Stacking 9300 and 9500

[rudimocnik]

Hi

I've read through the datasheets of each and I cannot find anything on support for "inter-class stacking". To be specific I am building a core stack and I am planning on using 2x 9300-24UX and 2x C9500-24Y4C. Ideally I would want the core to be a single stack.

Thanks

[Mark Malone]

Hi
thats not possible , you couldn't do it with earlier release models either , they at least had to be in the same platform series at a minimum , haven't seen anything that's changing in 9ks either that would allow that

[Leo Laohoo · Accepted solution]

Not remotely possible.
9500 can only be stacked (stack virtual) by another 9500.
9300 can only be stacked with another 9300. (It won't even be able to stack a 9300 with a 3650/3850.)

[rudimocnik]

Yeah I see now they use different stack technologies. The thing is I need copper interfaces and I cannot seem to find anything in 9500 series. Ideally 2x24 port switches.

[Scott Hodgdon]

mocnikr,

If you need copper and fiber, then why not look at Catalyst 9400 and use StackWise Virtual to create a single core entity?

Cheers,
Scott Hodgdon

Senior Technical Marketing Engineer

Enterprise Networking Group

[Leo Laohoo]

What port density are you looking for?
2 x 24 port switch of what kind? Copper? Fibre?

[rudimocnik]

I actually consume 24 copper and 27 optics.

So I planned for 2x 24 copper ports. Preferrably MGig for "investment protection". And 2x24 optical ports preferably with 10/25G support again for future proofing.

Currently the most homogeneous build is to use 3850 stack

2x 3850-24XU-L - 24x MGig with Network Module 8x 10G SFP+

2x 3850-12XS-S - 12x 10G SFP+

I am also considering 9300/9500 build

2x 9300-24UX 24x Multigigabit Cisco UPOE (100M, 1G, 2.5G, 5G, or 10 Gbps) no uplink module

2x C9500-24Y4C 24x 1/10/25G Gigabit Ethernet + 4x 40/100G Uplink (fixed uplink)

Total GPL is basically the same. The only thing that "bothers" me with 9000 series is that they are not stackable. On the other hand 9000 series build offers very high throughput optics uplink, higher speed optics (25G) and more optic ports. 

9400 is not an option since price is so much bigger.

[Mark Malone]

Look at the nexus switches aswell 93180 , 93240 models might be an option too l2/l3 multi gig , cheap and fast and stable and HA capable with VPC ,just as another option

Check the Cisco switch selector online

[rudimocnik]

I picked 2x C9500-24Y4C (24x 1/10/25G Gigabit Ethernet + 4x 40/100G Uplink). The switches will be in the same rack. Looking at the StackWise Virtual guide it says "The stack can be formed over a redundant 40-G or 10-G fiber links...". I was thinking of using 100G (QSFP-100G-CU1M) for SVL. I assume SVL can be configured on any interface including 100G. Can someone confirm this?

[Mark Malone]

25gb Could be the limit as SVL not supported on uplink module as per FUJI new release

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/lan/catalyst9500/software/release/16-9/configuration_guide/ha/b_169_ha_9500_cg/configuring_cisco_stackwise_virtual.html

Cisco StackWise Virtual link is supported on all 10G interfaces and 40G interfaces of the supported switch models. However, a combination of both the interfaces is not supported. SVLs are currently not supported on any of the uplink modules.

[rudimocnik]

I finally found some info on this here: https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/products/collateral/switches/catalyst-9000/nb-06-cat-9k-stack-wp-cte-en.pdf

I see that 100G are supported for my 9500-24Y4C on fixed uplinks.