8600 SMLT to Nexus5k vPC?

[ChesTrulson]

Hi all!

I come from a large uni environment with a core of 4 pairs of 8600s in IST/SMLT, and 20+ distribution 8600s connected to the core boxes with SMLT/MLT.  This works great, and has for many years, we're very comfortable with IST/SMLT.

But it seems we may soon have a Cisco UCS/Flexpod blade server chassis on its way.  This includes the chassis, 6200 interconnect boxes and apparently a pair of Nexus 5000s.  The way this is usually strung together is picture in page 34 of this doco: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/solutions/Enterprise/Data_Center/Virtualization/flexpod_securesep.pdf Basically they connect the pair of 5000s to a pair of 7000s with vPC in much the same way as i would connect one pair of 8600s to another pair with IST/SMLT.

But of course, we have no Nexus 7000s, and would like to connect the pair of 5000s to one of our pairs of 8600s.

Can you run IST/SMLT on a pair of 8600s, and vPC on a pair of 5000s, then mesh them together?  Those selling the UCS obviously believe that you can.  I'm not so sure.  We're not aware of anyone else running this configuration, and frankly it seems like a pretty big gamble to me.

Can anyone help?

Thanks,
Ches

PS: In case the above was not too clear, see this blog post: http://packetized.wordpress.com/2011/03/29/nexus-7k-and-nortel-vpc-and-smlt-interoperatability/

I wish to do something similar to the square topology at the top of his first diagram, but using a pair of 8600s connected to a pair of Nexus 5000s.

[Flintstone]

Hi ChesTrulson,

You might want to check out SMLT'ng ERS5600 stacks across a pair of Cisco 6500s if you have to go down that route?

http://forums.networkinfrastructure.info/nortel-ethernet-switching/how-to-smlt-cisco-6500%27s-across-two-ers5650-stacks/msg3007/#msg3007

CheerZ and good luck

[Dominik]

Hi Ches,

I was able to connect a ERS5000 Switchcluster with a SMLT to a Cisco FlexPod with the combination of vPC and SMLT.
It worked in our Lab , in general it looks like that the vPC technology can be combined with the SMLT technology. But to run it in a production network will be a chellange espacially when it comes to debugging. I would do as much as possible LAB testing before implementing the FlexPod.

Good Luck

[Michael McNamara]

Hi Ches,

You can certainly utilize IST/SMLT technology to connect the Nexus 5000 series switches. You'll need to utilize 802.3ad (LACP) in order to accomplish it. I would probably just utilize SMLT and leave the Cisco equipment configured as a standard port channel with LACP.

In that design you would run a single cable (connection) from the Cisco Nexus 5000 to each Avaya ERS 8600. The Cisco Nexus would be configured as a Port Channel with LACP while Avaya ERS 8600 would be configured as SMLT.

I don't believe you would want to try and mix a vPC configuration with a SMLT configuration even trying to utilize LACP as the underlying basis.

It should work fine and it should provide you the Layer 2 redundancy and active/active pathing that your looking for.

Cheers!

[ChesTrulson]

Thanks for the replies guys!

Michael, that certainly sounds like the easiest way to do it, but unfortunately i'll have 2x 5ks, not just the one.  I think that this necessitates vPC in the Cisco world?  The setup looks something like this:


Dominik:  I'm trying to get some 5ks in now to do some testing in our lab (luckily we have some spare 8600s i can use already).  So i suppose i'll find out soon enough.

[Michael McNamara]

Hi Ches,

Yes, it's vPC downstream to the Cisco UCS environment but upstream it's going to be 802.3ad (LACP) with SMLT.

So between the ERS 8600s and the Nexus 5548s it will be a LACP/SMLT connection. You just double the number of connections, each Nexus 5548 will be configured with a single Port Channel utilizing LACP which will then connect to both ERS 8600s.

See the attached.

[ChesTrulson]

Ah, i see what you mean.  My apologies, i'm not too knowledgeable about the Nexus kit!  That looks like the way to go.  I'll lab it when our 5ks arrive.

Thanks for your time, and i'll be sure to let you know how it all goes.

Cheers,
Ches

[Dominik]

Hi Ches,

why do you use the Nexus 5000 between your Avaya Switches and your UCS 6120 Fabric Interconnect ?

The UCS 6120 Fabric Interconnect is also a "Nexus" switch, wich speaks a completly propriatry protocol to the UCS Chassis, but is capable of ethernet.

It would be less complex if you connect your UCS 6120 direct to your Avaya switches ?

Cheers

PS would be nice if you can share your expirience with the Cisco FlexPod

[ChesTrulson]

Dominik,

I'll be sure to let you know how we go with UCS.  Our deployment is strictly for a large-ish VDI rollout at this stage, but may expand to a more general compute solution later.  Coming from HP's C-series enclosures, and some of their nasty interconnect solutions, i'm very keen to see how a real network company does blade networking.  From the training i've had it seems reasonable, but the proof is in the prod!

As for the 5ks: It seems that FlexPod includes them in order to allow vPC connections to the NetApp filers and the Nexus 1000v appliances, and to provide more fibre channel ports for disk.  The Fabric Interconnects will work in 2 modes, 'End Host Mode' and 'switch' mode, neither of them provide that much layer 2 switch functionality, and no layer 3 at all.  It seems you need the 5ks if you want to do anything too tricky.

You're right though, i believe that the 6120s are the same hardware as the 5500s, but running different code.  We're actually getting the newer Fabric Interconnects, the 6200s, but i'm not sure what the difference is, apart from more ports and the 2.0 software.

[Dominik]

Ches,

very interesting Cisco send us the FlexPod without the nexus 5k.
I also had to compare HP C-series enclosures with the Cisco UCS solution.
Both have their ups and downs ... Cisco UCS is kind of pricy.

Good Luck for he implemention.

Dom