edition contains five new chapters addressing a wide range of new technologies, including FabricPath, OTV, IPv6, QoS, VSG, Multi-Hop FCoE, LISP, MPLS, Layer 3 on Nexus 5000, and Config sync. It also presents a start-to-finish, step-by-step case study of an enterprise customer who migrated from Cisco Catalyst to a Nexus-based architecture, illuminated with insights that are applicable in virtually any enterprise data center. Drawing on decades of experience with enterprise customers, the authors cover every facet of deploying, configuring, operating, and troubleshooting NX-OS in today's data center. You'll find updated best practices for high availability, virtualization, security, L2/L3 protocol and network support, multicast, serviceability, provision of networking and storage services, and more. Best of all, the authors present all the proven commands, sample configurations, and tips you need to apply these best practices in your data center.

Ron Fuller, CCIE No. 5851 (Routing and Switching/Storage Networking), Technical Marketing Engineer on Cisco's Nexus 7000 team, specializes in helping customers design end-to-end data center architectures. Ron has 21 years of industry experience, including 7 at Cisco. He has spoken at Cisco Live on VDCs, NX-OS multicast, and general design.

David Jansen, CCIE No. 5952 (Routing/Switching), is a Cisco Technical Solutions Architect specializing in enterprise data center architecture. He has 20 years of industry experience, 15 of them at Cisco (6 as a solution architect); and has delivered several Cisco Live presentations on NX-OS and data center solutions.

Matthew McPherson, senior systems engineer and solutions architect for the Cisco Central Select Operation, specializes in data center architectures. He has 12 years of experience working with service providers and large finance and manufacturing enterprises, and possesses deep technical knowledge of routing, switching, and security.

• Understand the NX-OS command line, virtualization features, and file system
• Utilize the NX-OS comprehensive Layer 2/Layer 3 support: vPC, Spanning Tree Protocol, Cisco FabricPath, EIGRP, OSPF, BGP, HSRP, GLBP, and VRRP
• Configure IP multicast with PIM, Auto-RP, and MSDP
• Secure your network with CTS, SGTs, ACLs, CoPP, and DAI
• Establish a trusted set of network devices with Cisco TrustSec
• Maximize availability with ISSU, stateful process restart/switchover, and non-stop forwarding
• Improve serviceability with SPAN, ERSPAN, configuration checkpoints/rollback, packet analysis, Smart Call Home, Python, and PoAP
• Unify storage and Ethernet fabrics with FCoE, NPV, and NPIV
• Take full advantage of Nexus 1000V in a virtualized environment
• Achieve superior QoS with MQ CLI, queuing, and marking
• Extend L2 networks across L3 infrastructure with Overlay Transport Virtualization (OTV)
• Deliver on SLAs by integrating MPLS application components such as L3 VPNs, traffic engineering, QoS, and mVPN
• Support mobility via the new Locator ID Separation Protocol (LISP)
• Walk step-by-step through a realistic Nexus and NX-OS data center migration

Ron Fuller, CCIE No. 5851 (Routing and Switching/Storage Networking), is a technical marketing engineer (TME) on the Nexus 7000 team for Cisco. He has 21 years of experience in the industry and has held certifications from Novell, HP, Microsoft, ISC2, SNIA, and Cisco. His focus is working with customers worldwide to address their challenges with comprehensive end-to-end data center architectures and how they can best use Cisco technology to their advantage. He has had the opportunity to speak at Cisco Live on VDCs, NX-OS Multicast, and general design. He lives in Ohio with his wife and four wonderful children and enjoys travel and auto racing. He can be found on Twitter @ccie5851.

David Jansen, CCIE No. 5952, is a technical solutions architect for Data Center for Enterprise Central Area. David has more than 20 years' experience in the information technology industry. He has held multiple certifications from Microsoft, Novell, Checkpoint, and Cisco. His focus is to work with Enterprise customers to address end-to-end data center Enterprise architectures. David has been with Cisco for 15 years and working as a technical solutions architect for 6 years and has provided unique experiences helping customers build architectures for Enterprise data centers. David holds a B.S.E. degree in computer science from the University of Michigan (Go Blue!) and an M.A. degree in adult education from Central Michigan University.

Matthew McPherson is a senior systems engineer and solutions architect for Cisco in the Central Select Operation, specializing in data center architectures. Matt has been with Cisco for more than 2 1/2 years and has more than 12 years of experience in the industry working for service providers and large enterprise customers in the financial and manufacturing verticals. He has held certifications from Juniper, Netscreen, and Cisco, and possesses a deep technical background in the areas of routing, switching, and security. His primary focus is working with strategic customers in greater Michigan to address their overall infrastructure challenges. He lives in Michigan with his wife and enjoys biking and collecting cars.

Foreword xxiii

Introduction xxiv

Chapter 1 Introduction to Cisco NX-OS 1

NX-OS Overview 1

NX-OS Supported Platforms 3

NX-OS Licensing 7

Nexus 7000 7

Nexus 5500 8

Nexus 3000 8

Nexus 2000 9

Nexus 1000v 9

Installing the NX-OS License File 9

Cisco NX-OS and Cisco IOS Comparison 10

NX-OS User Modes 12

EXEC Command Mode 12

Global Configuration Command Mode 13

Interface Configuration Command Mode 13

Management Interfaces 14

Controller Processor (Supervisor Module) 15

Connectivity Management Processor (CMP) 16

Telnet 18

SSH 19

SNMP 23

DCNM 26

Managing System Files 28

File Systems 28

Configuration Files: Configuration Rollback 33

Operating System Files 35

Virtual Device Contexts 37

VDC Configuration 43

VDC Interface Allocation 46

Interface Allocation: N7K-M132XP-12 and L 46

Interface Allocation: N7K-F132XP-15 47

Interface Allocation: N7K-M108X2-12L 48

Interface Allocation: 10/100/1000 Modules 48

Interface Allocation on M2 Modules 52

Troubleshooting 54

show Commands 54

debug Commands 55

Topology 56

Further Reading 57

Chapter 2 Layer 2 Support and Configurations 59

Layer 2 Overview 59

Store-and-Forward Switching 60

Cut-Through Switching 60

Fabric Ext…