Adding a Cisco Nexus Fabric Extender to a Cisco 9300 switch

Adding a Cisco Nexus Fabric Extender to a Cisco 9300 switch

^{Created: 2021-02-16 20:52:39 | Last modified: 2021-02-22 08:57:42}
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Instructions of how to add a Nexus N2K fabric extender to a Nexus N9K Cisco switch

We had the requirement to add a Cisco Nexus N2K C2348UPQ fabric extender to a Cisco Nexus N9K C9336C-FX2 switch. Here is the config on the N9K switch to get the fabric extender up and running.

We have elected for a single homed fabric Extender vPC Topology which will be cabled into a dual NIC server.

Configuration

Install the features and enable

conf t
install feature-set fex
feature-set fex

Associate the fabric extender to the fabric interface on the N9K

conf t
interface port-channel 70
  switchport
  switchport mode fex-fabric
  fex associate 101

Add the interface to the port channel

conf t
interface Ethernet1/1
  switchport
  switchport mode fex-fabric
  fex associate 101
  channel-group 70
  no shutdown

Configure the fabric extender global features. Also set the serial (as per notes below) to lock the fabric extender to the switch.

conf t
fex 101
  description cs1e1
  serial SERIALNUMBER

Configure a port on the fabric extender as you would a normal port

conf t
interface Ethernet101/1/1
  description A Test Port
  switchport mode trunk
  switchport trunk allowed vlan 100-110
  speed 10000
  channel-group 50 mode active
  no shutdown

Notes

attach fex 101
show version

Debugging

# Display association information of a fabric extender for a port channel interface
show interface port-channel 70 fex-intf

# Enable FEX locator LED
conf t
locator-led fex 101

# Get FEX Information
show fex 101
show fex 101 detail
show fex 101 transceiver