Cisco Prime Infrastructure 3.10 dual deployment across geographies

[Eric R. Jones]

Hello, we currently have Cisco Prime Infrastructure 3.10.

It's located in one geographic area and manages to sites. 

The other site is reach via a dual circuit setup of 100MB/s each link.

The last update took 15 hours to push a new image to 30+ switches and all failed when trying to activate the pre-deployed images.

We are considering getting another virtual OVA file and creating another server at the other location.

We are now trying to consider if it's worth setting up HA between the two servers.

Our concerns are:

1. How will the distance and BW affect the DB sync function between the servers should we configure HA?

2. When in HA and deploying a new image to devices located at the secondary site will it deploy from the primary server or can it be forced to deploy from the local secondary?

3. Is it a better idea to create the new server as a standalone and if so will there be a problem if both installs are identical except for the FQDN, IP addresses and other management configurations?

[balaji.bandi]

HA is good way to do it, so you have information synched all time, 

Look at the guide lines :

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/net_mgmt/prime/infrastructure/3-10/admin/cisco_prime_infrastructure_3_10_admin_guide/configure_high_availability.html

[Flavio Miranda]

Hi

1. How will the distance and BW affect the DB sync function between the servers should we configure HA?

This is not a huge  problem as the data base is incremental. Which means, they will not transfer data base back and forth but only changes in the data base.

2. When in HA and deploying a new image to devices located at the secondary site will it deploy from the primary server or can it be forced to deploy from the local secondary?

It will be from the primary. The HA has a VIP which will point to the Primary server. This means, the secondary server will not be used unless the primary fail.

3. Is it a better idea to create the new server as a standalone and if so will there be a problem if both installs are identical except for the FQDN, IP addresses and other management configurations?

I dont see problem and I already had two prime on the same environment but it will required you to have double work to keep everything uptodate if you intend to. If you intend to split your network in two and divide per prime server, not so much work.

As it uses SNMP to manage device, this is possible to have more than one as device will answer SNMP requies to any device you permit to.

[Eric R. Jones]

HAHAHA were you standing over my shoulder while I was writing this? That was the fastest response I've gotten from a post in here. 

Thank you for the quick response.

You pretty much confirmed what we were thinking.

On the synchronization of the DB between devices the only issue we have with possible dropped packets would be during the initial copy or is that also done incrementally?

This is going to be temporary setup until we get DNAC deployed. That probably will take a year based on our estimates from time of purchase to the time they ship our hardware. With HA I'm assuming you will need another license with the separate deployment I know will need another license.

[balaji.bandi]

If you going to move DNAC this is stop gap, i do not see major DB sync once intially done,  ( so make intial setup off peak hours, then the DB sync will be incremental, keep monitoring)

hope you 100MB links not full or 80% , if so think again before deploying this setup.

[marce1000]

 - FYI : https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/net_mgmt/prime/infrastructure/3-10/admin/cisco_prime_infrastructure_3_10_admin_guide/configure_high_availability.html#con_1104574

 M.