best bandwidth and high availability when connecting switches

[zastitnik]

hello,

we have four switch-es.

Two 2960S-24TS (1. and 2.) and two 2960G-24TC (3. and 4.).

I want to connect them to have best performance and redudancy.

Can I connect them on this way (mesh network):

1.  2960S (1.) - 2960S (2.)  with two Fibre cables (two Fibre ports from 1. to two fibre ports on 2.)

2. 2960S (1.) with one copper cable to 2960G (3.)

3. 2960S (1.) with one copper cable to 2960G (4.)

4. 2960S (2.) with one copper cable to 2960G (3.)

5. 2960S (2.) with one copper cable to 2960G (4.)

Switches 2960S 1. and 2. - on them i will connect my main servers and traffic GW. Servers have NIC Teaming, and one server NIC I plan to connect to 2960S 1. and another server NIC 2960S 2.

Users are on 2960G 3. and 4.

Are this connections ok  (a. NIC teaming and different switches and b. connections between switches)  ?

thank you for your time,

Keli

[Giuseppe Larosa · Accepted solution]

Hello Tarik,

>> Are this connections ok  (a. NIC teaming and different switches and b. connections between switches)  ?

The interconnections between switches are fine, be aware that STP will block redundant links. What links will be considered redundant depends from STP root bridge placement.

But about NIC teaming and different switches, generally speaking the answer is negative.

Server vendors use the term NIC teaming for many different strategies for using the server NICs.

Connecting the server NICs to different LAN switches can be done only if the server is going to use one NIC as the active NIC and the other NIC will be only a standby.

Any NIC teaming strategy that attempts to use both NICs for transmission cannot be supported on multiple separate switches as would cause MAC address flapping.

C2960-S are stackable so an option to consider here is to make them a single stack of two switches with the appropriate cable ( that is different from the cable used for C3750 stacks).

In this way you should be able to deal with all the NIC teaming strategies building LACP bundles.

Edit:

the stack cable is feasible only  if the two switches are within few meters of distance. It would provide a faster link between the two switches

Hope to help

Giuseppe

[lauxtobias1 · Accepted solution]

Hi Tarik,

your cabling looks good. I can recommend this setting, as I use the same structure.

Just note the following:

1. The two fibre cables between 1 and 2 have to be in an etherchannel (if not pvst+ is probably blocking one of them)
   
2. 1 should have the lowest spanning-tree-priority and 2 should have second lowest (e.g. 4096 and 8192)
   

If you need assistance to configure this, just say it

I don´t know much about NIC Teaming, so I don´t know if this works probably. Sorry I can´t help you with that.

[jawad-mukhtar · Accepted solution]

Hight Availability Regarding Power Source

2960S1 (Should be on A Power Source)

2960S2 (Should be on B Power Source)

2960S3 (Should be on A Power Source)

2960S4 (Should be on B Power Source)

Make Etherchannel of two Ports between 2960S(1) and 2960S(2)

Regarding Server NIC Teaming

Nic Port 1 Should be 2960S1

Nic Port 2 Should be 2960S2

Regading User Teaming

One User Should on 2960S3

Other should be on 2960S4

[zastitnik]

thank you all for response.

I will check prices for solutions fiber or stack so decided on that...both solutions are redudant and throughput is ok (very ok)..

I dont have stack interfaces and cables on switches. We have P/N 12R9913,  EC J14853, C-8-281-0383  fibre cables and I hope that I can use it with suitable adapters..

So pls Tobias if you could help me with ethernet channel and spaninng tree configurations, some good link or other suggestion ..

thaks for your time and good informations,

Keli