deploying high availability with HSRP on 6500 switches

[editora_redes]

Hi, I want to deploy a kind of high availability with two 6509-E switches, running IOS, and configuring HSRP in order to have one virtual IP address as the gateway; In this moment I only have one switch (a 6513 with double sup2), so, I have the intervlan routing here in this 6513, this switch also recieve the IDF's uplinks configured as trunks and connected to vary models of 6500 series.

My intention is to have two central switches, two 6509-E and receive the uplinks from IDFs in both switches, of course disabling by SPT one of those links to one ok those switches, I think HSRP is a good choice but, I don't know how could I configure my intervlan routing in both switches, I mean, can I configure one hsrp group by vlan? if the answer is afirmative, do I have to configure the link between two switches as a trunk? but hsrp needs layer 3 links, so, what can I do?

thanks a lot

[Roberto Salazar]

Given that the smaple below uses routers, it can be applied to cat6K since the concept remiand the same:

Using HSRP for Fault-Tolerant IP Routing

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/tech/tk1330/technologies_design_guide_chapter09186a008066670b.html

The following is the configuration guide for inter-vlan routing:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps700/products_command_reference_chapter09186a008007f29a.html

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[editora_redes]

thank you for answer me, I read the documentation you sent to me, but, the problem is that I have the next configuration in switch 1, and with the new topologie composed by two switches in HSRP one of them, the second one doing the job of uplink backup and receiving the second nic of each critical server (as an example):

Switch1:

interface vlan 2

ip address 20.1.0.1 255.255.255.0

ip helper address 30.1.0.1

interface vlan 3

ip address 40.1.0.1 255.255.255.0

ip helper address 30.1.0.1

interface vlan 4

ip address 50.1.0.1 255.255.255.0

ip helper address 30.1.0.1

and these vlans can communicate among them, so, if this switch 1 goes down, how can I do in order to have the same vlan configuration on switch 2 and have an OK operation without downtime? how can I mantain the conf in the second switch? can I have the same conf entries about interface vlan 2, 3 and 4?

because if I have HSRP in switch1 (active), in an interface (layered 3) with an IP address 10.1.0.2 and stanby address 10.1.0.1 and the switch2 (standby) with a layer 3 interface with ip address 10.1.0.3 and stanby address 10.1.0.1

This is functional, but what happen with my interface vlan configured in the switch1 if it goes down? how the switch2 takes the complete control of those interface vlan?

it is possible to have the same conf in both switches? or better, it is possible configure HSRP in interface vlan basis using a trunk interface between the two switches?

thanks

[Roberto Salazar]

Hi,

I would like to ask you to read that doc again because if you did, you would know that you need to run the HSRP on each of the vlan. Like you said one will be HSRP active and the other one standby, for whatever reason the active goes down the standby will becoem active and your hosts will not have to be re-configured. They (the hosts) will always have the same default gateway hence they (the hosts) will be oblivious to all of these HSRP activities.

If you really want to know inner working of HSRP. The you should look at this link:

http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc2281.html

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[editora_redes]

Thanks Roberto; I read it, and I understood that I have to run hsrp on each vlan, but, what do I have to do with the connection, in order to connect the two switches I need to connect them with one cable, a trunk? if not, do I have to configure ip addresses or what?

thanks a lot for your attention, and I hope not disturb you so much

[Roberto Salazar]

what do I have to do with the connection, in order to connect the two switches I need to connect them with one cable, a trunk?

>> Yes, a trunk.

if not, do I have to configure ip addresses or what?

>> see above. you need a layer 2 connection between teh two switches so that each router can exhcange the HSRP hellos, remember this is how each router know when to take over when the active HSRP is gone.

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