by: Networking

Initially, Dell released a proprietary operating system called DNOS, a real-time OS developed by Wind River Systems (a real-time operating system).

After acquiring Force10 Networks, Dell rebranded its network operating system as FTOS. While it is based on the Linux kernel, it remains proprietary due to Dell’s proprietary network layer.

Later, Dell introduced OS10, a Linux-based (Debian-based) operating system for network devices. It was initially released as open source, but Dell later changed its mind (what a shame!)

HIERARCHICAL COMMAND-LINE MODES

  • User EXEC Mode
    • console>
      • Basic monitoring, no config access (e.g., ping, show).
      • Privileged accounts do not see this mode.
  • Privileged EXEC Mode
    • console> enable
      console#

      • View configurations, and diagnostics, but no direct changes.
  • Global Configuration Mode
    • console# config
      console(config)#

      • Full configuration access.

MOST IMPORTANT COMMANDS

  • Privileged EXEC Commands
    • disable – Downgrade terminal privileges to User EXEC Mode.
      • disable
    • show – Display running system information (e.g., interfaces, VLANs, routes).
      • show running-config
      • show arp
      • show ip route
      • show ip interface
      • show access-lists
      • show vlan
      • show ip dhcp snooping binding
    • set – Configure various system settings.
      • set interface active gigabitethernet 1/0/48
    • ! – Comment symbol. Do not process the line/command.
      • ! This is a comment and will not be interpreted.
    • reload – Restart the switch or stack. It is like a reboot.
      • reload
    • ping – Send ICMP echo requests to test connectivity.
      • ping 8.8.8.8
    • traceroute – Trace the path packets take to a destination.
      • traceroute ip 8.8.8.8
    • write – Save the running configuration to memory (similar to copy running-config startup-config).
      • write
    • clear – Reset functions like clearing counters or sessions.
      • clear arp-cache
    • system – System configuration.
      • system light duration 60
  • Global Configuration Commands
    • do – Allow to run EXEC-level commands.
      • do show crypto certificate mycertificate
    • end – Leaves Global Configuration Mode, back to the previous mode.
      • end
    • interface – Configure network interfaces.
      • interface vlan 1
      • ip address 192.168.3.100 255.255.255.0
      • end
    • crypto – Global cryptographic features.
      • crypto certificate 1 generate key
      • crypto key generate rsa
    • ip / ipv6 – Global IPv4/IPv6 configuration.
      • ip host localhost 127.0.1.1
      • ip https certificate 1
      • ip http secure-server
    • vlan – VLAN management.
      • vlan 2 state active media ethernet name LAN2
    • hostname – Set the device hostname.
      • hostname SW1
    • logging – Configure system logging.
      • logging host 192.168.3.200
    • no – Negate or disable a command in configuration mode.
      • no logging host 192.168.3.200
    • spanning-tree – Manage Spanning Tree Protocol.
      • spanning-tree mode stp
    • port-channel – Configure port aggregation.
      • port-channel load-balance src-dst-mac-ip
    • qos – Enable and configure Quality of Service.
      • qos basic
    • sflow – Enable network traffic sampling.
      • sflow receiver 192.168.1.200
    • system – System-level configuration options.
      • system fan always-on

CONSIDERATIONS

DNOS is similar to Cisco IOS in both look and feel, making it easy to familiarize yourself with quickly.

  • Security Considerations:

    • Always prefer SSH over Telnet and HTTPS over HTTP. There’s no reason to use legacy protocols.
    • Enable port security at the appropriate level for your environment and disable unused ports.
    • Limit Management access to a dedicated management VLAN.
    • Limit physical access to the Console port (IOIOI) and protect it with a password.
    • Total physical segregation (airgap) to Out-Of-Band (OOB) network.
    • Enable DHCP Snooping, Dynamic ARP Inspection (DAI), and Storm Control.
    • Set up a remote centralized log server and AAA for better control and visibility.
    • Disable unnecessary features (e.g., auto-discovery) and regularly update the firmware.

  • Important Reminder:

    • Back up the running configuration before making any changes.
    • Save (write) the configuration to the startup configuration to prevent rollback on the next reboot or power cycle.
    • Consider using automation tools like Ansible for remote backups, audits, and source control of your configuration.