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More Stack / IRF Confusion

 
stuart_d1
Advisor

More Stack / IRF Confusion

I recently posted about my confusion around the commands and output for dealing with IRF (stacking). After some valuable input and time spent reading documents I thought I had a handle on it.

That was for 51xx based devices and also some 7503's that have a slightly different output. However we also have, so I just found out, some 5820X's and they don't abide by the same rules I'd worked out for myself. To determine if we have a stack I first run display device and if more than one I then run display lldp nei list | i DEVICE_NAME * - the result of this is that if the box is configured and cabled up correctly then the result of the LLDP query should be twice the members.

   * an alternative is to run display curr | begin irf-port

With a 5820X this approach doesn't work.

First, the display irf ? command doesn't have the link option - a dis lldp doesn't give any result but showing the irf-ports output confirms IRF is in use and which ports are configured.

Now - I appreciate tis may be my understanding that is lacking, but I have two questions...

  1. Is it my understanding that is lacking and if so (or even if not)?
  2. Is there a uniform approach to working out how a stacked device is cabled up whatever model that is?
           - if there is isn't, is my understanding generally right and either way
           - what command set would I use to determine this on a 5820 series device?
2 REPLIES 2
parnassus
Honored Contributor

Re: More Stack / IRF Confusion

Hello, pay attention to Comware version (5 versus 7) your involved Switches are running on...IRF shares common implementation practices (some restrictions are more Switch series/models related) but some commands can produce slightly differents outputs since Comware 7 operating system is different from the older Comware 5 (outputs can be more articulated and can provide more info, some commands can also have additional options in comparison with the very same commands exectuted on Comware 5 operating system based switches).

Also every Switch series has its IRF configuration guides (because requirements and restrictions varies) and, from time to time, new irf related commands/featires are added as a consequence of continuous software development in Comware 5 and especially in Comware 7 (see Release Notes).

I think that display irf (with all possible options) can be a good way to understand if and how it is implemented.

The LLDP part looks interesting, never noticed WRT IRF deployment, maybe incoherents results are related with the fact that IRF port uses a single MAC Address...or that IRF Topology (Chain versus Ring) can produce invalid results (Chain IRF Topology sholud be used when IRF members are two, some Switch series grant Ring also for a Two-Members IRF deployment...but it shouldn't be the best practice, better an IRF Chain where the single IRF Port is bound to multiple physical interfaces)

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stuart_d1
Advisor

Re: More Stack / IRF Confusion

@parnassus- again thank you.

Without my even having put that in you picked up what I didn't. Indeed, the 5820X is Comware v5.

So, now I know this I can go dig out a document, I hope, that will help but one subsequent question if you will.... what set of commands would I then use for determining the physical interconnectivity of those IRF members running on Comware v5?