Active Fabric Manager (AFM)

Release Notes 2.7

Notes, cautions, and warnings

NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer.
CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you
how to avoid the problem.
WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.

Copyright, 2009 2015 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. This product is protected by U.S. and international copyright and
intellectual property laws. Dell and the Dell logo are trademarks of Dell Inc. in the United States and/or other
jurisdictions. All other marks and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.
2015 - 10
Rev. A01

Contents
1 Documentation Resources..................................................................................4
2 Supported Hardware and Software...................................................................5
Hardware Requirements....................................................................................................................... 5
Virtual Appliance Requirements............................................................................................................6
Port Requirements.................................................................................................................................6

3 AFM 2.7 New Features..........................................................................................8

4 Upgrading AFM................................................................................................... 10
Updating the AFM Server..................................................................................................................... 11

5 Caveats..................................................................................................................12
Caveat Definitions................................................................................................................................12
Open Caveats...................................................................................................................................... 12
Resolved Caveats ................................................................................................................................15

6 Technical Support.............................................................................................. 18
Accessing Dell License Portal ............................................................................................................ 18
Contacting Dell Technical Support.................................................................................................... 18

Documentation Resources
This document contains operational information specific to Active Fabric Manager.
For information about using the AFM, refer to the following documents:

Active Fabric Manager (AFM) Release Notes Latest information about new AFM features, caveats,
and how to update AFM.

Active Fabric Manager (AFM) Installation Guide Basic information about AFM installation, setup, and
configuration.

Active Fabric Manager (AFM) User Guide Detailed information about using AFM.

Online Help Displays the Active Fabric Manager (AFM) User Guide in a new AFM window.

You can also view the AFM User Guide in AFM by selecting the User Guide option from the Help dropdown menu in the upper right of the screen.

Figure 1. Help Menu User Guide

Documentation Resources

Supported Hardware and Software

Hardware Requirements
Table 1. AFM Server Hardware Requirements

Hardware

Requirement

Processor

Intel Xeon E5620 2.4Ghz, 12M Cache, Turbo, HT, 1066MHz Max Mem

System Type

64-bit operating system

Memory

32GB Memory (8x4GB), 1333MHz Dual Ranked LV RDIMMs for 2 Processors,

Advanced ECC

Disk Space

1TB 7.2K RPM SATA 3.5 Hot Plug Hard Drive

Table 2. AFM Client Windows 7 Hardware Requirements

Hardware

Requirement

Processor

Intel Core (TM) i52520M CPU @2.50Ghz

Memory

8 GB

System Type

64bit operating system

Table 3. AFM Client Software Requirements for Windows 7

Software

Requirements

Windows 7 Professional Service

Pack 1 64-bit architecture

Windows requires administrator permission on the target server.

Make sure that you have permission on the network service
account to modify the system temp directory. For Windows,
the temp directory is %systemroot%\temp

Internet Explorer 9+ (version 11)

Firefox (version 40.0)
Google Chrome (Version 45)
Table 4. Software Requirements for Dell Networking Switches

Platform

Qualified Software Version

Minimum Software Version

N20XX

6.2.6.6

6.0.0.8

N30XX

6.2.6.6

6.0.0.8

N40XX

6.2.6.6

6.0.0.8

S3048ON

9.9.0.0

9.8.0.0

Supported Hardware and Software

Platform

Qualified Software Version

Minimum Software Version

S4048ON

9.9.0.0

9.8.0.1

S4810

9.9.0.0

9.1.0.0

S4820T

9.9.0.0

8.3.19.0

S55

8.3.5.6

8.3.5.3

S60

8.3.3.10

8.3.3.9

S5000

9.1.1.0

9.1.0.1

S6000

9.9.0.0

9.0.2.0

Z9000

9.7.0.0

8.3.11.4

Z9500

9.9.0.0

9.5.0.0

MXL

9.9.0.0

8.3.16.0

IOA

9.3.0.1

9.3.0.1

Virtual Appliance Requirements

AFM runs as a virtual appliance and requires the following software to host the solution:

VMware Workstation version 8.0.5 and higher

NOTE: VMware Workstation does not support HA and FT

VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi) 5.1 and higher (must meet virtual appliance, port access, and
listening port requirements)
NOTE: VMware vCenter is required for HA and FT.

Port Requirements
Open the ports on the firewalls listed in the following table on the AFM:
Table 5. Ports

Port

Description

20 & 21

FTP

22

SSH and SCP (communication to the switches and CLI access to AFM)

23

Telnet (communication to the switches)

67 & 68

DHCP

69

TFTP

80

AFM server port listening for client connection and requests

123

NTP

Supported Hardware and Software

Port

Description

161

SNMP get and set protocol between AFM server and switch.

162

SNMP trap listener between AFM and switch.

443

HTTPS communication protocol where AFM takes requests from the client browser.

5432

Database server

8080

TCP/UDP

61616

ActiveMQ

Supported Hardware and Software

AFM 2.7 New Features

The following features have been added to AFM. For details regarding configurations, restrictions, and
limitations, refer to the following documents:

Active Fabric Manager (AFM) Deployment Guide

Active Fabric Manager (AFM) User Guide

Online help

Table 6. New AFM Features

Feature

Description

Software Support

Support for the latest versions Dell Data Center, Campus OSs, and OMNM. For
information about software support, see the Software Requirements.

Tier Support

One and three-tier support in Advanced Mode.

Dell Data Center

Support

New support for the following next generation switches:

Dell Campus OS
Support

S3048ON

S4048ON
Z9500

New support for the following switches:

N20XX
N30XX
N40XX

OMNM Support

Support for OMNM version 6.1.

Layer 3 VLANs

With support for Layer 3 VLANs, now you can configure VLANs as Layer 2 or
Layer 3. In a Layer 3 VLAN, you can assign an IP address to a VLAN to enable
routing capabilities while maintaining traffic separation.

IP Helper

With IP Helper, switches can forward (unicast) DHCP broadcast messages. This
feature allows you to locate DHCP servers outside of the L2 subnet
boundaries.

UDP Helper

With UDP helper, you can specify the UDP ports that can forward packets to a
remote destination.

Hybrid Ports

Hybrid mode allows interfaces to accept untagged packets (added to the

default VLAN) and tagged packets.

Simplified Upgrades

Support AFM upgrades from versions 2.0, 2.5 and 2.6 to 2.7 in a single step.

Improved Notifications Improved notifications and process status during switch deployment.
Split Port Support

With split ports, you can configure individual 40G ports as four 10G ports in
Aggregation and Access switches.

AFM 2.7 New Features

AFM 2.7 New Features

Upgrading AFM
The AFM browser client can be used to upgrade AFM from a previous release.
You can view and manage AFM updates on the Server Update screen.
To use the AFM Linux console to perform an upgrade, see Updating the AFM Server.
1.

From the AFM browser client menu, click Administration and then click the Server Update tab.

2.

In the Select RPM packing file location area, select one of the following options:

Local Drive (DVD, USB)

Remote Server
NOTE: If the location is a remote server, enter the URL location of the RPM file on the
remote server.
1.

From the Protocol Type drop-down menu, select the protocol type:
https
ftp
sftp

2.

Specify the path of the RPM package using the following formats:
NOTE: The RPM filename must start with AFM and must end with .noarch.rpm (for
example, AFM<version>.noarch.rpm).
https://ipaddress/path_to_rpm.file
ftp://ipaddress/path_to_rpm.file

3.

sftp://ipaddress/path_to_rpm.file
From the Select the server update method area, select:

4.

AFM Upload/Download Copy the update to the standby partition on the server but do not
apply it or restart. To update, manually start the update. Refer to Updating the AFM Server for
more information.
Click Update. An information note is displayed indicating the server update job is scheduled. See the
execution details in the job results tab. When the software image is available, it is listed in the
Available Software Version column in the Server Update tab.

5.

Click Activate Available Version.

6.

To activate the available AFM software and reboot the server, click Yes. During the upgrade process,
the AFM server is restarted to active the update in the standby partition. You can see the process
details in the Job Results tab.
When the upgrade is complete, you can confirm the update listed in the Current Software Version
column in the Server Upgrade tab.

10

Upgrading AFM

Updating the AFM Server

You can update an earlier version of AFM software to AFM 2.7 using the AFM VM console.
1.

Select Update AFM Server and press Enter.

The Update AFM Server screen displays the current version and the version of any available updates.
NOTE: If you download an updated RPM from the remote server, it overwrites the current
software version.

2.

To download the latest AFM software package in RPM format file from the remote URL to the
available partition, enter y. To download the AFM software package RPM format file from the local
workstation where the AFM console is launched to the AFM server, enter n.

3.

If the location is a remote server, enter the URL location of the RPM file on the remote server using
the following formats and then press Enter.
NOTE: The RPM file name must start with AFM and must end with .noarch.rpm; for example,
AFM2.5.0.79.noarch.rpm

https://ipaddress/path_to_rpm.file

ftp://ipaddress/path_to_rpm.file

sftp://ipaddress/path_to_rpm.file

4.

If the location is local, enter the absolute path of the RPM file and press Enter.

5.

If necessary, enter your user name and password.

6.

To return to the main menu, press Enter.

Upgrading AFM

11

Caveats
Caveat Definitions
Category

Description

PR#

Problem Report number that identifies the caveat.

Synopsis

Synopsis is the title or short description of the caveat.

Release Note

Release Notes description contains more detailed information about the caveat.

Work around

Work around describes a mechanism for circumventing, avoiding, or recovering

from the caveat. It might not be a permanent solution.
Caveats listed in the Closed Caveats section should not be present, and the
work-around is unnecessary, as the version of code for which this release note
is documented has resolved the caveat.

Severity

S1 Crash: A software crash occurs in the kernel or a running process that

requires a restart of AFM, the router, switch, or process.
S2 Critical: A caveat that renders the system or a major feature unusable,
which can have a pervasive impact on the system or network, and for which
there is no work-around acceptable to the customer.
S3 Major: A caveat that affects the functionality of a major feature or
negatively affects the network for which there exists a work-around that is
acceptable to the customer.
S4 Minor: A cosmetic caveat or a caveat in a minor feature with little or no
network impact for which there might be a work-around.

Open Caveats
PR#

139990

Severity:

S4

Synopsis:

Wiring plan is not displayed during Switch Replacement step for a switch
discovered through Discover Fabric option.

Release Notes:

Wiring plan is not displayed during Switch Replacement step for a switch
discovered through Discover Fabric option.

Work around:

Please note down the connections details manually and reuse them.

12

Caveats

PR#

141654

Severity:

S2

Synopsis:

Port changes done to any of VLT pair switches, will also be applied to the other
peer switch to maintain symmetric wiring.

Release Notes:

Any port number changes done through Advanced Port Config screen for a
switch in a VLT domain will also be applied to the other peer switch to maintain
symmetric wiring pattern.

Work around:

None

PR#

142184

Severity:

S3

Synopsis:

Device Mac association feature is not supported for S55/S60 switches types.

Release Notes:

Device Mac association feature is not supported for S55/S60 switches types.

Work around:

User has to enter the mac address manually for S55/S60 switches in the PreDeployment wizard.

PR#

142301

Severity:

S2

Synopsis:

Adding stack units incrementally is not supported in Advanced Mode

Release Notes:

Adding additional units incrementally in a stack is not supported in Advanced

Mode. It is recommended to use the required stack units in the initial design of
the stack switch.

Work around:

User has to add two units in the stack as part of the initial design.

PR#

143424

Severity:

S3

Synopsis:

Node replacement will not work as expected, if the host name contains "(" or ")"
characters

Release Notes:

Node replacement is not expected to work, if the host name name contains "("
or ")" characters

Work around:

Remove the switch with "(" or ")" characters in the hostname from the
discovered fabric. Remove characters "(" or ")" from the hostname and add the
switch to the discovered fabric again

PR#

143432

Severity:

S2

Synopsis:

Device Mac Association Screen displays irrelevant wiring errors for S4810/
S4820T/MXL stacked switches.

Caveats

13

Release Notes:

Device Mac Association Screen displays irrelevant wiring errors for S4810/
S4820T/MXL stacked switches even though the hostnames are discovered
properly.

Work around:

Ignore the wiring errors displayed for Unit1 for S4810/S4820T/MXL stacked
switches.

PR#

146247

Severity:

S2

Synopsis:

In the Inventory page, all 1 GB ports will be shown as 0 GB for N2K and N3K
device types

Release Notes:

In the "NetWork ->Inventory" page, all 1 GB ports will be shown as 0 GB for the
below device types N2024, N2024P, N2048, N2048P, N3024, N3024P, N3024F,
N3048, N3048P

Work around:

None

PR#

147597

Severity:

S1

Synopsis:

Z9500 device crashes, if VLT port channel configuration is applied in 9.6 version

Release Notes:

Z9500 device crashes, if VLT port channel configuration is applied in 9.6 version

Work around:

Upgrade the Z9500 device to higher versions

PR#

148067

Severity:

S3

Synopsis:

For S6000 device, BMP image upgrade will not work from 9.6 to 9.7 version

Release Notes:

For S6000 device, BMP image upgrade will not work from 9.6 to 9.7 version

Work around:

Deploy the switch with "Overwrite entire configuration on the switch" and
without enabling "Reset to factory defaults" option

PR#

148867

Severity:

S3

Synopsis:

For Power Connect N Series stacked devices, standby device MAC will not be
validated during Node Validation.

Release Notes:

For Power Connect N Series stacked devices, standby device MAC will not be
validated during Node Validation.If the standby device MAC is incorrect, it will
not be shown as errors in the Node Validation task.

Work around:

None, Make sure to enter correct MAC for the N Series standby device

PR#

149456

Severity:

S3

14

Caveats

Synopsis:

Limitations in MLAG feature for the Power Connect switches N20XX, N30XX,
N40XX

Release Notes:

There are limitations in MLAG feature for the Power Connect switches N20XX,
N30XX, N40XX. Please refer the UserGuide, section Multi-Switch LAG (MLAG) ->
MLAG Caveats and Limitations from the link http://www.dell.com/support/
home/us/en/04/product-support/product/networking-n4000-series/manuals
for details

Work around:

None

PR#

149802

Severity:

S3

Synopsis:

Deployment operation will fail, if the login banner contains characters # and >

Release Notes:

From Custom Configuration screen, if the login banner is changed with # and >
characters, then deployment operation will fail.

Work around:

Remove # and > characters from the login banner and redeploy the switches
again.

PR#

149803

Severity:

S3

Synopsis:

Maintenance features will not work for a discovered device, if the login banner
contains characters # and >

Release Notes:

Maintenance features will not work for a discovered device, if the login banner
contains characters # and >

Work around:

Remove # and > characters from the login banner and rediscover the devices

PR#

150419

Severity:

S2

Synopsis:

Removal of "Activate Available Version" and "AFM Installation and Restart Server"
options from AFM "Server Update" UI screen

Release Notes:

"Activate Available Version" and "AFM Installation and Restart Server" options has
been removed from AFM "Server Update" UI screen

Work around:

Activate and re-start of AFM server has to be done from AFM console option.

Resolved Caveats
PR#

133062

Severity:

S3

Synopsis:

Validation state is NOT changed to "Required" during Node Replacement for

S55/S60 stacking switches.

Caveats

15

Release Notes:

After replacing a new switch using Node replacement wizard, Validation state is
expected to Required. But it will remain in Complete state.

Work around:

None, From User point of view, User has to initiate validation operation for the
switches in "Complete" state.

PR#

140074

Severity:

S2

Synopsis:

Designs (Network Topologies) with 40G ports split for Fabric Links in
Aggregation Tier Switches is not supported.

Release Notes:

40G split ports cannot be used for Fabric Links in Aggregation switches.

Work around:

None

PR#

140209

Severity:

S3

Synopsis:

Switches will not be added to the discovered fabric, if the login banner contains
characters # and >.

Release Notes:

Switches will not be added to the discovered fabric, if the login banner contains
characters # and >.

Work around:

Remove # and > characters from the login banner and add the to the
discovered fabric again.

PR#

140830

Severity:

S2

Synopsis:

The time on the NTP server being used by AFM and the ESX server where the
AFM-VM is deployed have to be in sync.

Release Notes:

The time on the NTP server being used by AFM and the ESX server where the
AFM-VM is deployed have to be in sync.

Work around:

Sync the time between NTP server and ESX server

PR#

141629

Severity:

S2

Synopsis:

40G split port cannot be replaced with another 40G split port in 'Advanced Port
Config' screen.

Release Notes:

Through Advanced Port Config, user will not be able to choose a different 40G
split port for Aggregation and Access devices.

Work around:

Partial. User can request to split additional 40G ports through Remaining Ports
option in "Add/Edit Switch Unit" screen for Access devices. This enables to
choose a different 40G split port in Advanced Port Config. This workaround is
available only for Access devices.

16

Caveats

PR#

142825

Severity:

S3

Synopsis:

Deploy status is NOT changed to "Required" during Node Replacement for

S4810/S4820T/MXL stacking switches.

Release Notes:

After replacing a new switch using Node replacement wizard, Deploy state is
expected to change to Required. But it will remain in Complete state.

Work around:

None, From User point of view, User has to initiate deploy operation for the
switches in "Complete" state.

PR#

142301

Severity:

S2

Synopsis:

Adding stack units incrementally is not supported in Advanced Mode.

Release Notes:

Adding additional units incrementally in a stack is not supported in Advanced

Mode. It is recommended to use the required stack units in the initial design of
the stack switch.

Work around:

User has to add two units in the stack as part of the initial design.

PR#

142364

Severity:

S3

Synopsis:

Node replacement is not supported, if the switches are in different sub network
for a discovered fabric.

Release Notes:

For the node replacement to work, all the switches in a discovered fabric should
be in the same sub network.

Work around:

Remove the switches in different sub network and add all the switches with the
same sub network.

Caveats

17

Technical Support

Dell Networking Technical Support provides a range of documents and tools to assist you with effectively
using Dell Networking equipment and mitigating the impact of network outages.

Accessing Dell License Portal

When you receive the Order Fulfillment email, follow these instructions to download the software.
1.

Go to http://www.dell.com/support/licensing.

2.

Enter your order number and click Available Software List.

3.

Select the latest released version.

4.

Accept the End User License Agreement (EULA).

5.

Choose to download the file directly or use the NetSession client.

6.

Click the Download Now button.

Contacting Dell Technical Support

Downloading Software Download the latest released version of the software at http://
www.dell.com/support/licensing

Technical Documentation www.dell.com/support

Contact Information DellNetworking-Support@dell.com

18

Technical Support