@Dave Harrold wrote:I'm trying to VSF 2 5400R switches, a J9850A and a J9851A. Both have the required v3 modules in the switch.
Turns out that you can't VSF those 2 switches, they must be the exact same product numbers. That isn't called out in the documentation or release notes as far as I can find.
That is a critical piece of information and needs to be in the documentation!!
Hi Dave, pardon me if eventually I didn't read it correctly or if I miss the point but, judging by the Switch Product Numbers you tried to use, a question arises:
Are you trying to enable VSF between an HPE 5406R zl2 6 Slots chassis (J9850A [*]) and a HP 5412R zl2 12 Slots chassis (J9851A [**])?
If so that scenario is not permitted since the Switches involved in VSF must be both 5406R zl2 or both 5412R zl2 (any mix of them is not permitted) and that is also very clearly stated on the VSF Configuration Guide (see here) and on various VSF-related threads present in the HPE Community since November 2015 (as example: initially here) and, more recently, also in the Aruba Community too (as example: here or here).
Notes regarding [*] and [**] were taken from the HP 5400R zl2 Switch Series FAQs document available here (questions 25 and 26), the exact text:
Q25: Why does my HP 5406R zl2 switch have a part number J9850A mentioned on the chassis label?
A25: The HP 5406R zl2 switch (J9821A) includes the base chassis J9850A, the HP 5400R zl2 Management Module (J9827A), and the HP 5406R zl2 Switch Fan Tray (J9831A). The bundles J9823A, J9824A, J9868A, JL002A, JL003A, and JL095A each include the base chassis J9850A, the HP 5400R zl2 Management Module (J9827A), and the HP 5406R zl2 Switch Fan Tray (J9831A) in addition to the switch modules mentioned previously. The part number J9850A is not orderable.
Q26: Why does my HP 5412R zl2 switch have a part number J9851A mentioned on the chassis label?
A26: The HP 5412R zl2 switch (J9822A) includes the base chassis J9851A, the HP 5400R zl2 Management Module (J9827A), and the HP 5412R zl2 Switch Fan Tray (J9832A). There is no shipping mistake. The bundles J9825A, J9826A, and JL001A each include the base chassis J9851A, the HP 5400R zl2 Management Module (J9827A), and the HP 5412R zl2 Switch Fan Tray (J9832A) in addition to the switch modules mentioned previously. The part number J9851A is not orderable.
Hope to have not misunderstood what you have exactly on your hands...
@Dave Harrold wrote:So, how can I provide LACP redundancy across both these switches? I want to have a port on each switch be part of an LACP group (to a 5900, BTW) and have the LACP groups on the servers attach to both switches. How can I do that?
Thanks,
Dave
Regarding your request it looks like you want/need to configure a DT (Distributed Trunking) that will use LACP...that should be possible if both downstream Switches you're trying to connect to are inter-linked with something like IRF or ISC (VSF, as far as I know, doesn't support DT Distributed Trunking...what a pity...considering that VSF was exactly the feature you tried as a foundation for your DT(s)...if I understood your setup correctly), ISC or IRF are essentials in order to present both inter-linked Switches as a single Logical Switch to the HPE FlexFabric 5900 Switch and, eventually, to any other Server(s) LACP Trunks.
It seems that VSF is mutually exclusive with ISC (which, in turn, it seems mandatory when DT is required against two identical 5406R zl2 or two identical 5412R zl2 Switches).
Davide.
I'm not an HPE Employee
