H3C Technologies H3C S10500 Series Switches - Manual (Page 7)

IRF configuration
NOTE:
•
Switches running Release 1135 or a later release support establishing an IRF fabric with up to four
members. Switches running a release prior to Release 1135 support establishing an IRF fabric with up to
two members.
• Only switches of the same models can form an IRF.
• OAA cards cannot be used in an IRF fabric with three or four members.
IRF overview
The H3C Intelligent Resilient Framework (IRF) technology creates a large IRF fabric from multiple switches
to provide data center class availability and scalability. IRF virtualization technology offers processing
power, interaction, unified management, and uninterrupted maintenance of multiple switches.
Benefits
IRF delivers the following benefits:
• Simplified topology and streamlined management. An IRF fabric appears as one node on the
network. You can log in at any member switch to manage all members in the IRF fabric.
• High availability and reliability. One member switch works as the master to manage and maintain
the entire IRF fabric, and all other member switches process services and provide backup. If the
master fails, all other member switches elect a new master among them to prevent service
interruption. You can perform link aggregation not only for IRF links but also for physical links
between the IRF fabric and its upper or lower layer devices for link redundancy.
• Network scalability and resiliency. You can increase ports, network bandwidth, and processing
capability of an IRF fabric simply by adding member switches. Each member switch has its own
CPU and can independently process and forward protocol packets.
Application scenario
Figure 1 shows an IRF fabric that comprises two switches, which appear as a single node to the upper
and lower layer devices.
1