High availability design 9410R(core) 9407R(distribution)

[isaaco001]

Dear community,

I have two 9410Rs (core) and two 9407R(distribution) switches. I have attached the specific details of their components below.

I need to configure high availability at core and distribution level. Which design would be ok to take in this case is it VSS or stacking? If stacking with the components included will I be able to achieve this? any reference on documentation on how to make the physical/logical connections would be welcomed.

Thanks you all!

Regards,

Isaac.

[Leo Laohoo]

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@isaaco001 wrote:

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[Giuseppe Larosa · Accepted solution]

Hello @isaaco001 ,

from a design point of view I think that you can do the following:

VSS and SVL are limited to only two devices

so you can:

a) create an SVL pair between the core C9410R switches

b) create an SVL pair between the distribution C9407R switches

c) you can configure a L3 multi chassis port channel 4 X 10G so that whatever chassis is alive core01, core02 Dis01 dis02 there is at least one working link between them

core01 --- Dis01

core01 -- Dis02

core02--- Dis01

core02 -- Dis02

On the port-channel you run a routing protocol like OSPF.

Hope to help

Giuseppe

[isaaco001]

Giuseppe,

Thanks for you prompt and informative response!

I understood steps a and b well.Step c is a good idea but I didn't understand how I can achieve this. c ) you can configure a L3 multi chassis port channel 4 X 10G so that whatever chassis is alive core01,core02 Dis01 dis02 there is at least one working link between them.  

Are you saying we have:

P2P port-channel(10G) between Dis01 to core01,P2P port-channel(10G) between Dis01 to core02?

P2P port-channel(10G) between Dis02 to core01,P2P port-channel (10G) between Dis02 to core02?

Then run OSPF between all the P2Ps?

This HA setup(core/distribution) is totally new to me so to also clarify, If let say my core switch is performing roles such as the gateway of all internal networks, running dhcp service,connecting to perimiter firewall etc. what will be the role of the distribution? will it just be providing connectivity and redundancy...essentially "passing along" the connections to the core switch!

If you have any sample configurations or references/links of such setups of the overall connectivity, kindly share!

Regards,

Isaac

[Giuseppe Larosa]

Hello @isaaco001 ,

I proposed to create an SVL for core switches and an SVL pair for distribution .

When you do this each SVL pait appears aa a single device to the outer world I have proposed to creat a port-channel between the two pairs with a careful choice of member links so that at least one member link is alive in case of a single chassis failiure a both core SVL and distribution SVL pairs.

>> If let say my core switch is performing roles such as the gateway of all internal networks, running dhcp service,connecting to perimiter firewall etc. what will be the role of the distribution? will it just be providing connectivity and redundancy...essentially "passing along" the connections to the core switch!

In this case if all L3 routing functions are done at Core layer you should use a L2 trunk on the port channel but it would be a waste of reosources to use the distribution just to aggregate access layer switches.

I would suggest to consider moving inter VLAN routing to distribution for user facing VLANs

Hope to help

Giuseppe

[isaaco001]

 Giuseppe,

Thanks once again for clarification. The logical connectivity now makes perfect sense!

Just one last query,

Physically this would mean I have connections connecting from DSO1<---->CS01,DSO1<--->CS02 and DSO2<---->CS01,DSO2<--->CS02 all members of the same portchannel?

And SVL physical links between CS01<===>CS02 and DS01<===>DSO2?

Regards,

Isaac

[Giuseppe Larosa]

Hello @isaaco001 ,

>>

Physically this would mean I have connections connecting from DSO1<---->CS01,DSO1<--->CS02 and DSO2<---->CS01,DSO2<--->CS02 all members of the same portchannel?

And SVL physical links between CS01<===>CS02 and DS01<===>DSO2?

Yes your understanding is correct , you need to create SVL pairs first then the port channel multi chassis between the two pairs

Hope to help

Giuseppe

[MHM Cisco World · Accepted solution]

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/switches/catalyst-9000/nb-06-cat-9k-stack-wp-cte-en.html