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Ask the Expert: Different Flavors and Design with vPC on Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switches

ciscomoderator
Community Manager
Community Manager

Welcome to the CiscoĀ® Support Community Ask the Expert conversation.  This is an opportunity to learn and ask questions about CiscoĀ® NX-OS.

The biggest limitation to a classic port channel communication is that the port channel operates only between two devices. To overcome this limitation, Cisco NX-OS has a technology called virtual port channel (vPC). A pair of switches acting as a vPC peer endpoint looks like a single logical entity to port channel attached devices. The two devices that act as the logical port channel endpoint are actually two separate devices. This setup has the benefits of hardware redundancy combined with the benefits offered by a port channel, for example, loop management.

vPC technology is the main factor for success of Cisco NexusĀ® data center switches such as the Cisco Nexus 5000 Series, Nexus 7000 Series, and Nexus 2000 Series Switches.

This event is focused on discussing all possible types of vPC along-with best practices, failure scenarios, Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) recommendations and troubleshooting

Cisco Experts

Vishal Mehta is a customer support engineer for the Cisco Data Center Server Virtualization Technical Assistance Center (TAC) team based in San Jose, California. He has been working in TAC for the past 3 years with a primary focus on data center technologies, such as the Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switches, Cisco Unified Computing Systemā„¢ (Cisco UCSĀ®), Cisco Nexus 1000V Switch, and virtualization. He presented at Cisco Live in Orlando 2013 and will present at Cisco Live Milan 2014 (BRKCOM-3003, BRKDCT-3444, and LABDCT-2333). He holds a masterā€™s degree from Rutgers University in electrical and computer engineering and has CCIEĀ® certification (number 37139) in routing and switching, and service provider.

Nimit Pathak is a customer support engineer for the Cisco Data Center Server Virtualization TAC team based in San Jose, California, with primary focus on data center technologies, such as Cisco UCS, the Cisco Nexus 1000v Switch, and virtualization. Nimit holds a master's degree in electrical engineering from Bridgeport University, has CCNAĀ® and CCNPĀ® Nimit is also working on a Cisco data center CCIEĀ® certification While also pursuing an MBA degree from Santa Clara University.

Remember to use the rating system to let Vishal and Nimit know if you have received an adequate response. 

Because of the volume expected during this event, Vishal and Nimit might not be able to answer every question. Remember that you can continue the conversation in the Network Infrastructure Community, under the subcommunity LAN, Switching & Routing, shortly after the event. This event lasts through August 29, 2014. Visit this forum often to view responses to your questions and the questions of other Cisco Support Community members.

16 Replies 16

Hello again,

 

 

The topology in unicast I'm referring to is the same that we've been discussing so far. A Router with a port-channel attached to two nexus 5500, but without Multicast Routing configured (no PIM).

I do understand the fact that Cisco prefers to issue general recommendations (like the design guides) instead of publishing per platform specifics, its just that sometimes in some corner cases, those specifics may be of difference on architectural choices. Specifically Cisco Live presentations could go into that detail (like the presentation you've pointed to). I will liaise with my SE.

 

Thanks again.

 

Gustavo
 

Hello Gustavo,

Thank you for the clarification, yes unicast topology you are referring will be supported by Cisco TAC.

I have reached out to Product Team and still awaiting response from them on per-platform architectural difference.

Doing a quick search on Cisco Live documents i found presentation on Nexus 5600/6000 which does not recommend to have Multicast on vPC links (slide 77)

http://d2zmdbbm9feqrf.cloudfront.net/2014/usa/pdf/BRKARC-3452.pdf

 

Thanks,

Vishal

 

 

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