Differences in Campus Fabric Configuration Practices

The commands used in Campus Fabric configuration differ from most FastIron commands. You should become familiar with syntax changes. For example, port ranges are handled differently. Configuring ports and trunks also differs in Campus Fabric configuration.

Basic Syntax Change in SPX Port Configuration

SPX ports, like stacking ports, do not use the ethernet keyword as part of port configuration. SPX port configuration relies on three-tuple notation as it is used on all current FastIron devices; however, port lists and ranges are used differently.

The ethernet keyword continues to be used for configuring ports on standalone devices.

Using Port Lists to Specify SPX Ports and Port Ranges

Campus Fabric configuration introduces a flexible format for representing multiple ports and port ranges in command entry. Valid port lists include any combination of "x/y/z" and "x/y/z to x/y/z" notation. The following examples are all valid port lists in an SPX command:

  • 1/2/3 (a single port on CB unit 1)
  • 1/2/1 1/2/2 1/1/48 (three separate ports on CB unit 1, which do not have to be presented in ascending order)
  • 1/1/40 2/1/1 to 2/1/10 (a single port on CB unit 1, followed by a range of 10 ports on CB unit 2, module 1)
  • 2/1/10 to 2/1/15 1/1/30 to 1/1/31 (a range of five ports on CB unit 2, module 1 and a range of two ports on CB unit 1)

Differences between SPX LAGs and Stacking Trunks

In stacking, the secure-setup utility for configuring a stack relies on the presence of two default ports on every stackable unit. The default ports are stacking candidates. The secure-setup utility can send probe packets through these ports even when they are not configured as stacking ports. Some stackable devices allow you to reconfigure stacking ports or trunks to non-factory settings by first changing the default ports. Even when a user configures only one stacking port or trunk, a stacking unit still requires two default ports.

A stacking trunk cannot be configured unless an underlying stacking port already exists. For example, the command stack-trunk 1/2/1 to 1/2/3 is only valid when stack-port 1/2/1 is in place.

Campus Fabric configuration does not use the same secure-setup utility as stacking. The two stacking default ports are not present or required. You can change SPX ports and LAGs on a PE unit without initially defining default ports. Furthermore, an SPX LAG does not require you to first configure a lead stacking port.

SPX LAG (trunk) notation differs from stacking trunk notation in a few fundamental ways:

  • Although a stacking trunk requires contiguous ports in the format "x/y/z to x/y/z", an SPX LAG allows noncontiguous ports, with any combination of "x/y/z" and "x/y/z to x/y/z" port notation.
  • Stacking trunks contain a range of ports on a single stacking unit on each end. In contrast, ports in a CB SPX LAG can span multiple CB units. (SPX LAGs on PEs must contain ports from only one PE unit, but the ports do not have to be contiguous.)
  • The SPX LAG and port commands spx-lag and spx-port are mutually exclusive in their membership.

Port and LAG Reconfiguration Based on Dynamic Entries

Campus Fabric configuration allows dynamic reconfiguration of ports and LAGs in some cases.

Note: The same rules apply when configuring SPX ports or LAGs on a live system. Configuring ports on a live system may in some cases be less disruptive. Refer to Configuring SPX ports and LAGs on a live system for more information.

The following rules govern SPX port and LAG creation:

  • If a new SPX port or LAG has any common member with an existing SPX port or LAG, the new entry replaces the existing configuration.
  • If a new SPX LAG has common members with multiple SPX port or LAG configurations, an error is returned, and the new configuration is blocked.
  • If a new SPX port or LAG does not overlap with existing SPX ports or LAGs, it is added.
The following example creates a LAG with three ports on PE unit 17.
When ICX 7750 is retired, the following samples need to be replaced with new valid samples developed on an ICX 7650 CB stack. 

ICX7750-26Q Router(config-spx-unit-17)# spx-lag 17/2/2 to 17/2/4

The same LAG is changed to a two-port LAG using the following command. 

ICX7750-26Q Router(config-spx-unit-17)# spx-lag 17/2/2 to 17/2/3

The following example configures a single PE port. 

ICX7750-26Q Router(config-spx-unit-18)# spx-port 18/1/3

The same port is reconfigured as part of a LAG using the following command. 

ICX7750-26Q Router(config-spx-unit-18)# spx-lag 18/1/1 to 18/1/4

The following example configures a port and a LAG on PE unit 19. 

ICX7750-26Q Router(config-spx-unit-19)# spx-port 19/2/1
ICX7750-26Q Router(config-spx-unit-19)# spx-lag 19/2/3 to 19/2/4

With the previous configuration in place, the following entry returns an error. 

ICX7750-26Q Router(config-spx-unit-19)# spx-lag 19/2/1 to 19/2/3

Notice that the new entry requires changes to two existing configurations, a port and a LAG. As a result, the new LAG is blocked.

Parent topic: Campus Fabric Configuration Overview