NEW 2930M - Will it stack with 2930F / 3810 ?

[HarrySp]

Will the new 2930M (https://www.hpe.com/h20195/v2/getpdf.aspx/a00001977enw.pdf?ver=2.0 ) stack with the exisiting 2930F, or the 3810?

If not, is this a hardware or software mis-match?

[parnassus]

I doubt the new Aruba 2930M can stack with Aruba 2930F...since the Aruba 2930F uses VSF technology and Aruba 2930M and 3810M not (VSF Virtual Switching Framework is deployed by configuring frontplane stacking on normal 10G/40G Ethernet ports and it doesn't require special Hardware Stacking Modules/Cables on each involved Switch as instead Aruba 2930M/Aruba 3810M require).

Aruba Hardware Stacking Module SKU are also different:

• for Aruba 3810M: Aruba 3810M 4-port Stacking Module (JL084A)
• for Aruba 2930M: Aruba 2930M 2-port Stacking Module (JL325A)

Moreover JL084A and JL325A seem to have different characteristics:

• JL084A: globally provides up to 336 Gbps of stacking throughput per switch (using all 4 stacking ports in Ring Topology) and each 4-port stacking module can support up to 42 Gbps in each direction per stacking port.
• JL325A: globally provides up to 100 Gbps of stacking throughput per switch (using all 2 stacking ports in Ring Topology) and each 2-port stacking module can support up to 25 Gbps in each direction per stacking port.

Will be interesting to deep dive into documentation to see *if* Aruba 3810M and Aruba 2930M supports eterogeneous hardware based stacking (a mix of Aruba 3810M and Aruba 2930M)...but I don't think that is possible given differences reported above.

[blanny]

That's right. 2930F and 2930M use different stacking technologies and as such, they will not stack.  2930M will not join a backplane stack with a 3810M just like 3810M will not stack with a 3800.  You wouldn't want them to backplane stack anyway because you would be limited to the fabric speed of the slowest stack member. 

[GuruP]

Feature set supported is slightly more in 3810 compared to 2930M./2930F.

2930F supports only Front plane stacking upto 4 mbrs, is a fixed hardware [no modularity , no stacking port slot, no flexible module slot]

2930M and 3810 supports Back Plane stacking upto 10 mbrs, but cannot mix 3810 and 2930M for back plane stacking as the platform is different [WC: 2930M/2930F , KB : 3810/5400R].