ExtremeXOS 22.6.1 is now available!

[Drew_C]

ExtremeXOS® Release 22.6.1 Release Announcement BulletinOverview

ExtremeXOS (EXOS) is the operating system for multiple platforms across the ExtremeSwitching portfolio. It provides a highly available,extensible and unified operating environment for a range of stackable, modular and standalone switch form factors. In doing so, it delivers the security, resiliency, and operational efficiency required by today’s enterprise networks.

What’s New in EXOS Release 22.6.1

We are pleased to announce the availability of the EXOS 22.6.1 release. Key new features / capabilities being made available in this release include:

• ExtremeSwitching X590 Series hardware support
• Extended Edge Switching automation & configuration enhancements
• New automation for adding and replacing stack nodes

The release also includes a number of service and customer-feature enhancements. This bulletin provides a brief overview of these new key features. For more information, please refer to the ExtremeXOS22.6 Release Notes.

Key EXOS 22.6.1 Features and Capabilities

ExtremeSwitching X590 Series hardware support

ExtremeXOS 22.6 introduces support for the ExtremeSwitchingX590 family of switches. The X590 Series are purpose-built 24-port 10Gbswitches that additionally provide 100Gb uplink/stacking capabilities. Designed to handle a range of high bandwidth applications, they can act as high-density 10Gb top-of-rack aggregation switches as well as support spine/leaf deployments as an edge leaf switch. Last, but not least, the X590 can also act as the controlling aggregation switch within Extreme’s Extended Edge Switching solution in support of up to 48 V400 Series edge devices.

Available in both copper and high-density SFP+ fiber versions, the X590 includes the following models:

X590-24x-1q-2c
ExtremeSwitching X590 with 24 x 1Gb/10Gb SFP+ ports, 1 x 10Gb/40Gb QSFP+ port, 2 x 10Gb/25Gb/40Gb/50Gb/100Gb capable QSFP28 ports, ExtremeXOS Advanced Edge license.

X590-24t-1q-2c
ExtremeSwitching X590 with 24 x 100Mb/1Gb/10GBASE-T ports, 1 x 10Gb/40Gb QSFP+ port, 2 x 10Gb/25Gb/40Gb/50Gb/100Gb capable QSFP28 ports, ExtremeXOS Advanced Edge license.

The X590 also supports SummitStack-V400 400Gbps high-speed stacking via its 2 integrated 100Gb ports. Upto eight (8) X590, X690, or X870 systems can be stacked via SummitStack-V400.

Automated Configuration of Extended Edge Switching Topology / Enhanced Operation

With EXOS Release 22.6, you can now automatically configure an Extended Edge Switching topology on the ExtremeSwitching X590, X690, and X670-G2 control bridge switches in support of connected V400 devices. The release also enhances Extended Edge Switching operation via several new command (CLI) options.

Automated Configuration of Extended Edge Switching Topology allows for more rapid and accurate set-up of an Extended Edge Switching solution. Topologies that can be automated include:

• Single (non-redundant) X590/X690/X670-G2 switch with cascaded V400s (i.e., non-MLAG)
• Dual, redundant X590/X690/X670-G2 with cascaded V400s (i.e.,MLAG)

Both full and partial configuration options are supported. Full automation is best for new “out-of-the-box” X590, X690 or X670-G2 switches and handles virtually all the required Extended Edge Switching set-up, but overwrites the existing configuration. Partial automation is intended for situations where you want to maintain the existing switch set-up. In either case, the switch will detect any connected V400 switches and set-up the required V400/Extended Edge Switching parameters on the port. It can also set-up the required V400 parameters across dual, redundant X590, X690/X670-G2 switch in an MLAG configuration.

Enhanced Operation on Extended Edge Switching ports: Several new CLI commands have been added for enhanced operation on Extended Edge Switching hardware ports, including:

• VLAN Port-Group membership – new “port-group” option added the “hash-table” VLAN membership option available in EXOS 22.5
• Egress Port Rate Limiting
• Node Alias
• Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE)

For more detail on Extended Edge Switching and these new capabilities, please refer to the EXOS22.6 Release Notes and/or EXOS22.6 User Guide.

New Automation for Adding/Replacing Stack Nodes

A new automated process in EXOS 22.6 allows you to easily add or replace switch nodes in an existing stack.

To add a new switch to a stack, you can now physically connect the switch to the stack and then type in the“Config stacking-support” CLI command. Once done, the new switch is configured for stacking and auto-synched to the EXOS 22.6 “stack master” switch within the existing stack. The auto-synching aligns images and boot partitions – enabling any EXOS 21.1 or later switch to be automatically added to the stack.

To replace a switch within the stack, the new switch must be of the same model type as the previous switch (e.g., X440-G2, X450-G2). But otherwise,the process is the same. The replacement switch is automatically configured for stacking and auto-synched with the stack master.

Altogether, these new features greatly simplify and improve the set-up process of adding/replacing switches within an existing stack over what was available previously.

Other Customer & Service-Related Enhancements

EXOS 22.6.1 also multiple customer-requested and service-related feature enhancements.
These include:

• Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) Enhancements: New features have been added, including - Support for Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol (MSTP) on MLAG peers and access switches. This adds to the RSTP support introduced in EXOS 22.5 and helps prevent loops in networks with an MLAG topology. - Suppression of IGMP and MLD-triggered queries when STP topology changes are received on a port - Ability to enable/disable reflection BPDUs.

• New access control list (ACL) match conditions: New ACL match options include OSPF message types, PIM message types, as well as packet-resolution types.

• Local-only Virtual Routers: Support for separate logical IP lookup tables on X440-G2 and X620 switches. Since these switches do not provide hardware-based Virtual Routing, this feature allows users to create alternative gateways to a host or subnet based on the local switch’s VLANs.

• New “Show Forwarding Hardware Table Utilization Statistics” Command: This new command allows display of hardware table utilization statistics for configured Layer 2, Layer 3 services as well as ACLs on the switch.

• New MIB support: Includes get/set of port speed and duplex settings on the “Extreme Port MIB”; and SNMP set support for the “Extreme MLAG MIB”.

For more information on these as well as all the other new features in EXOS 22.6.1, please refer to the EXOS Software Release Notes.

Availability and Platform support

EXOS 22.6.1 is generally available as of September, 2018 and is supported on the following switching platforms:

• X440-G2 Series
• X450-G2 Series
• X460-G2 Series
• X590 Series
• X620 Series
• X670-G2 Series
• X690 Series
• X770 Series
• X870 Series

Additional Helpful Resources

ExtremeXOS® 22.6 Images & Documentation

EXOS Images

Available for partners and customers on Extreme Portal:

• summitX-22.6.1.4.xos
• onie-22.6.1.4.xos
• onie-22.6.1.4-diagnostics.xmod

EXOS Documentation

ExtremeXOS 22.6 User Guide:
https://documentation.extremenetworks.com/exos_22.6/EXOS_User_Guide_22_6.pdf

ExtremeXOS 22.6 Command Reference Guide:
https://documentation.extremenetworks.com/exos_commands_22.6/EXOS_Command_Reference_22_6.pdf

ExtremeXOS Feature License Requirements:
https://documentation.extremenetworks.com/FLR_22.6/ExtremeXOS_22.6_Feature_License_Requirements.pdf

ExtremeXOS 22.6.1 Release Notes:
https://documentation.extremenetworks.com/release_notes/ExtremeXOS/22.6/ExtremeXOS_22.6_RelNotes.pdf

[Tomasz]

Hi,

RSTP over MLAG? How? For what reason?
MLAG seems sufficient, isn't it?
Is it for some tunneling of BPDU between MLAG-connected segments?
Or do we plan to play with MLAG+STP mix to get kind of a fabric with more nodes and meshed connections...? 😉

Any help to get the idea would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Tomasz