HSRP Running switch

[SathishkumarSaravanan0348]

Hello experts,

I have WS-C3750X-48 switch running in HSRP. I am going to create the trunk port for connecting the server. 

Requirement is to add 4 trunk ports and 1 access port. Should I need to configure the trunk ports both in active and standby switch?

Regarding the access port is it okay if we configure alone in active switch?

Thanks,

Tholkappian

[Georg Pauwen]

Hello,

what are you trying to accomplish with HSRP ? Post a schematic drawing of what you want your topology to look like.

[balaji.bandi]

As per my high level understanding : here is my comments.

Is the server has dual home connectivity or single connection, ?

if the dual homed to access switch - that make sense ?

if single home there is no big advantake you get here.

if this not helped you, we need more information how your network connected and till your Server ? (what is this server ? Esxi or windows ?)

[SathishkumarSaravanan0348]

Hi Balaji,

Thanks for the reply. Here single/ dual home you are referring as below?

connections: Active switch----> server<------Standby switch

[Richard Burts]

Tholkappian

I agree that we need to know more about your environment to be able to give you good suggestions. 

- you tell us the switch is running HSRP. Is that HSRP for a single subnet/vlan? Or is there more than one subnet/vlan using HSRP?

- if the switch is running HSRP then there needs to be at least one other device routing for the subnet(s) using HSRP. What is the other device?

- you tell us you want to create a trunk for connecting the server. Why would a server need a trunk port? Does this server do dot1q trunking?

- you tell us that you need 4 trunk ports. What is the requirement for 4 trunk ports? 

- you tell us that you need one access port. If connecting the server needs trunk ports that can carry multiple vlans then what is the need for an access port that carries only a single vlan?

[SathishkumarSaravanan0348]

Hi Richard,

Thanks a lot for your reply.

you tell us the switch is running HSRP. Is that HSRP for a single subnet/vlan? Or is there more than one subnet/vlan using HSRP?----> Yes they have created the VLAN 41 (10.211.110.208/28)

 if the switch is running HSRP then there needs to be at least one other device routing for the subnet(s) using HSRP. What is the other device?-----> 2 switches are running HSRP (Model number WS-3750X-48)

 you tell us you want to create a trunk for connecting the server. Why would a server need a trunk port? Does this server do dot1q trunking?-----> Yes you are correct. It is supporting dot1q trunking.

 you tell us that you need 4 trunk ports. What is the requirement for 4 trunk ports? ----> I need to check this with the server team.

you tell us that you need one access port. If connecting the server needs trunk ports that can carry multiple vlans then what is the need for an access port that carries only a single vlan?------>Yes you are correct. Let me check the query with server team.

Questions:

1. If the trunk ports are configured in active switch whether the same we need to create it in standby switch?

eg: if interface Gi1/0/20 is configured as trunk in active switch, whether the same interface Gi1/0/20 need to be configured as trunk in the standby switch. I checked the output, I could see all are same.

XXXXXXXXXX#sh interfaces trunk

Port Mode Encapsulation Status Native vlan
Gi1/0/2 on 802.1q trunking 1
Gi1/0/3 on 802.1q trunking 1
Gi1/0/40 auto n-802.1q trunking 1
Gi1/0/41 auto n-802.1q trunking 1
Gi1/0/42 on 802.1q trunking 1
Gi1/0/43 on 802.1q trunking 1
Gi1/0/44 on 802.1q trunking 1
Gi1/0/45 on 802.1q trunking 1
Gi1/0/47 on 802.1q trunking 1
Gi1/0/48 on 802.1q trunking 1
Po2 on 802.1q trunking 1

[Richard Burts]

Thanks for the information that I requested. If both switches are running HSRP for vlan 41 then both switches will need the SVI interface vlan 41, have an IP address assigned in that vlan and have the HSRP virtual address configured on that vlan interface. The switches will need to have a connection where they see each other as neighbors on vlan 41. It might be an access port but more likely would be a trunk port.

If the server does support trunking then it would make sense for the switchport connecting to the server be configured as a trunk. And if the server team wants 4 vlans trunked it is fine to do that. 

It is not clear to me whether the server will connect to one switch or to both switches. If it is to only one switch then there is not redundancy. If the server will connect to both switches then there will be redundancy (and HSRP makes more sense when there is redundancy) and in this case it would be important that the switch port on both switches that connects to the server be configured with the same vlans carried in a trunk.

It is not clear to me whether the vlan 41 that runs HSRP will be one of the 4 vlans requested or whether it is separate? And also not clear whether the switch would need to route for the subnets in the 4 vlans being trunked or if the switch just needs to do layer 2 forwarding for those vlans.

[Giuseppe Larosa]

Hello @SathishkumarSaravanan0348 ,

the scenario is more clear now.

what the server people would like to perform is some form of NIC teaming ( how they call it) that in networking terms usually means creating a port channel with tw ports toward Sw1 and a port channel with two ports towards Sw2.

So this is possible you have to check with the people managing the servers.

In alternative each port is indipendent and the server will use one NIC on switch SW1 and will use the second NIC to Sw1 if the first fail. If both NICs to Sw1 fail then it moves to use the first NIC to Sw2 and so on.

You have to clarify this point about "NIC teaming" with the server guys.

About the single port in access mode it may be used for management of the host ( the server may be running virtualization software by VMware or Microsoft or Linux based) this port may be the management for the hardware box under the supervisor software

Hope to help

Giuseppe