SG300 LAG Star Configuration

[dps]

We are currently replacing a switch network consisting of 2950's with SG300's.  I have a central rack with 6 SG300-52 switches and 6 switches in remote locations (miles away connected by radios).

Most of the nodes in the system are non PC's but equipment with a management Ethernet port. 

There are multiple VLAN's in this system as well. 

In the current configuration the switches in the central rack are basically connected in a daisy-chain arrangement.  I know this isn't a great idea.  Does it make sense to use one switch in the rack to connect to all the other switches in the network? 

Sw1 - Sw2

Sw1 - Sw3

Sw1 - Sw4

Sw1 - Sw5

Sw1 - Sw6

Sw1 - Sw7 (remote location)

Sw1 - Sw8 (remote location) etc.....

Also, can I use LAG on the 6 switches in the central rack to gain more bandwidth?

Thanks!

[Seb Rupik]

The recommended topology would be to have a distribution switch (sw1) aggregating the connections from you access-layer (sw2- sw8) .

I would recommended that you have at least two switches in Sw1 stack with port-channels to each access-layer switch. Each member interface of the port-channels must be connected to a different stack member in Sw1 providing resiliency in the event of a stack member failure.

The risk of the daisy chain/ ring design is that you could get suffer multiple switch failures which would isolate stacks in the ring. Obviously if you lost all members of Sw1 then game is up!

cheers,

Seb.