RSTP and ELRP

[Jan_Adolfsson]

I would like to implement RSTP and ELRP in our environment, and looking for a valid and stable design.
Anyone want to help me?

Attached is an image of the topology.

Short description of environment:
Edge is X440G2 connected by Sharing L3_L4 LACP to 2 Core switches of model X670 with Sharing L3_L4 LACP and MLAG
Edge has about 10 VLANs (Client, management, wallboard, cctv, print etc)
Most ports on edge switches (X440G2) are auth-ports (802.1x) and each edge switch has 2 APs connected. APs are WPA2-Enterprise (802.1x)

LAN Core X670 is connected to 2 Datacenter switches of model X695.
X670 has the same VLANs as Edge switches

DC Core X695 swicthes has about 70 VLANs
Storage (NAS) and all ESXi hosts are connected to X695 with LACP and MLAG

[Brent_Addis · Accepted solution]

Hi,

I cannot see anywhere in your design where any kind of spanning tree would help. In fact, it would hinder and slow things down. My honest opinion is don't use it. I've started pulling it from networks I operate in favour of MLAG's and EAPS, or Fabric where available.

You have MLAG and LACP covering off your redundancy, and ELRP for edge port/loop protection. It might be possible to look at EAPS but even then, it would involve changes to your physical layer that would halve available bandwidth.

[Brent_Addis · Accepted solution]

Hi,

I cannot see anywhere in your design where any kind of spanning tree would help. In fact, it would hinder and slow things down. My honest opinion is don't use it. I've started pulling it from networks I operate in favour of MLAG's and EAPS, or Fabric where available.

You have MLAG and LACP covering off your redundancy, and ELRP for edge port/loop protection. It might be possible to look at EAPS but even then, it would involve changes to your physical layer that would halve available bandwidth.

[Jan_Adolfsson]

Ok thank you for you input. But RSTP would add extra layer of protection on the edge ports, for example block ports if a rouge switch is connected to a 802.1x port. Or am I out bicycling in Sahara now?

[Brent_Addis · Accepted solution]

It wouldn't do anything ELRP doesn't do, but it does it in a more complicated fashion.