topic Can Summit Switches Cluster Edge and Core Switches? in ExtremeSwitching (EXOS/Switch Engine)

Can Summit Switches Cluster Edge and Core Switches?

Gerald_Nuque — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 07:11:00 GMT

Grouping them in a cluster for single IP management is the objective. I'm thinking of using X450-G2 as my access and X670-G2 as my core. There will be 100 plus edge switches and around several core switches. Avaya and Brocade can do clustering, I am not sure with Summit switches.

I hope you can help me with this. Thank you in advanced!

RE: Can Summit Switches Cluster Edge and Core Switches?

Alexandr_P — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 11:33:00 GMT

Hello, Gerald!

First of all - you can't mix X450-G2 and X670-G2 in stack.

But if you will use other types of switches, if you don't care about hardware tables performance - you can make it. (If it would be just L2 cluster).

But you need to pay attention that if you mix, for example, X670 and X460 then numbers of HW tables will be reduced to X460 numbers:

You can check stacking possibilities here - https://stackingtool.extremenetworks.com/StackingTool/

Thank you!

RE: Can Summit Switches Cluster Edge and Core Switches?

Gerald_Nuque — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 11:33:00 GMT

Hi Alexander,

Thank you for your reply. You are correct that we can't mix X450-G2 but only GE4 versions of X450-G2, the 10GE4 450-G2 can be stacked with X670-G2 following the extreme stacking tool. I agree with your statement with X460-G2 and X670-G2. I am thinking fo different approach for this requirement.

Appreciate your time 🙂

RE: Can Summit Switches Cluster Edge and Core Switches?

Tomasz — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 17:12:00 GMT

In terms of single IP management for many devices, the options are:
- stacking,
- V400 as a Bridge Port Extender (IEEE 802.1BR) device that would be more like a 'dummy' 1U switch controlled entirely from your core and it can be stacked somehow (so with single 10G switch you can have many of those, linked via single or double 10G for example),
- network management system.
No such thing as VCS Fabric yet (dunno if there are any plans due to highly advanced NMS), and in Avaya SPB Fabric has different purpose and works differently, it's not a single IP management - for that you had to use Avaya/Extreme Fabric Orchestrator app which is to be functionally adopted by Extreme Management Center.

RE: Can Summit Switches Cluster Edge and Core Switches?

Gerald_Nuque — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 17:12:00 GMT

Hi Tomasz,

Thank you for your reply. I agree with stacking and NMS, I haven't fully explore the new V400 switch. I will check on that. But I think I'll be combining stacking and NMS for this requirement for now.

Appreciate your time. 🙂

RE: Can Summit Switches Cluster Edge and Core Switches?

Ed_Uhler — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 17:13:00 GMT

If you use 2x x670's s your core and configure them in a High-Availability setup (MLAG), then you can dual-home the access switches for higher redundancy and quick fail-over. The access switches would have their uplink (configured as a LAG) and connected to each x670 core switch. See this GTAC knowledge article on how to configure the x670's in this configuration. https://gtacknowledge.extremenetworks.com/articles/How_To/How-to-configure-MLAG-in-Extreme-switches

RE: Can Summit Switches Cluster Edge and Core Switches?

Gerald_Nuque — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 17:13:00 GMT

Hi Ed,

That's another thing that I plan to design for this requirement and would probably add stacking and NMS to achieve client's objective.

Thank you for your time 