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What is Simple Mode on Dell Networking M Series Blade Switches?

Summary: What is Simple Mode on Dell Networking M Series Blade Switches and how to change the mode to a "normal" mode of operation.

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This article answers the question What is Simple Mode on Dell Networking M Series Blade Switches, explains how to change the mode to a "normal" mode of operation.
 

Objectives
  1. Definition of Simple Mode.
  2. What command options are available in Simple Mode?
  3. Characteristics of Simple Mode functionality.
  4. Change mode from command line.
  5. Change mode from the Web GUI.
 

Definition of Simple Mode

 
Users in an administrator level (privilege level 15) can configure the switch to operate in normal mode or simple mode.  By default, the switch operates in normal mode.  When the Dell Networking PowerConnect M6220/M6348/M8024/M8024-k switch is operating in simple mode, a limited number of features are available to configure.  For features that are not available in simple mode, their administrative Web pages and CLI commands are unavailable.

  

The PowerConnect M8024-k switch operates in Simple mode by default. The PowerConnect M6220, M6348, and M8024 switches operate in normal mode by default, and Simple mode is disabled.

 
One of the main features available while running in Simple Mode is the Port Aggregator feature.  The Port Aggregator feature minimizes the administration required for managing the PowerConnect M6220/M6348/M8024/M8024-k switch. When the switch is operating in simple mode, the administrator can map internal ports to external ports without having to know anything about STP, VLANs, Link Aggregation or other L2/L3 protocols.

 

What Command options are available in Simple Mode?

 
Features available in Simple Mode.  Some configuration options with the listed features might not be available.
 
  • Management Security (No Telnet Server or Denial of Service)
  • File Management
  • Port Status and Statistics (Ethernet ports only)
  • Port Channel Status
  • Dot1x
  • SNMP
  • General System Information (Read-Only)
  • HTTP Server
  • Port Aggregator (Available only in Simple mode


Characteristics of Simple Mode Functionality

 
When Simple mode is enabled, negotiation, speed, duplex, VLAN, and MTU configurations are allowed on the Aggregator Group but not on the individual ports. These configurations are applied to all the member ports of the Aggregator Group.
 
  • A user with privilege level 15 can change the mode of operation using the CLI, Web, and SNMP interfaces.
  • Operational mode is set to Normal mode on resetting the configuration to Factory defaults from the software boot menu.
  • When you change the operational mode, a trap is generated apart from logging a message.
  • A limited set of configuration options are available from the web-based interface, CLI, and SNMP. Additionally, SNMPv3 is not available.
  •  Routing -related features and QoS, are not supported.
  • The switch maintains two separate configuration files, one for Simple mode and another for Normal mode. The selection of the configuration file while applying the configuration is based on the mode selection. If there is no saved configuration, then the default configuration of the selected mode is applied.
  • Simple mode allows the user to create Aggregation Groups where internal ports and external ports can be configured in a separate broadcast domain.
  • Security-related configurations: dot1x, RADIUS, TACACS+ are allowed when the switch is operating in Simple Mode.
  • All other feature configurations from the CLI/Web/SNMP interfaces are disabled, and the user does not see any commands/pages/MIBs related to all other regular features that are available in Normal Mode.
  • The hashing algorithm in Simple mode is the same as the default hashing algorithm in Normal mode. In Normal mode, the default hashing is based on source MAC and destination MAC address. You cannot change the hash algorithm in Simple mode. Ports that are already a member of a LAG are external ports that are shown using the show port-aggregator port summary command. In Simple mode, you can set the LACP mode on a group, but not on an individual port. Use the show interface status command to check the lag status.
  • The switch handles traffic in the following way when in Simple Mode:
  • Tagged traffic would be dropped if the incoming port is not a member of the incoming packet's VLAN.
  • Untagged traffic is switched and untagged at the egress.
  • Default VLAN tagged traffic should be switched and egress as untagged.
  • Tagged traffic that belongs to a user-created VLAN gets switched in that VLAN and egresses as tagged.
 
 
Change mode from Command line

 
Use the mode simple command to select the simple mode as the start up mode.  To select the Normal mode as the operational mode, use the no form of this command.

 
Command Parameters
Dell# configure Enter Global Configuration mode.
Dell(conf)# simple mode Enable simple operation mode on the switch.
Dell(conf)# no simple mode
Warning: Confirm mode selection within 60 seconds using "mode-change confirm" command.		 Turns off simple operational mode and enable normal operation mode.
Dell(conf)# mode-change confirm Confirms the change of mode.  This command must be executed within 60 seconds of executing the mode simple or no simple mode command.
 
 
The switch loads the Simple mode configuration file, and you are automatically logged off the system. To log on to the switch, you must enter a username and password in the logon screen.
 
When the switch is operating in Simple mode, many of the pages available in normal mode are not available, and the navigation panel displays only the features that are available in Simple mode.


Change mode from the Web GUI

 
Use the Operational Mode Configuration page to enable Simple mode or return the switch to normal mode. Only users with the highest privilege level can change the operating mode.
To display the Operational Mode Configuration page, click System → Operational Mode → Operational Mode Configuration in the navigation panel.


QNA43764_en_US__1Simple Mode


To enable Simple mode:
  1. From the Simple Mode field, select Enable.
  2. Click Apply.
  3. Confirm that you want to enable Simple mode.
  4. Click Apply.

QNA43764_en_US__2Simple Mode Confirm

 
The switch loads the Simple mode configuration file, and you are automatically logged off the system. To log on to the switch, you must enter a username and password in the logon screen.
 
When the switch is operating in Simple mode, many of the pages available in normal mode are not available, and the navigation panel displays only the features that are available in Simple mode.

Affected Products

Networking, PowerConnect M6220, PowerConnect M6348, PowerConnect M8024, PowerConnect M8024-K
Article Properties
Article Number: 000068982
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 21 Feb 2021
Version:  3
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