Cisco 500 Stackable switches and NIC teaming

[rmtilson1]

Am looking into using stacking and NIC teaming to create redunancy for user access to servers. What I am thinking is getting 2 SG500-28 switchs and configuring them in a stack that appears as one logical switch. Now on the servers I would configure 2 NICs to be a team so they appear as 1 logical interface, perferably in an active/active configuration using LACP. In this NIC team take 1 team member to switch A and the other to switch B, so each team member is on seperate switches. 

Givent the scenario:

1) Will that work with the 500 series switchs? Reason for the switches is their price point is perfect for my client.

2) Besides the stack link will there also need to be a LAG between the switches or does the stack link do data traffic also?

[rocater · Accepted solution]

Hi Robert,

1) I do not see any reason it would not work the way you want. There are requirements when making a LAG but being on the same physical switch is not one.

2)With the SG500 switch line, you have a few options for up/down link between switches in the stack, this is dependant on the model. All of them support 1G up and down links with copper. The switches are then divided and support either 5G or 10G mini-gbic up/down links. There is not currently an options to lag the stack links.

Let me know if this answers all your questions!

[rmtilson1]

Thanks for the reply. Just to be clear the stack link handles all traffic as in data and protocol. I wasn't sure if the stack link was for stack protocol/control traffic only and then a LAG was created to handle data traffic.

[rocater]

Yes the stack link handles both traffic and stack control. Definitely worth investing in using the 5G or 10G up/down links.