GigaStack or clustering?

[s.debenito]

Hi,

I am planning using GigaStack in my network, but don't know what is the advantage over using simply fiber optic cables for switches interconnection and configuring clustering.

Why should I use GigaStack?

Thanks in advance.

Sergio.

[ankurbhasin]

Hi Stacking is different then Clustering.

Simply connecting it with fiber cable and configure cluster you will be able to manage all devices with single ip we can say it will be a simpler management and better uplink because you will be using fiber optic for connecting switches.

Using a gigastack cable will give you a stack functionality which means a common backplane or more backplane.

HTH

Ankur

[milan.kulik]

Hi,

there is one reason:

GigaStack GBICs are half-price comaring to fiber optic GBICs.

Using full-duplex GigaStack connection (i.e. only one port on each GigaStack GBIC) will give you the same functionality as fiber optic GBICs in half-price (but limited distance between switches).

You can cluster switches while connected via GigaStack or fiber GBICs.

I see only one reason for clustering at all: You can see all switches on one browser screen.

But I recommend configuring an IP address on each switch even in cluster. You can connect to every switch via telnet then in any case (master switch fails, i.e.).

Regards,

Milan

Regards,

Milan

[sean.sutherland]

I wouldn't advise gigastack or clustering. I've had a number of customer sites report a lot of different problems with them, mainly large deployments. In each case we got rid of all of them.

Instead of Gigastack or fiber optics, you may want to consider a 1000baseT GBIC instead. Same speed, but about half the cost and you can use a standard Cat5e or Cat6 jumper instead of an expensive FO or gigastak cable.

IMHO, you don't save much time or effort in managing via clusters or gigastack. It just serves to make things more confusing. The new stacking with the 3750s seems to work well, though.

[milan.kulik]

IMHO,

using two Gigastack GBICs in full-duplex mode is still the cheapest way of interconnecting two switches which are in the same closet.

(Compare the price of Gigastack and 1000base-T GBICs in the price-list, 50 cm Gigastack cable is free with the GBIC.)

I agree with you clusters don't bring any convenience.

But Cat3500 Gigastack has nothing to do with management, it's just a way of connection.

Regards,

Milan

[aashish.c]

Hi,

In gigastack Gbic also, there are 2 methods of connecting :

Stacking

point-to-piont

The GigaStack GBIC supports one FULL-duplex link (in a point-to-point link), or up to eight HALF-duplex links (in a stack configuration) to other Gigabit Ethernet devices.

One switch can have multiple point-to-point connections with neighbors as long as you are only using one per port on separate GigaStacks to neighboring switches.

Here is a very good link which explains stacking and cascading nicely :

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps607/products_tech_note09186a00800a2cac.shtml#subtopic1A

regards

aashish C

[schmidta]

Hi,

i see input errors in my stacks.

We have stacks with 3 3524XL, Uplinks to 2 Cat6509.

SwitchA Giga0/1 CX_GIGASTACK linkq2 --> SwitchB

Giga0/2 SX-Uplink

SwitchB Giga0/1 CX_GIGASTACK link1 --> SwitchA

link2 --> SwitchC

Giga0/2 empty

SwitchC Giga0/1 CX_GIGASTACK link1 --> Switch B

Giga0/2now i SX-Uplink

Now i can recognize on Giga0/1 on Switch A and B Input Errors (1000 per day). Is this a normal behaviour? I have a lot of identical stacks with the same problem. The IOS-Version is : 12.0(5.2)XU

In order to get full duplex Gigalinks,

can i insert a second CX_GIGASTACK in Gig0/2 of Switch B and then i take the link1 of Gig0/1 to the link1 of giga 0/2 to connect the switch C?