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VSF Fabric

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  • 1.  VSF Fabric

    Posted Apr 27, 2021 04:45 PM

    Hi,

    Why is VSF referred to as a fabric? 

    What is the justification? When I think of the term fabric as it pertains to networking, I am thinking overlay networking, VPN technologies and so fourth. 

    Super curious to figure out why this term was chosen. Ideas?



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    Tory Davenport
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  • 2.  RE: VSF Fabric

    MVP GURU
    Posted Apr 28, 2021 05:52 AM
    Hi,

    Good question... but i think it is more or less Marketing word ;-) (and for avoid old stack word !)

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    PowerArubaSW : Powershell Module to use Aruba Switch API for Vlan, VlanPorts, LACP, LLDP...

    PowerArubaCP: Powershell Module to use ClearPass API (create NAD, Guest...)

    PowerArubaCX: Powershell Module to use ArubaCX API (get interface/vlan/ports info)..

    ACEP / ACMX #107 / ACDX #1281
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: VSF Fabric

    MVP GURU
    Posted Apr 28, 2021 06:06 AM
    Hi @torydavenport, for what is worth my opinion is that - in this particular context (and knowing I could be wrong) - Fabric = Stack = Cluster = Framework are probably interchangeable. Fabric IMHO is something reminds me about SAN (SAN Fabric) more than Ethernet switching/routing.

    • Intelligent Resilient Framework (IRF)
    • Virtual Switching Framework (VSF)
    • Virtual Switching eXtension (VSX)​
    The word "framework" seems to win considering the three different technological approaches above (shared or not the management plane they have).

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    Davide Poletto
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: VSF Fabric

    Posted Apr 28, 2021 09:00 AM
    Edited to remove my post as it wasn't constructive.


  • 5.  RE: VSF Fabric
    Best Answer

    MVP GURU
    Posted Apr 28, 2021 09:22 AM
    Giving that Wikipedia explanation all switched networks are potentially switching fabrics since each switched network generally is made on purpose to connect nodes (hosts) together, via one or more switches in between. The point here how (and why) peers can be connected against such of particularly grouped switches (e.g. against IRF, VSX, VSF, and so on...).

    Here fabrics (or framework, cluster, stack) has more to do (properly or improperly) with the fact that we're using an available technology to group two (or more) switches together in order - for a connected peer - to see them (from the peer's PoV) acting like a single logical entity instead than acting as two (or more) separate standalone entities...and this has more to do with the fact that, when the connected peer is dual-(or multi-)homed concurrently against all grouped switches (and that, generally, happens when a peer device - a barebone host or another switch or another cluster of switches - connects using a Links Aggregation method governed by LACP), it's quite necessary for the LACP protocol to correctly work to believe seeing (being properly "deceived" by) a well formed single logical entity...that's to say that if you create a "wikipedia fabric" (a chain of standalone switches) that type of fabric is not enough for connecting dual-(or multi-)homed peers.

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    Davide Poletto
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: VSF Fabric

    Posted Apr 28, 2021 09:49 AM
    Edited to remove my post, as it was not constructive.


  • 7.  RE: VSF Fabric

    Posted Apr 28, 2021 10:17 AM

    Not bent out of shape, just curious :)



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    Tory Davenport
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: VSF Fabric

    Posted Apr 28, 2021 10:25 AM

    My apologies for being a jerk, it's been a very bad day and what I (foolishly) thought was a foolish question became an excuse to vent.



  • 9.  RE: VSF Fabric

    MVP GURU
    Posted Apr 28, 2021 11:02 AM
    Wait, be calm, slow down...nothing was bad. All contributions (except - I believe - the ones crafted to introduce FUD) are welcome. It's just a way to have a discourse about interesting things. Isn't it?

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    Davide Poletto
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    Original Message