VergeOS Switch Configuration Guide#

Overview#

This guide covers switch port configuration for VergeOS node deployments. You'll configure two network types: Core Fabric (internal System/vSAN Storage) and External (workload connectivity). Proper switch configuration ensures optimal performance, security, and reliability.

Target Audience: Infrastructure and network administrators deploying VergeOS Systems

What You'll Learn#

Configure isolated VLAN access ports for core fabric with jumbo frames
Set up VLAN trunk ports with LACP for external networks
Verify switch configuration and troubleshoot common issues

Common questions answered:

What switch configuration does VergeOS require?
How do I configure jumbo frames for storage traffic?
Should I use LACP or active-backup for external networks?
How do I isolate core fabric from external traffic?

Quick Reference#

Network Type	Configuration	Purpose
Core Fabric	Access port, Isolated VLANs, MTU 9216, No STP	Isolate cluster/storage traffic
External	Trunk port, Multiple VLANs, Active/Backup bonding, LACP (optional)	Workload connectivity with redundancy

Understanding Network Types#

Core Fabric Network#

Private high-speed network for VergeOS cluster operations carrying vSAN storage, cluster coordination, and VM migration traffic.

Requirements:

Dedicated VLANs (isolated from ALL OTHER networks)
Jumbo frames (MTU 9216) for storage efficiency
Access port configuration (single untagged VLAN per core network)
10Gbps or higher recommended

External Networks#

Networks connecting VMs and workloads to users, internet, and other infrastructure.

Requirements:

Multiple VLANs for tenant/workload separation
LACP bonding for redundancy (or active-backup)
Trunk port configuration
Standard MTU 1500 (or 9000 if workloads require)

Configuration Steps#

1. Prepare Switch#

Access the switch via console/SSH and enter configuration mode.

Cisco IOS/IOS-XEDell OS10HPE/Aruba

Enter configuration mode:

enable
configure terminal

Create VLANs:

vlan 900
    name VergeOS-Core-Fabric-1
vlan 901
    name VergeOS-Core-Fabric-2
vlan 10
    name VergeOS-External-Management
vlan 20
    name VergeOS-External-Production
exit

Enable jumbo frames globally:

system mtu jumbo 9216

Enter configuration mode:

enable
configure terminal

Create VLANs:

interface vlan 900
    description VergeOS-Core-Fabric-1
    no shutdown
    exit
interface vlan 901
    description VergeOS-Core-Fabric-2
    no shutdown
    exit
interface vlan 10
    description VergeOS-External-Management
    no shutdown
    exit
interface vlan 20
    description VergeOS-External-Production
    no shutdown
    exit

Enable jumbo frames globally:

system mtu 9216

Enter configuration mode:

enable
configure terminal

Create VLANs:

vlan 900
    name VergeOS-Core-Fabric-1
vlan 901
    name VergeOS-Core-Fabric-2
vlan 10
    name VergeOS-External-Management
vlan 20
    name VergeOS-External-Production
exit

Enable jumbo frames globally:

max-frame-size 9216

MTU Size Requirement

VergeOS requires MTU 9216 on switch ports to accommodate the 9000-byte payload plus VLAN tags, headers, and overhead for Tenants. Setting MTU below 9216 will cause packet fragmentation and degrade storage performance.

2. Configure Core Fabric Ports#

Configure each port connecting to node core fabric NICs as an access port with jumbo frames.

Cisco IOS/IOS-XEDell OS10HPE/Aruba

Configuration (per core fabric port):

interface GigabitEthernet1/0/1
 description VergeOS-Node1-Core-Fabric-1
 switchport mode access
 switchport access vlan 900
 mtu 9216
 spanning-tree bpduguard disable
 spanning-tree portfast disable
 no shutdown
 exit

interface GigabitEthernet1/0/2
 description VergeOS-Node1-Core-Fabric-2
 switchport mode access
 switchport access vlan 901
 mtu 9216
 spanning-tree bpduguard disable
 spanning-tree portfast disable
 no shutdown
 exit

Configuration (per core fabric port):

interface ethernet1/1/1
 description VergeOS-Node1-Core-Fabric-1
 no shutdown
 switchport mode access
 switchport access vlan 900
 mtu 9216
 spanning-tree bpduguard disable
 spanning-tree port type normal
 exit

interface ethernet1/1/2
 description VergeOS-Node1-Core-Fabric-2
 no shutdown
 switchport mode access
 switchport access vlan 901
 mtu 9216
 spanning-tree bpduguard disable
 spanning-tree port type normal
 exit

Configuration (per core fabric port):

interface 1/1/1
 description VergeOS-Node1-Core-Fabric-1
 no shutdown
 no routing
 vlan access 900
 mtu 9216
 spanning-tree bpdu-guard disable
 spanning-tree port-type normal
 exit

interface 1/1/2
 description VergeOS-Node1-Core-Fabric-2
 no shutdown
 no routing
 vlan access 901
 mtu 9216
 spanning-tree bpdu-guard disable
 spanning-tree port-type normal
 exit

Repeat for all nodes:

Node1: Core fabric ports 1-2
Node2: Core fabric ports 1-2
Node3: Core fabric ports 1-2

Key settings:

Mode: access (untagged, single VLAN)
VLAN: 900/901 (core fabric isolation)
MTU: 9216 (jumbo frames for storage)
Spanning Tree: Disabled (not needed for core-fabric links)

3. Configure External Network Ports (LACP)#

For external networks, configure LACP port-channels for redundancy and bandwidth aggregation.

Cisco IOS/IOS-XEDell OS10HPE/Aruba

Create port-channel:

interface Port-channel1
 description VergeOS-Node1-External-Bond
 switchport mode trunk
 switchport trunk allowed vlan 10,20
 no shutdown
 exit

Add member ports:

interface range GigabitEthernet1/0/7-8
 description VergeOS-Node1-External-Members
 switchport mode trunk
 switchport trunk allowed vlan 10,20
 channel-group 1 mode active
 no shutdown
 exit

Create port-channel (LAG):

interface port-channel 1
 description VergeOS-Node1-External-Bond
 no shutdown
 switchport mode trunk
 switchport trunk allowed vlan 10,20
 exit

Add member ports:

interface range ethernet1/1/7-1/1/8
 description VergeOS-Node1-External-Members
 no shutdown
 channel-group 1 mode active
 no switchport
 exit

interface port-channel 1
 switchport mode trunk
 switchport trunk allowed vlan 10,20
 exit

Create LAG (port-channel):

interface lag 1
 description VergeOS-Node1-External-Bond
 no shutdown
 no routing
 vlan trunk native 1
 vlan trunk allowed 10,20
 exit

Add member ports:

interface 1/1/7
 description VergeOS-Node1-External-Member-1
 no shutdown
 lag 1
 exit

interface 1/1/8
 description VergeOS-Node1-External-Member-2
 no shutdown
 lag 1
 exit

Repeat for additional nodes (Po2, Po3, etc.)

Key settings:

Mode: trunk (multiple tagged VLANs)
Allowed VLANs: 10,20 (only workload and VergeOS management VLANs)
LACP mode: active (initiates negotiation)

4. Configure External Ports (Active-Backup Alternative)#

If LACP isn't available or preferred, configure individual trunk ports without bonding.

Cisco IOS/IOS-XEDell OS10HPE/Aruba

interface range GigabitEthernet1/0/7-8
 description VergeOS-Node1-External-NoLACP
 switchport mode trunk
 switchport trunk allowed vlan 10,20
 switchport trunk native vlan 99
 spanning-tree portfast trunk
 no shutdown
 exit

interface range ethernet1/1/7-1/1/8
 description VergeOS-Node1-External-NoLACP
 no shutdown
 switchport mode trunk
 switchport trunk allowed vlan 10,20
 switchport access vlan 99
 spanning-tree port type edge
 exit

interface range 1/1/7-1/1/8
 description VergeOS-Node1-External-NoLACP
 no shutdown
 no routing
 vlan trunk native 99
 vlan trunk allowed 10,20
 spanning-tree port-type admin-edge
 exit

Note

VergeOS can handle failover in software using active-backup bonding if LACP is not available.

Verification#

Check Core Fabric Configuration#

Cisco IOS/IOS-XEDell OS10HPE/Aruba

show interfaces GigabitEthernet1/0/1 switchport
show interfaces GigabitEthernet1/0/1 | include MTU
show vlan id 900

Expected results:

Mode: access
VLAN: 900
MTU: 9216

show interface switchport ethernet1/1/1
show interface ethernet1/1/1 | grep MTU
show vlan 900

Expected results:

Mode: access
Access VLAN: 900
MTU: 9216

show interface 1/1/1
show vlan 900

Expected results:

Mode: access
Access VLAN: 900
MTU: 9216

Check External Network Configuration (LACP)#

Cisco IOS/IOS-XEDell OS10HPE/Aruba

show etherchannel summary
show interfaces Port-channel1 trunk

Expected results:

Port-channel status: SU (in use)
Member ports: (P) bundled
Allowed VLANs: 10,20
Native VLAN: 99

show interface port-channel 1
show interface port-channel 1 switchport
show lacp interfaces

Expected results:

Port-channel status: up
Member ports: Active
Allowed VLANs: 10,20
LACP mode: active

show lacp interfaces
show interface lag 1
show vlan trunk

Expected results:

LAG status: up
Member ports: Active
Allowed VLANs: 10,20
LACP mode: active

Test Connectivity After Node Connection#

Cisco IOS/IOS-XEDell OS10HPE/Aruba

Verify links are up:

show interfaces status

Check LACP negotiation:

show lacp neighbor

Verify links are up:

show interface status

Check LACP negotiation:

show lacp interfaces

Verify links are up:

show interface brief

Check LACP negotiation:

show lacp interfaces

Test jumbo frames from VergeOS node:

ping -M do -s 9188 <other-node-core-ip>

Troubleshooting#

Issue	Cause	Fix
No link on core ports	Port shutdown	`no shutdown` command
Slow storage performance	Jumbo frames disabled	Set MTU 9000
Node can't join cluster	Wrong VLAN	Assign port to VLAN 100
LACP not forming	Mode mismatch	Set `mode active` on both ends
VLANs not working	Not in allowed list	Add VLANs to trunk
Port-channel suspended	Config mismatch on members	Ensure identical config

Get help:

Review switch vendor documentation
Contact VergeOS support with show running-config and show interfaces status output

Configuration Summary#

Core Fabric Ports#

Mode: Access (untagged)
VLAN: Dedicated (e.g., 900,901)
MTU: 9216 (jumbo frames)
Speed: 10Gbps+ recommended

External Network Ports#

Mode: Trunk (802.1Q tagged)
VLANs: Multiple allowed (e.g., 10,20,30)
Bonding: LACP active mode (or active-backup)

Save Configuration#

copy running-config startup-config

Next Steps#

Configure VergeOS Network Bonds - Set up bonding on VergeOS side
Create VergeOS Networks - Define internal and external networks
Verify Connectivity - Test inter-node and external routing

Additional Resources#

VergeOS Networking Architecture Overview
Network Bonding Best Practices
Switch vendor configuration guides

VergeOS Support: support@verge.io | https://docs.verge.io

Last Updated: January 2025 | VergeOS v4.x | Applies to: Cisco IOS/IOS-XE, Dell OS10, HPE/Aruba