2013/09/09

Greenplum DCA and my roll-my-own ETL host

I'm trying to get my new Dell server with its 10gigE network cards to talk to the back-end switch of my greenplum DCA.
Other than the fact that Brocade doesn't seem to understand the difference between a support matrix that says "Using non-Brocade cables is not supported" and a software feature that checks to see if the inserted standards-compliant cable was manufactured by Brocade (vs a standards-compliant cable made/sold by Dell) and if not turning off the port. And other than the Dell sales tool not pointing out this incompatibility, I'm in good shape.
Once there's a link at the SFP+ layer, however, the greenplum switches are not set up for ETL work out of the box... And of course, since these back-end switches are not connected to the "real" network, I have to ssh-tunnel to get to the Switch Admin web tools.
The unused ports on the switches are set up as link aggregation members, and so do not work without even more of these cables. So first, I have to take them out of the CEE LAG groups (first disable the port via Port administration). Switch Administration -> CEE -> Link Aggregation, Edit LAG Group 2, and take out Te 0/18.
Then back over to Port Admin, to change the port to L2 Access mode, and we can enable it.
And finally, back over to Switch Administration -> CEE -> VLAN, edit VLAN 199, and add the Te 0/18 interface to the vlan.
And we have packets moving.
Testing with "gpssh -f hostfile ping -c 3 etl1-1" and "gpssh -f hostfile ping -c 3 etl1-2"
--Joe

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