Catalyst 3524, 3550 Failover

[dchen0999]

I have one Cisco Catalyst 3524 XL core switch (8 fiber gigabit port) connecting the company's network.

I was asked to add another switch to provide link redundancy. That is, in case the core switch (CAT 3524) fails, the other switch will automatically detect and bring up the line.

Right now I have a Catalyst 3550 switch: 10 RJ45 gigabit ports and 2 fiber gigabit ports.

Do you think that it is possible? And how to configure it?

I really appreciate your help. Thanks.

[ebreniz]

Redundancy can't be obtained unless you have the access layer. From your comments I understand you have some access switches and core switch. Connect all access switches to both the Core switches, May be you can use this

http://www.cisco.com/application/pdf/en/us/guest/netsol/ns439/c654/cdccont_0900aecd800e8565.pdf

[dchen0999]

Thank you Ebreniz.

I need to re-define the problem statement as I get more info for the project: I have a network spreading on two floors in a building. Each floor has a Cisco Catalyst 3508 8-port fiber core switch connecting each sub-switch. The problem or risk for this design is that if the core switch is down then that floor network will be down and if the core switch in the server room which is connecting the other floor is down, then both the two floors network will be down. So, I would like to provide link redudancy at core switch level.

Right now I run Cisco 3508 8-port fiber switch as core switch. I would like to have 3550 10-port fiber switch or higher for the failover. Can anyone give some comments on this in terms of hardware requirements and setup configurations. (I need to use fiber to connect the core switch in the server room to the other floor for both main and failover core switches. There is one thing that I am not sure is that how to connect the two core switches on the same floor. Do we use crossover cable to hook it up like what I do for Cisco PIX 525?)

Fiber connect

Floor_1 (server room) ----> Floor_2 (Core SW)

Floor_1 (server room) ----> Floor_2 (Failover SW)

SW1(failover)--SW1(main) ------> SW2(main)--SW2(failover)

| Cross connect? | | Cross connect? |

| | | |

sub_sw sub_sw sub_sw sub-sw

Thanks a lot