Where to connect production servers in Three-tier design

[Rowlands Price]

Hi support,

i want to build a network with the cisco three-tier design with redundancy, ACCESS, DISTRIBUTION and CORE.

i have 2 core switches

I have 2  distributions switches for users

i have to distributions switch for servers

All the distributions switches will be connected to the both core switches,

my concern is, for economic reason, i want to connect my servers directly to the distribution switches, it is recommended?

for users, i will use access switches to connect to users distribitions

Need your clarification

Regards

[Pawan Raut]

You can connect both users and server on same distribution layer to achieve cost effective solution

[Rowlands Price]

Hi Pawan

the situation is the client want to separate users distribution and servers distribution, so fo cost saving, he asked me if it possible to connect servers directly to server distribution?

[Leo Laohoo · Accepted solution]

i want to build a network with the cisco three-tier design with redundancy, ACCESS, DISTRIBUTION and CORE.

Networking 101.

i have 2 core switches

What is/are the model of your core switches?

I have 2  distributions switches for users

What are the distro switch model(s)?

[Rowlands Price]

Hi Leo,

The network is under building

for core, we want to use Nexus 7700

Servers distribution: Nexus 5500

Users distribution: Catalyst 3850

for users access, we want to use Catalyst 2960X

[Leo Laohoo]

for core, we want to use Nexus 7700

Servers distribution: Nexus 5500

Users distribution: Catalyst 3850

for users access, we want to use Catalyst 2960X

Something doesn't add up here.  Can you draw the design of the network?

And what is the budget for this project?

[Rowlands Price]

Hi, attached is the diagram

[Leo Laohoo]

Now what is the budget for this project?

[Rowlands Price]

around 300.000$

[Leo Laohoo]

I doubt if $500K is going to cut it.  

A pair of Nexus 7700?  Several Nexus 5500?  

Look at Cisco 6807/6880/6840.  Research more on Instant Access.  This will make your three-tier design into one big fat physical layer but a three-tier logical layer.

[Rowlands Price]

Ok, the client will discuss budget,

my concern is technical, 

from the design, it's recommended to connect servers at distribution level?

[Leo Laohoo · Accepted solution]

it's recommended to connect servers at distribution level?

Depends on the budget, like I said. 

If one has a limited budget, like $300K, then one doesn't have the luxury of implementing a three-tier hierarchy.  It's just too darn expensive.  

If this was a theoretical question (like school work), where budget is just a figment of one's colourful imagination, then YES.   And when one connects servers at the distro level the distro level now operates in a "hybrid" level of distro/access layer.

[Rowlands Price]

Hi Leo,

Thanks for you response, it's for a client, he really want a three-tier level, i said him it not necessary, but he said he want the high level design. so, for securiy reasons i want to know if no risk issue to connect server at distribution level.

Many thanks

[Leo Laohoo]

Thanks for you response, it's for a client, he really want a three-tier level,

Since the introduction of Cisco's Nexus FEX and Instant Access technology, the three-tiered architecture is getting irrelevant due to cost.  

Point your client into reading the White Paper about FEX and Instant Access just to get them updated into the present world.  

securiy reasons i want to know if no risk issue to connect server at distribution level.

There is no difference. 

[Rowlands Price]

Hi Leo,

so for you, what can i say to my client?

the real situation is that the client is a bank with two datacenters distance 1 km.

Attached is the actual scheme and the client want a full redundancy between DC

how can we propose the full redundancy in this case