New 6509 Supervisor

[#1]

Hi Guys,

Quick question regarding which supervisor to buy for a new 6509 core switch. The site is approximately 1000 users, the access layer switches will connect directly to the core over fiber. Into a WS-X6748-SFP card.

I'm looking at either dual VS-S720-10G-3C or dual WS-SUP720-3B. The former has integrated 10G uplink ports – can these be used for anything. i.e could we use these for connecting 10G to my access layer or data centre? Also there are two 10G ports per supervisor, can all 4 be utilised even though the second supervisor is for redundancy/failover?

Other than the 10G ports, is it worth paying the extra $?

thanks

[Joseph W. Doherty]

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The   Author of this posting offers the information contained within this   posting without consideration and with the reader's understanding that   there's no implied or expressed suitability or fitness for any purpose.   Information provided is for informational purposes only and should not   be construed as rendering professional advice of any kind. Usage of  this  posting's information is solely at reader's own risk.

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Posting

Yes to your first two questions.

The VS-S720 has an improved PPS rate and when used in the dual configuration, the 2nd sup is utilized boosting system PPS even more.

i.e.:

• Increases throughput: The Cisco Virtual Switching Supervisor Engine 720 with 10 Gigabit Ethernet uplinks enables all Gigabit Ethernet and 10 Gigabit Ethernet links to be active simultaneously. This is true for redundant systems (systems with dual supervisor engines in the chassis), thereby increasing the supervisor throughput to 82 Mpps. As a result, the system throughput increases to 450 Mpps for IPv4 traffic and 225 Mpps for IPv6 traffic.

Whether this is worth the extra $, is dependent on the value to you of these improvements.

PS:

Of course, if you ever plan is deploy a 2nd chassis, with VS-S720 sups you can run VSS.

[#3]

Thanks Joseph.

Does the WS-SUP720-3B have any compatibility issues with 10G cards? Or would i need to upgrade the supervisor in the future for 10g anyway?

[Joseph W. Doherty]

Disclaimer

The    Author of this posting offers the information contained within this    posting without consideration and with the reader's understanding that    there's no implied or expressed suitability or fitness for any  purpose.   Information provided is for informational purposes only and  should not   be construed as rendering professional advice of any kind.  Usage of  this  posting's information is solely at reader's own risk.

Liability Disclaimer

In    no event shall Author be liable for any damages whatsoever  (including,   without limitation, damages for loss of use, data or  profit) arising  out  of the use or inability to use the posting's  information even if  Author  has been advised of the possibility of such  damage.

Posting

As far as know, sup720b works fine with all the current 10 G cards, except perhaps those designed for the sup2t.

[Ven Taylor]

Joseph makes a good point.

A new supervisor is nice, but they are EXPENSIVE...  Make sure you really need to upgrade before you decide.

My company throws money at the network, so a new supervisor is nothing.

However, I've worked for smaller companies where money was tight.  We had to quantify the value add.

We use Sup720-3B's too.  Strong card.

If you're looking for a feature add, then upgrading is a must, but don't just buy just to buy.

If you're doing okay with your current sup, use the money to upgrade something else.

Ven

[#6]

Thanks i'll keep that in mind. We don't need virtual switching any time soon, so as long as the 720-3B is strong enough for a network our size then that should be fine. We are likely to go to 10G sometime in the future so I was wanting to check that the 3B can support 10G cards.

[Joseph W. Doherty]

Disclaimer

The    Author of this posting offers the information contained within this    posting without consideration and with the reader's understanding that    there's no implied or expressed suitability or fitness for any  purpose.   Information provided is for informational purposes only and  should not   be construed as rendering professional advice of any kind.  Usage of  this  posting's information is solely at reader's own risk.

Liability Disclaimer

In    no event shall Author be liable for any damages whatsoever  (including,   without limitation, damages for loss of use, data or  profit) arising  out  of the use or inability to use the posting's  information even if  Author  has been advised of the possibility of such  damage.

Posting

". . . as long as the 720-3B is strong enough for a network our size . . ."  That's likely.

Do keep in mind the sup itself is rather "weak".  PPS performance is spec'ed at only 15/30 (non-fabric/fabric cards) Mpps.  What the sup720 does provide is a 720 GB fabric.  However, to fully leverage this you need (ideally) dCEF720 line cards (like the 6748 you've mentioned in your original post) with DFC3Bs (or DFC3Cs).

Considering the cost of a DFC, depending on your forwarding processing needs, you might actually fine a dual VS-S720, sharing its higher Mpps across the chassis less expensive than using a sup720b with all line cards having DFCs.  Much depends on just how much traffic your 6509 really needs to forward.