Cisco Core switch with Arista Access switches Integration

[yeruel]

Hello Cisco Team,

Please kindly provide your support on the integration of Cisco core switch and Arista access switch.

The design is 

Cisco core switch configured as VTP server and Cisco Access switch as VTP client. Hosts are connected on VTP client switches. 

But now, we have arista switches and the Cisco access switches need to be replaced with arista switches and move Cisco access switches to other branch sites. 

Arista switches EOS doesnt support Cisco proprietary VTP. 

We have to replace all configuration of Cisco access switches and move to on arista switches.

Can you help on this scenario? We don't need to remove VTP server configuration. 

We just want to replace Cisco access switches with arista switches. 

Please kindly advise 

[marce1000]

 - You may also ask advise on that topic here : https://arista.my.site.com/AristaCommunity/s/forum

 M.

[yeruel]

Noted, Thanks,

I have posted it on arista forum too.

[MHM Cisco World]

For VTP it not issue' you can connect any vendor and add vlan manually and allow vlan in trunk (in cisco side check vlan allow in trunk)

What issue here is STP which can make port errdisable 

Check STP mismatch mode

MHM

[yeruel]

Thanks,

In that case, We have to disable port errdisable. Right?

[MHM Cisco World]

sorry I can get your Q
can you more elaborate 
thanks 
MHM

[yeruel]

I am going to connect Arista access switches to Cisco Core switches.

Currently, Cisco core switches are configured as VTP Server and running PVST.

What shall we do when we connect arista switches to core switches? Because VTP server and PVST are running on core switches.

[balaji.bandi]

Arista EOS does not support VTP - Since VTP is proprietary for Cisco.  _ in this case issue show vlan ( create all the VLAN available in cisco core - same need to create on Arista EOS for that to work, if you looking Layer 2 Connection between Cisco code and Access switch.

Make sure you use Trunk or Port-bundle depends on requirement.

Arista EOS do support RPVST - so make sure Core switch always be STP bridge - on Arista side increase the priority not to become Root for any VLAN.

Hope you know how to proceed with configuration : (most of the command Arista and cisco looks similar) - i have given reference for Arista below for STP :

https://www.arista.com/en/um-eos/eos-spanning-tree-protocol

As i mentioned above are integration between Cisco and Arista how that works :

We just want to replace Cisco access switches with arista switches. 

Since there is no mechanism for Arista to Push VLAN to cisco switches - you need to turn them in to STP transparent and create VLANS as required in each switch. (may be some kind of automation tools can help you, if this is very large setup).

Since you are replacing the Cisco with Arista Core, make sure you adjust the STP back to root where this required ( always recommend CORE switch to be root)

since this is Limitation of both the vendors, and you have limited options.

[yeruel]

Thanks,

Yes, the Cisco core an STP root bridge for all the VLANs.

So I will use the below on arista access switches to adjust the STP Root bridge to the core.

switch(config)# spanning-tree mode rapid-pvst

Is it right?

For interoperability of Cisco and Arista switches STP is Rapid-PVST (Arista) and Cisco (PVST).

[MHM Cisco World]

PVST is only for cisco'

Other vendor use IEEE standard.

So are you sure Arista use PVST?

MHM

[MHM Cisco World]

finally I found the doc. help you in STP issue 
https://www.arista.com/assets/data/pdf/Whitepapers/STPInteroperabilitywithCisco.pdf

MHM