VC FlexFabric without stack links

[chuckk281]

Question from Ruck:

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For C7000 with a pair of VC-FlexFabric (Bay1 & Bay2), as no stack link with in VC Domain is not recommend and support (from VC manual)

If customer want to use all (8) uplink ports (no cross link stack for adjacent modules).

Is it possible or any concern to have two VC domain in one enclosure?

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From Uwe:

That’s not possible. At least one stacking link is required. 7 ports can be used for uplinks.

And from Dan:

There is management traffic flowing over that Cross Link that needs to be there.

So the 2 modules running VCM (Virtual Connect Manager) really do need to have a cross link.

The VC team is working on a future update where secondary layers of VC Enet modules or maybe Stacked enclosures would not need the horizontal link, but even when that comes, the 2 modules running VCM will still require a horizontal stacking link.

Now, if the reason they want to use those ports is they are a 1Gb Ethernet shop, you CAN put all 4 1GB Transceivers in X5-X8, as long as you buy an external DAC Cable and run it from the left side in X4 to the right side in X4 (the port doesn’t matter as long as there is a connection) and that will effectively move the stacking link to an external cable.

This allows them maximum 1Gb Network uplink connectivity but sacrifices a FC connection instead.

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