ACI Multipod and OOB Mgmt

[neroshake]

Hi all!

I have to setup a Multipod for our DC and have a question about management network and integration w vCenter VMM.

Since OOB mgmt is always recommended way of mgmt I am using it and also did choose it in APICs Connectivity Preferences. Since my setup is multipod I need to somehow extend that OOB mgmt network (vlan 90) to the second Pod. For that purpose I  created a trunk link between my IPN switches and carrying OOB Mgmt vlan as a separate vlan over that trunk, directly stretching that L2 to the second pod. This will allow me to have direct access to the devices in each Pod even in case if something wrong goes with ACI fabric.

Now I need to also integrate with vCenter VMM and my vCenter is also in OOB network but it is an Appliance hosted on ESXi, which is within ACI fabric. Since there is no Data Plane connectivity between Mgmt tennant and Common I am planning to connect my OOB switch to the leafs at each side and Statically deploy that ports in Vcenter's OOB EPG.

My questions are:

1. Will this work?
2. Since I have connected both OOB switches in Leafs at each Pod, wouldnt there be in issue with STP since there can be potential loop (OOB mgmt network in two Pods in fact has connectivity via both L2 Stretched trunk (outside of fabric) and OOB EPG (inside fabric))?

Picture attached.

Thanks!

[Sergiu.Daniluk · Accepted solution]

Hi @neroshake 

In my opinion, moving the OOB vlan through inband (through ACI), simply breaks the whole purpose of the out-of-band.

Do you have a vmnic which can be connected to OOB switch? This way you map the mgmt interface of vCenter to a port-group using the direct connection to OOB switch.

Cheers,

Sergiu

[neroshake]

Hi Sergiu,

Thanks for the response.

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In my opinion, moving the OOB vlan through inband (through ACI), simply breaks the whole purpose of the out-of-band.

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hmm... you are right. Will do that way. Sure I have 1G NICs on each host which I will dedicate for Mgmt vSwitch. In that way I will have OOB network completely separated from fabric.

Thank you!

Nero.