FTD redundant pair for the LAB

[anazarenko]

Dear Experts,

What is the cheapest option for a redundant pair of FTD hardware appliances in the LAB?

FP4110 + TMC license becomes quite expensive.  Ideally I need FP4110 + TMC with a license for a throughtput around 1-5Mbps. 

The other option to run a pair of FP2100 maybe not so representative for production FP4110 anf FP4140 redundant pairs.

[Marvin Rhoads]

Are you  a partner or end customer?

A partner has the option of NFR hardware and lab licenses.

A customer has the option of scheduling time with demo labs.

Either one can also use FTDv with evaluation licenses or dCloud for feature testing. Sure neither is hardware but 90% of what you need to know and verify is software.

[anazarenko]

I am  end customer and I need the hardware on-site. 

[Marvin Rhoads]

You can get throughput of 1-5 Mbps even on a virtual FTD with the free time-limited demo license. Did you mean Gbps?

Cisco is currently ofering a discount on the licenses for the secondary unit in an greenfield HA setup.

[Oliver Kaiser]

Âs Marvin suggest I would also recommend using FTDv. You can install a 2x FTDv and build an HA bundle. No need to invest in hardware if you dont have to do specific tests that require you to have a certain hardware model. The software is exactly the same... the only difference to FP2100/4100/9300 is that you dont have FX-OS underneath.

[anazarenko]

I have a requirement to validate all HA upgrades in the LAB. I don't think FTDv is a right representation in this case. As you mentioned I can't validate underneath FXOS upgrades with FTDv. Traffic wise 5Mbps throughtput will be more than enough.

[Marvin Rhoads]

That's a very expensive rquirement as you say. If you MUST validate the upgrades using hardware and it MUST be on-site then you have no option but to buy the same hardware solely for lab use.

I would tell management that if they are going to levy that requirement then it must be identical even down to the network modules and SFPs. I don't think it makes good business sense but that is not my decision to make.

The only break is that when you buy a new pair, there is a bundle that discounts the software subscriptions for the second unit.