Automated Configuration of Extended Edge Switching Topology

You can now automatically configure an Extended Edge Switching topology fully or partially. This capability allows for the more rapid and accurate setup of an Extended Edge Switching architecture.

The advantage of full automation is that it handles nearly all of the Extended Edge Switching configuration setup. However, the disadvantage of full automation is that you must start with a new, out-of-the-box switch or unconfigure the controlling bridge (CB) switch. To avoid unconfiguring the CB, but to still avoid manually configuring the entire Extended Edge Switching topology, you can use partial automation.

Full automation for Extended Edge Switching performs the following tasks:

Determines if the switch is capable of being a CB.
Detects if any bridge port extenders (BPEs) are attached.
Note
If no BPEs are attached, the process aborts.
If you are setting up redundant CBs:
- Detects the other CB.
- Creates a VLAN on only the port(s) between the CBs.
- Adds link local IP address to the VLAN.
- Creates a LAG for the port(s) between the MLAG peers.
- When the CB detects the IP address of the other CB VLAN, creates the MLAG peer.
Enables VPEX mode on the CB.
Enables auto-configuration (partial automation), which performs the following tasks:
1. Assigns the next available slot number to each BPE.
2. Creates LAGs and MLAGs (as needed) on cascade ports.
3. Adds ports to existing cascade port LAGs.

Supported Platforms

Summit X670-G2 and ExtremeSwitching X690, X590 series switches.

Limitations

Configured BPEs cannot be moved from one port to another port. Auto-configuration does not re-detect the BPEs.
Auto-configuration does not reliably work on a port if there is any configuration present on that port (cascade port, LAG, or MLAG configuration). If there is LAG/MLAG/cascade configuration on a port, auto-config may not be able to detect the BPE connected to the port.
You cannot use auto-configuration when replacing MLAG peers that have been created with user configuration, since user-configured MLAG peers may have different IP addresses, sharing configuration, port partitions, etc.
Auto-configuration is automatically disabled on both CBs when a CB detects that its MLAG peer is down.
When an MLAG peer comes back up, auto-configuration is not automatically re-enabled. You must re-enable auto-configuration manually.

New CLI Commands

enable vpex auto-configuration

disable vpex auto-configuration

Changed CLI Commands

The following show command now shows auto-configuration (partial automation) status: