Switch Upgrade Options

[DuncanM2008]

Hello,

I'm debating my options currently for upgrading one of our end of row consolidated core/distribution switches, we currently run a stack of 7 x 3750G's which are aging badly.

Option 1:

Straight upgrade to 3750-X based stack or newer 3850's. 

Option 2:

We already have another EoR switch which is a 6509-E (SUP-720 based) so I could buy another 6509-E and swap the supervisors for VSS based supervisor's and merge the two EoR switches into one using VRFs. 

I'm cost prohibited and better options such as Nexus and ToR switching are out of scope currently.

If I go for option 2, do you need to go quad sup? Is there any point? 

Thanks,

[Reza Sharifi]

Hi,

I personally prefer option-2 since this is for distro/core deployment and you can uplink all your access switches to both 6500 chassis.  If you are going to upgrade the sups, you may as well go to sup-2T and as long as you have redundant power supplies in each chassis you should be fine.  As for quad sup VSS, again I personally like the simpler solution of one sup in each chassis, but that is just my opinion. 

HTH

[DuncanM2008]

Thanks Reza,

Valuable input, I think at the moment the Sup-2T model is out of range since I would also ideally change all the line cards to DFC4/PFC4 at the same time and we're heavily invested in the older DFC3/PC3 X6700 cards.

We don't have the throughput to justify the 2T either 720/1440 VSS is more than enough.

My preference was also single VS-SUP720-3C in each Chassis with dual CAC-4000W per-chassis.

Thanks,

[Reza Sharifi]

I completely understand.  I think you should be able to get a good price for 720-VS, as it is one version older and it does what you need. 

Let us know if you have further questions.

Good Luck

Reza

[devils_advocate]

If it were me, I would be going with the 6509's in a VSS setup.

The chassis based switches give you much more flexibility in regards to the ports. 

Other may disagree but the 3750/3850 range of switches were designed as Access switches. The chassis based ones are more for Dist/Core.

As Reza has said, you have good resiliency when using the VSS. 

Thanks