Recommendations for servicing a core switch

[timstewart]

Hi all

I am new to the community and I work for a 3rd party IT support company. I have been directed to the community support site by a cisco TAC engineer. I would like to know what recommendations Cisco would make for servicing/cleaning a core switch that has sustained some dust debris from work in the server room. I don't have the details for the model at the moment so I am not looking for specific instructions to service the unit but simply recommendations for cleaning out the dust without causing any possible further damage.

Thanks in advance

Tim

[Lucien Avramov · Accepted solution]

This is a great topic.

You need to find out the network topology and what features the switch is actually performing today.

I will put a non exhaustive list here:

-Remove VLANs that are no longer in use

-Remove configured ports / etherchannels that are no longer in use

-Is your switch also performing layer 3 or other feature sets?

In this case you can probably eliminate obsolete access-lists, and other preconfigured features.

The configuration guides and CLI guide of the switches will provide you an explanation about the features and how to configure them. You can refer to them so you can understand what commands are related to watch feature. For example, use the index of the CLI or command reference guide and find the commands already configured, it will take you to the section with the configuration steps and the feature.

You can just search on cisco.com for configuration guide 3560 (and other models) and this will take you to the documentation.

For example:

configuration guide:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/partner/docs/switches/lan/catalyst3560/software/release/12.2_25_se/configuration/guide/3560scg.html

cli:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/switches/lan/catalyst3560/software/release/12.2_44_se/command/reference/cr1.html

There is also this link which is useful as well:

http://www.cisco.com/univercd/home/home.htm

[Leo Laohoo]

servicing/cleaning a core switch that has sustained some dust debris from work in the server room.

Firstly, like what the commercials say, "take away the source".  Is the source of the dusts and debris corrected?

Next question is can you afford "down-time" to take out (as in physically un-rack and wheel it out) your appliance to an area where you can clean it?

Gosh ... I hope the next few lines won't get me in trouble here ...

I had the un-glamourous job of cleaning a number of switches.  They had dog hairs, gypsum board dusts, grass, etc.  I took them outside of the building, I had several cans of compressed air (a mechanized compressor that has a water filter is better as long as it's not too high pressure).  I remove the lids of the switches and "went to town" with the compressed air.  I also took special attention to the fans and cleaned it out as much as I can.

Another things is I smelled (you read it right) the components and made sure I don't detect any burnt smell.  A burnt smell emanating from the component boards is a sign of a failing component.

Hope this helps.  Please don't forget to rate useful posts.  Thanks.

[Tyler]

"I took them outside of the building, I had several cans of compressed air (a mechanized compressor that has a water filter is better as long as it's not too high pressure).  I remove the lids of the switches and "went to town" with the compressed air."

One good tip with spraying anything out with compressed air is to hold a shop vac near the area you are trying to clean out, so that are you blow the dirt up off the board, it gets sucked into the vacuum, as opposed to being blown into a different part of the board. Avoid touching either to the board! Also, hold the fan still while you clean it to avoid damage.

[timstewart]

Thank you both for your replies, they were both very useful. I will forward on your recommendations and build on these.