Linking 8-3750x stack switches with 8 new 2960 xr switches

[Ven Diesel]

Hi 

We are increasing the size of our voip based network and planning to purchase 8-2960-xr or 8-3750-x additonal switches,  currently we are using  8-3750-x stack switches as core.

My question is can I connect the new stack switches to exsisitng 3750-x by configuring layer2 portchannels, so that all the routing and intervlan routing can be done on core 3750x, is this a valid  implementation design ?

Any recommendation for set this up will be really appreciated.

Many Thanks

Ven

[Reza Sharifi]

Hi,

Sure, Yes you can uplink 2960s  to your core 3750s using Etherchannel.

HTH

[Ven Diesel]

Hi Reza

Thanks a lot for your reply, to get some more insight  to design and consider best design practise

HA and redundancy are major factors as we are voip based network I want to make sure all factors like Port security, VLANs,Quality of Service (QoS), spanning tree are designed properly

1) connecting 10 gig uplinks from two different switches(master 1 and 2) in core to two different switches in access layer 2960(master 1 and 2)? is this correct

2) is it recommended to seperate spanning tree between two platforms?

3) is 3750x capable of handling all the processing for routing and intervlan for the extra load.

[Reza Sharifi]

Hi Reza

Thanks a lot for your reply, to get some more insight to design and consider best design practise

Hi

1) connecting 10 gig uplinks from two different switches(master 1 and 2) in core to two different switches in access layer 2960(master 1 and 2)? is this correct
That is correct. For redundancy you connect the master of the 3750 to the master of 2960 and also a connection from a member of the 3750 to a member of the 2960. All these links go into Etherchannel. If you want you can add more then 2. LACP and PAGP both support up to 8 links in an Etherchannel
2) is it recommended to seperate spanning tree between two platforms?
I would use the same spanning tree type in both stacks. If you are for example using RSTP on your 3750 use the same one on the 2960 stack. Make the 3750 stack the root.

3) is 3750x capable of handling all the processing for routing and intervlan for the extra load.
Yes the 3750x should not have any issue with routing between vlans.

BTW, how are you planning to uplink the stacks together i.e. fiber, copper, 1gig, 10gig etc.....?

HTH
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[Robert Craig]

Ven Diesel,

     Just out of curiosity, are you actually putting 8 switches in a configured stack via stacking cables?

[Ven Diesel]

Robert

No my concern is not about setting up switches in stack, I want to make sure we are following standard practise while creating uplinks to core and rest of the layer 2 features.

[Leo Laohoo]

When you are dealing with 3750, please avoid stacking seven or more 3750 to a single stack.

[Ven Diesel]

Thanks for the recommendation will note that,

[Robert Craig]

Yeah, thats what I was getting after. I thought you literally had eight switches in a stack configuration. Thats just asking for a disaster to happen. I've seen a range command bring down a stack like that to it's knees. Pretty scary.