<a id="switch-domains"></a>

# Switch Domains

A switch domain is a physical Layer 2 network representation in zCompute.
Every switch domain may have a set of VLAN IDs, cluster networks and nodes’
NICs attached to it.

Each switch domain has a Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU). The MTU
defines the largest packet size allowed for networks in the domain.

<!-- comment - hide until adding switch domains is possible in future:

Separating traffic into switch domains improves network isolation.
Different workloads can use different MTU values and VLAN ranges.
This design helps prevent congestion and reduces broadcast scope. -->

Administrators use switch domains to:

* Separate access, storage, or data networks.
* Apply different MTU sizes for different traffic types.
* Control VLAN allocation and ownership.
* Monitor node network links.

Open the switch domains page from **Region Networking > Switch Domains**.

The **Switch Domains** page lists all switch domains in the region.

A switch domain has these core properties:

* **Name**

  A descriptive name for the switch domain.
* **MTU**

  The Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) for the switch domain.
* **ID**

  The unique identifier for the switch domain.

## Switch Domains management

This section describes the supported tasks and their steps.

### View the Switch Domains list

Use the switch domains list to find a switch domain and confirm its MTU.

1. Go to **Region Networking**.
2. Select **Switch Domains**.

Fields

* **Name**

  The switch domain name. Select it to open the domain.
* **MTU**

  The MTU value for the switch domain.
* **ID**

  The unique identifier for the switch domain. This column is
  hidden by default. Use the column picker to show it.

### View a switch domain details page

Use the details page to manage VLANs and cluster networks.

1. Go to **Region Networking**.
2. Select **Switch Domains**.
3. In **Switch Domains**, select a domain name.

   The selected switch domain’s details page opens.

   Each switch domain details page includes these tabs:
   * **Node Links**

     Read-only link information for nodes in the switch domain.
   * **Cluster Networks**

     Networks that use a VLAN and a subnet in this domain.
   * **VLANs**

     VLAN records for this domain, including allocation status.

   Use switch domain’s details page to answer common questions:
   * Which switch domains are configured for this region?
   * What MTU does each switch domain use?
   * Which nodes are linked to the switch domain?
   * Which VLANs are free, reserved, or allocated?
   * Which cluster networks exist in the switch domain?

#### View Node Links

View the **Node Links** tab to validate that nodes are connected to the
domain.

1. Go to **Region Networking**.
2. Select **Switch Domains**.
3. Select a switch domain to view.

   The switch domain detail page displays.
4. Select the **Node Links** tab.

   A list of node links is displayed in a table with the following
   columns:
   * **Node Name**

     The node name. Select it to open the node details page.
   * **MAC Addresses**

     MAC addresses used by this link.
   * **Admin State**

     The configured state of the link.
   * **Operational State**

     The current runtime state of the link.
   * **Vendor**

     The NIC vendor, if detected.
   * **Model**

     The NIC model, if detected.
   * **Bond Type**

     The bond mode for the link, if used.

#### Managing Cluster Networks

A switch domain’s cluster networks can be created, viewed and deleted.

##### Viewing Cluster Networks

View the **Cluster Networks** tab’s list to see the cluster networks in the
switch domain.

1. Go to **Region Networking**.
2. Select **Switch Domains**.
3. Select a switch domain to view.

   The switch domain detail page displays.
4. Select the **Cluster Networks** tab.

   A list of cluster networks is displayed in a table with the following
   columns:
   * **Name**

     The cluster network name. Select it to open the network.
   * **VLAN ID**

     The VLAN tag used by the cluster network.
   * **MTU**

     The MTU configured for the cluster network.
   * **Subnet CIDR**

     The network range for the cluster network.
   * **Connected Nodes**

     The number of nodes connected to the cluster network.
   * **Switch Domain**

     The switch domain name for the cluster network.

##### Creating a Cluster Network

Create a cluster network to define subnet and VLAN settings for the switch
domain’s traffic.

To create  a cluster network in a switch domain:

1. Go to **Region Networking**.
2. Select **Switch Domains**.
3. Select a switch domain.

   The switch doman’s detail page opens.
4. Select the **Cluster Networks** tab.
5. Select **+ Create** from the tab’s toolbar.

   The **Create Switch Domain** dialog opens in the **Info** step.
   1. Enter the **Info** details:
      1. Enter a **Name**.
      2. Select or create a **VLAN**.
      3. Enter a **Subnet CIDR**.
      4. Confirm or set the **MTU**.
   2. Click **Next** to configure IPs.

      The **IPs** dialog step opens.
   3. Enter the **IPs** details:

      For each IP Range enter:
      * **Start** IP address of the range.
      * **End** IP address of the range.
      * Select **Add IP Range** to enter the **Start** and **End** IP
        : addresses of an additional IP range.
   4. Select **Next** to configure routes.

      The **Routes** dialog step opens.
   5. Enter the **Routes** details:
      * **Destination**: The destination network in CIDR format
        (for example, 0.0.0.0/0).
      * **Next Hop**: The IPv4 address of the next-hop gateway.
      * Select **Add Route** to enter the **Destination** and **Next Hop**
        an additional route.
   6. Select **Next** to configure **Nameservers**.

      The **Nameservers** dialog step opens.
   7. Enter the **Nameservers** details:

      Define DNS servers for the cluster network:
      * **Nameserver**: Enter an IPv4 address or DNS name.
      * Select **Add Nameserver** to configure an additional nameserver
        for the cluster network.
6. To save the cluster network configuration, select **Finish**.

After creation, verify:

* The network appears in the list.
* The VLAN is allocated.
* The connected nodes count is correct.

##### Deleting a Cluster Network

Delete a cluster network to remove an unused network.

1. Go to **Region Networking**.
2. Select **Switch Domains**.
3. Select a switch domain.

   The switch doman’s detail page opens.
4. Select the **Cluster Networks** tab.
5. Select the cluster network row to delete.
6. Select **Delete**.

   The **Delete Cluster Network** dialog opens, displaying the name of the
   cluster network to delete.
7. To confirm the deletion, select **Ok**.

   The cluster network is deleted and no longer displayed in the
   cluster networks table of the switch domain.

#### Managing VLANs

A switch domain’s VLANs can be created, viewed and deleted.

##### Viewing VLANs

Use the VLAN list to understand VLAN availability in the domain.

1. Go to **Region Networking**.
2. Select **Switch Domains**.
3. Select a switch domain to view.

   The switch domain detail page displays.
4. Select the **VLANs** tab.

   A list of VLANs is displayed in a table with the following
   columns:
   * **Status**

     The VLAN status. Use it to find free VLANs.
   * **VLAN ID**

     The VLAN tag value (VID).
   * **Owner Name**

     The object that owns the VLAN. Select it to open details.
   * **Owner Type**

     The owner type.
5. Optional: Use a quick filter:
   * Free
   * Reserved
   * Allocated

##### Creating a VLAN

Create VLANs so you have free VLANs available for new networks.

1. Go to **Region Networking**.
2. Select **Switch Domains**.
3. Select a switch domain to view.

   The switch domain detail page displays.
4. Select the **VLANs** tab.

   The list of VLANs is displayed.
5. Select **Create**.
6. In **Create VLAN**, enter the VLAN ID.
7. Select **+ Create** from the tab’s toolbar.

   The **Create VLAN** dialog opens.
8. Enter the **VLAN ID**:

   The VLAN tag value (VID).

   Valid range is 0 to 4094.
9. Select **Create**.

   The new VLAN appears in the VLAN table with the status **free**.

##### Deleting a VLAN

Delete a VLAN to remove an unused VLAN record.

Only unallocated VLANs (status is **free**) can be deleted.

1. Go to **Region Networking**.
2. Select **Switch Domains**.
3. Select a switch domain to view.

   The switch domain detail page displays.
4. Select the **VLANs** tab.

   The list of VLANs is displayed.
5. Select the VLAN to delete.

   Ensure that the VLAN is not allocated, and that its status is **free**.
6. Select **Delete** from the **VLANs** tab’s toolbar.

   The **Delete VLAN** dialog opens, displaying the selected VLAN, its ID
   and status.
7. Review the confirmation details.
8. To confirm deleting the VLAN, select **Ok**.

   The VLAN no longer displays in the switch domain’s  **VLANs** tab’s
   list.

## Recommended Best Practices

For any desired change, consult first with Zadara support.
These switch domains are predefined, and tightly-coupled with specific
functionality.

## Troubleshooting

### Cluster Network Not Reachable

Check:

- VLAN ID matches physical switch configuration.
- Subnet CIDR is correct and not overlapping.
- Node link operational state is **up**.
- MTU matches across the path.

### MTU Related Issues

Symptoms:

- Intermittent connectivity.
- Large packet loss.
- Storage latency.

Actions:

- Confirm switch domain MTU.
- Validate physical switch MTU.
- Test with standard MTU 1500 if unsure.

### VLAN Allocation Errors

If a VLAN cannot be allocated:

- Confirm the VLAN ID is not already in use.
- Check the VLAN list in the domain.
- Verify you are creating the network
  in the correct switch domain.

### Node Link Down

If operational state is down:

- Verify cabling.
- Check LACP configuration on the physical switch.
- Confirm the correct bond type.
- Review node NIC status.

### There are no switch domains

* **Symptom**

  The list shows an empty state message.
* **Possible actions**

  Confirm your account has access to Region Networking.

  If the issue persists, check the back-end service state.

### No VLANs are available in the VLAN field

* **Symptom**

  The VLAN field shows no available VLANs.
* **Why this happens**

  The VLAN selector lists only VLANs with Status **Free**.
* **Possible actions**
  * Create a VLAN in the **VLANs** tab.
  * Free an existing VLAN by removing its owner.

### Cannot delete a VLAN

* **Symptom**

  The Delete action is disabled.
* **Why this happens**

  You can delete a VLAN only when its Status is **Free**.
* **Actions**
  1. Identify the owner.
  2. Remove the owner first.
  3. Retry the delete.

### General Validation Checklist

- Switch domain exists and is correct.
- Cluster network is assigned to the correct domain.
- VLAN ID is correct.
- Subnet does not overlap.
- MTU is consistent end to end.
- Node links are operational.

If issues persist, collect:

- Switch domain ID.
- VLAN ID.
- Node name and MAC addresses.
- MTU configuration.

Provide this data to support for further analysis.