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Configuring EX4600 Switches in a Mixed or Non-Mixed Virtual Chassis (CLI Procedure)

This topic provides information about configuring a EX4600 Virtual Chassis, or a mixed Virtual Chassis that includes EX4600 switches.

In an EX4600 Virtual Chassis, you interconnect the EX4600 switches by using uplink ports configured as Virtual Chassis ports (VCPs). The 40-Gbps QSFP+ and 10-Gbps SFP+ uplink ports can be configured into VCPs. The uplink ports can be used to connect switches that are several miles apart, so you can connect switches in different buildings into the same Virtual Chassis.

You must configure QSFP+ or SFP+ uplink module ports into VCPs to create an EX4600 Virtual Chassis, or to interconnect EX4300 and EX4600 switches to form a mixed EX4300 and EX4600 Virtual Chassis. If you need additional VCP bandwidth between two member switches, you can configure additional ports as VCPs between the member switches. The ports that have identical speeds become links in a link aggregation group (LAG) to provide resiliency to the Virtual Chassis; for instance, if you had two QSFP+ ports and two SFP+ ports configured as VCPs connecting to the same switch, you would have two LAGs—one LAG with two 40Gbps QSFP+ port member links and another with two 10Gbps SFP+ port member links—between the member switches.

Note: A Virtual Chassis configuration has two Routing Engines—the master switch and the backup switch. Therefore, we recommend that you always use commit synchronize rather than simply commit to save configuration changes made for a Virtual Chassis. This ensures that the configuration changes are saved on both Routing Engines.

An EX4600 Virtual Chassis can be configured with either:

  • A nonprovisioned configuration—The master sequentially assigns a member ID to other member switches. The role is determined by the mastership priority value and other factors in the master election algorithm.
  • A preprovisioned configuration—You can deterministically control the member ID and role assigned to a member switch by tying the member switch to its serial number.

This topic includes:

Configuring an EX4600 Virtual Chassis with a Nonprovisioned Configuration File

You can use nonprovisioned configuration to configure an EX4600 Virtual Chassis.

To configure the Virtual Chassis using a nonprovisioned configuration:

Note: You can configure a EX4600 Virtual Chassis while the cables are or are not physically connected.

  1. Power on only the switch that you plan to use as the master switch.

    If you are configuring a mixed EX4300 and EX4600 Virtual Chassis, you must use an EX4600 switch in the master routing engine role. A mixed EX4300 and EX4600 Virtual Chassis that uses an EX4300 in the master routing engine role is an unsupported configuration.

  2. (Required for a mixed Virtual Chassis only) Set the master switch into mixed mode, and reboot the switch to complete the configuration:
    user@device> request virtual-chassis mode mixed reboot
  3. If you are configuring a mixed Virtual Chassis, wait for the reboot to complete before performing this step.
    Specify the identification parameters for the switch by completing the initial configuration. See Configuring an EX4600 Switch.

    Note: The properties that you specify for the master switch apply to the entire Virtual Chassis configuration.

  4. (Optional. Recommended) Configure the master switch with the virtual management Ethernet (VME) interface for out-of-band management of the Virtual Chassis:
    user@switch# set interfaces vme unit 0 family inet address /ip-address/mask/
  5. (Required for mixed EX4300 and EX4600 Virtual Chassis. Optional for all other Virtual Chassis) Configure mastership priority for the member switches:

    Note: If you are configuring a mixed EX4300 and EX4600 Virtual Chassis, configure the EX4600 switches with the highest mastership priorities to ensure EX4300 switches do not assume the master role. A mixed EX4300 and EX4600 switch operating with an EX4300 switch in the master role is an unsupported configuration.

    [edit virtual-chassis]
    user@switch# set member 0 mastership-priority 255
    user@switch# set member 1 mastership-priority 255
  6. (Optional. Recommended for a two-member Virtual Chassis) On the master switch, disable the split and merge feature:
    [edit virtual-chassis]
    user@switch# set no-split-detection
  7. Power on the other member switches.
  8. (Required for a mixed Virtual Chassis only) Set each individual switch into mixed mode, and reboot the switch to complete the configuration:
    user@device> request virtual-chassis mode mixed reboot
  9. On each individual member switch, configure the ports that will be used to interconnect the member switches into VCPs using the following command:

    user@switch> request virtual-chassis vc-port set pic-slot pic-slot-number port port-number local

    where pic-slot-number is the PIC slot number.

    For instance, if you wanted to set port 0 on the QSFP+ interface on PIC slot 2 as a VCP:


    user@switch> request virtual-chassis vc-port set pic-slot 2 port 0 local

    The VCPs automatically bundle into a Link Aggregation Group when two or more interfaces of the same speed are configured into VCPs between the same two member switches. See Understanding EX Series Virtual Chassis Port Link Aggregation.

Note: If you do not edit the Virtual Chassis configuration file, a nonprovisioned configuration is generated by default. The mastership priority value for each member switch is 128. The master role is selected by default. You can change the role that is performed by the members by modifying the mastership priority. See Configuring Mastership of a Virtual Chassis (CLI Procedure). We recommend that you specify the same mastership priority value for the desired master and backup members. In this example, the highest possible mastership priority has been assigned to two members. However, the member that was powered on first has higher prioritization according to the master election algorithm. See Understanding How the Master in a Virtual Chassis Is Elected. The other members use the default mastership priority in this example, which configures them to function in the role of linecard.

Note: If you want to change the member ID that the master has assigned to a member switch, use the request virtual-chassis renumber command.

Configuring an EX4600 Virtual Chassis with a Preprovisioned Configuration File

Preprovisioning a Virtual Chassis configuration allows you to assign the member ID and role for each switch in the Virtual Chassis.

To configure a Virtual Chassis using a preprovisioned configuration:

Note: You can configure a EX4600 Virtual Chassis while the cables are or are not physically connected.

  1. Make a list of the serial numbers of all the switches to be connected in a Virtual Chassis configuration.
  2. Note the desired role (routing-engine or line-card) of each switch. If you configure the member with a routing-engine role, it is eligible to function in the master or backup role. If you configure the member with a line-card role, it is not eligible to function in the master or backup role.

    If you are configuring a mixed EX4300 and EX4600 Virtual Chassis, EX4300 switches must be configured into the line-card role only. A mixed EX4300 and EX4600 Virtual Chassis

  3. Power on only the switch that you plan to use as the master switch.
  4. (Required for a mixed Virtual Chassis only) Set the master switch into mixed mode, and reboot the switch to complete the configuration:

    Note: You do not have to complete this step if you are configuring a Virtual Chassis that includes QFX3500 and QFX3600 switches only.

    You must complete this step if your Virtual Chassis includes a mix of QFX5100, EX4300, and QFX3500 or QFX3600 switches.

    user@device> request virtual-chassis mode mixed reboot
  5. If you are configuring a mixed Virtual Chassis, wait for the reboot to complete before performing this step.
    Specify the identification parameters for the switch by completing the initial configuration. See Configuring an EX4600 Switch.

    Note: The properties that you specify for the master switch apply to the entire Virtual Chassis configuration.

  6. (Optional) Configure the master switch with the virtual management Ethernet (VME) interface for out-of-band management of the Virtual Chassis:
    user@switch# set interfaces vme unit 0 family inet address /ip-address/mask/
  7. Specify the preprovisioned configuration mode:
    [edit virtual-chassis]
    user@switch# set preprovisioned
  8. Specify all the members that you want included in the Virtual Chassis, listing each switch’s serial number with the desired member ID and role:
    [edit virtual-chassis]
    user@switch# set member 0 serial-number abc123 role routing-engine
    user@switch# set member 1 serial-number def456 role routing-engine
    user@switch# set member 2 serial-number ghi789 role line-card
    user@switch# set member 3 serial-number jkl012 role line-card

  9. (Optional. Recommended for a two-member Virtual Chassis) Disable the split and merge feature:
    [edit virtual-chassis]
    user@switch# set no-split-detection

  10. Power on the other member switches. The member IDs and roles have been determined by the configuration, so you can power on the member switches in any order.
  11. (Required if you are configuring a mixed Virtual Chassis) Set each individual switch into mixed mode, and reboot the switch to complete the configuration:
    user@device> request virtual-chassis mode mixed reboot
  12. On each individual member switch, configure the ports that will be used to interconnect the member switches into VCPs using the following command:

    user@switch> request virtual-chassis vc-port set pic-slot pic-slot-number port port-number local

    where pic-slot-number is the PIC slot number.

    For instance, if you wanted to set port 0 on the QSFP+ interface on PIC slot 2 as a VCP:


    user@switch> request virtual-chassis vc-port set pic-slot 2 port 0 local

    The VCPs automatically bundle into a Link Aggregation Group when two or more interfaces of the same speed are configured into VCPs between the same two member switches. See Understanding EX Series Virtual Chassis Port Link Aggregation.

Note: You cannot modify the mastership priority when you are using a preprovisioned configuration. The mastership priority values are generated automatically and controlled by the role that is assigned to the member switch in the configuration file. The two Routing Engines are assigned the same mastership priority value. However, the member that was powered on first has higher prioritization according to the master election algorithm. See Understanding How the Master in a Virtual Chassis Is Elected.

 

Related Documentation

 

Modified: 2015-12-29

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