How to manage two 6500 in VSS without CiscoWorks

[mauricio.rodriguez]

Hello,

We configured two 6500 with VSS and it's working well, but my customer has HP OpenView and would like to see two 6500 nodes on his map. In reality he would like that each 6500 has one IP address (one ip address for each 6500 like a loopback IP address for example).

Is it possible ?

Regards

[fsebera]

My understanding is that when you combine two devices into one via VSS OR when you use stackable switches (3750 series) ONLY a single management address is available for the entire stack.

And from what I have read, (working on the actual setup as we type) a single device is correct.

HTH

Frank

[iyde]

As the VSS makes the two Cat6500 look like one, with one active and one standby Supervisor, it will be my best guess that you cannot do what you want. There's only one Sup active at a time, having the responsibility for both chassis.

[mauricio.rodriguez]

Thanks,

Yes, you have right, in a VSS design there is only one Sup card in active mode for the two cat6500. My problem is how I know when one Cat6500 become down ?

I would like to view the two Cat6500 on a HP OpenView map with two node, when one cat 6500 becomes down I would like to see on the map only one Cat6500 in red. The problem is that all Network Management tools like HP-OpenView uses ping to determine if a node is reachable or unreachable. So, is it possible to configure one different IP address on each cat6500 or someone has an another idea ?

Thanks by advance

[iyde]

As the processor for the whole VSS (both chassis) is the active CPU, all definitions of IP addresses will be on the active supervisor. In other words, no possibility to put an IP address on a chassis.

You will have to rely on syslogs, snmp traps etc. in order to gain info about switc down.

[jpoplawski · Accepted solution]

Just spit balling here, but couldn't you assign an IP address to one port on each chassis.

For example

int Gi1/1/1

Des Chassis One

no switchport

ip add 1.1.1.1 255.255.255.0

int Gi 2/1/1

Des Chassis Two

No switchport

ip add 1.1.2.1 255.255.255.0

Enable some form of routing, ping each respective interface and off to the races you go. In production, I've seen monitoring of SNMP on links with e-mail alert should the VSS trunk go down.

Hope this helps, rate if it does!

JB