NX-OS and Cisco Nexus Switching: Next-Generation Data Center Architectures, Rough Cuts, 2nd Edition

This is the Rough Cut version of the printed book.

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 che

Table of Contents

Foreword xxiii

NX-OS Overview 1

    NX-OS Supported Platforms 3

    NX-OS Licensing 7

    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