UCS in switching mode

[dani_bosch]

Hello,

Is it supported to connect 3rd party servers to Fabric Interconnects in a UCS in switching mode?

Is the switching mode in UCS fully supported (though not preferred)?

Thanks,

[Robert Burns]

Connecting anything other than a NAS or Direct Attach storage device is not support.  Can you get a 3rd party server network connectivity - prehaps, but you can't manage it by UCS so it pretty much defeats the purpose and will render no support for the system.

Switching mode is fully supported, but with the addition of Disjoint L2 support in the recent versions pretty much renders it obsolete against End Host Mode.

Switchmode implements spanning tree which disables links.  In EHM all links are always forwarding.

Regards,

Robert

[dani_bosch]

Robert, wouldn't Switching Mode nicely fit an environment where customer wants to mix UCS blades with 3rd party servers because he doesn't have enough LAN ports to connect these 3rd party servers?

[Robert Burns · Accepted solution]

Though its called "Switching mode" it's shouldn't be thought of as a switch.  It's a fabric interconnect and intended to connect only Cisco servers and 3rd party storage devices.   You have to understand if we said it was "ok" to attach any ethernet device it would open the flood gates to a slew of supportability issues for the system. 

I'm hoping if you can afford a UCS you can afford an extra switch to connect your 3rd party servers - or just replace them with UCS servers all together ;-)

Robert