Top of Rack Switch - 524D

[mriksman]

Hi,

We have small remote sites that we wish to install vSAN clusters at (4-node). The biggest remote site will have 25 VMs, and these are used for SCADA servers/clients and any required services (RoDC, AV, etc). Basically, the traffic that will be required of the vSAN infrastructure will be low, so 10Gbps NICs have been selected.

The 524D has 4x 10GE SFP+ and it also has the 2x 40 SFP+ (that could be broken out into 4x 10SFP+ using the FG-TRAN-QSFP-4xSFP).

Is there any limitation with the 524D that would preclude it from being suitable for vSAN traffic?

[Anthony_E]

Hello mriksman,

Thank you for using the Community Forum. I will seek to get you an answer or help. We will reply to this thread with an update as soon as possible.

Thanks,

[mriksman]

Thanks Anthony. 

I'm also interested if FortiSwitches support RDMA RoCEv2?

[Anthony_E]

Hello,

I will find somebody to answer.

Regards,

[laltuzar]

Hi,

Besides the 10Gbps, Jumbo frames, compatibility with LACP and STP, I don't see any other limitation for this switch, however, to make sure, you might need to contact the Professional Services who could assist you better as every vSAN configuration may vary based on deployment and scalability. You can also take a look into the FortiSwitch OS Feature Matrix to see the different capabilities each series has.

I hope this can answer your question!

[mriksman]

Hi,

How do I contact 'Professional Services' to get a definitive answer to my two queries?

Thanks.

[laltuzar]

You might want to contact the commercial team for your account and request a quotation of that team. They could also assist on the design of the network. FortiCare Professional Services

[FarinaAhmed]

The Juniper Networks EX Series Switches, specifically the EX5240, are designed for data center and campus networks. While they provide excellent performance and flexibility, it's important to consider specific requirements when using them for vSAN traffic.

In terms of connectivity, the EX5240 has 4x 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GE) SFP+ ports and 2x 40 Gigabit Ethernet (40GE) QSFP+ ports. If you plan to use 10GE NICs for your vSAN traffic, the 10GE SFP+ ports are suitable for connecting your vSAN nodes.

The 40GE QSFP+ ports can also be used by breaking them out into 4x 10GE connections using the FG-TRAN-QSFP-4xSFP+ transceiver, providing additional flexibility for connectivity.

From a performance standpoint, it's essential to ensure that the switch's forwarding capacity, switching fabric, and buffering capabilities can support the traffic requirements of your vSAN cluster. The EX5240 offers high-performance capabilities and should be capable of handling low-traffic vSAN workloads, especially in small remote sites with 4-node clusters and 25 VMs.

However, for a complete assessment of suitability, it's advisable to consult the technical specifications and documentation provided by Juniper Networks for the EX5240 switch. These resources will provide detailed information on its performance capabilities, feature support, and any specific considerations for vSAN traffic.

Additionally, considering the criticality of your SCADA servers and clients, it's important to evaluate the resiliency features of the switch, such as redundancy, high availability, and advanced switching protocols, to ensure a reliable and fault-tolerant network infrastructure for your vSAN deployment.

Ultimately, it's recommended to consult with Juniper Networks or a qualified network engineer who can provide a more comprehensive analysis based on your specific requirements and the capabilities of the EX5240 switch.

[mriksman]

Sounds like this came from ChatGPT...

I appreciate the reply, but I'm interested in FortiSwitch 524D. Not a Juniper switch.

Specifically, I need to know if Fortinet advises against using the 524D for vSAN traffic, or perhaps if there is any community members who have used a 524D for vSAN traffic.

[engbk]

hello, what did you eventually do? I have the same situation. can I use the breakout cable to connect to the Vsan?, does 524D support RDMA RoCEv2?