Cisco 3750X StackPower and IOS Upgrade

[jpl861]

Hi,

I am confused with the stackpower technology. It was mentioned that the
maximum stackpower is 4 switches but of course the maximum number of
switches in stackwise is 9. So what if i have a single switch stack that has
a total of 9 switches? How do i implement stackpower? This is what I read in
Cisco's website.

Q. How many Cisco StackPower stacks can be built within one data stack?
A. In theory, one switch is a stack on its own in terms of Cisco StackWise.
In terms of Cisco StackPower, one switch constitutes a StackPower stack of
one switch.
The recommendation is to have Cisco StackPower stacks of four switch members
to maximize the effect of power aggregation and redundancy.
Another option is to build three Cisco StackPower stacks of three each, for
a total of nine switches, matching the maximum number of switch members in a
Cisco StackWise stack (also known as a data stack).

If I understood it correctly, I can still have 9 stacked switch but only 3
of them should be a member of one stackpower group? So a total of 3
stackpower ring group will be made to accommodate a fully loaded stacked
switch?

Another question for IOS, what if I purchased the 3750X-48T-L (LAN base)
switch and decided to run IP base in the future. If I upgrade the IOS to IP
Base would it work? I believe Cisco is trying to do its best to prevent
users from doing this type of thing by doing licensing but will it still
work if I download an IOS for 3750X-48T-S? I just want to be sure so I can
push my client to buy the IP Base instead. They are planning to buy the LAN
base and look for an IP Base software in their switch in their domain and
use that for the LAN base switch. If it's not going to work I want to let
them know as early as now.


Thanks in advance.

[hobbe]

well this is how I have understood it.

There are 2 different types of stacks.

Data stack and power stack.

It is possible to use a powerstack with 9 units.

but that requires a xps 2200. 

You can have several powerstacks in one datastack of max 9 units.

this is supported.

However you are not supposed to use 2 datastacks with one powerstack.

that is not supported

Powerstacks are max 4 units (if not using xps).

Datastacks are max 9 units.

There is no ios ip base.

it is the same ios just a different license.

The L3 (ipase and so on) does not stack with L2 (lan base).

However that said you can actually buy L2 switches and do a test license upgrade and they will work for something like 86 days as a L3.

but the next reload after that will not be a happy one when it does not connect to the l3 stack anymore.

My personal reflection.

If the company is willing to do what you have stated then I would think twice before I had to be in the position of sending them a bill.

Get paid in advance and CoD.

Good luck

HTH

[jpl861]

Very well said. Thank you so much for your wonderful reply. So using three powerstack for one data stackwise is possible right? I can manage the entire 9 switch stack with a single IP but at the back, they have 3 powerstack ring topology separate from each other.

Yeah I told them not to buy the LAN base software if they are going to use the powerstack and since Cisco is doing licensing now unlike before. I have seen this type of IOS with the new 2900 and 3900 series routers and I wanted to know if the 3750X is just the same. Well, looks like it's the same so they have the IP base right away and not wish to upgrade the LAN base image.

Thanks.