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HELP! - I need a switch recommendation and ideas for a setup..

 
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mujzeptu
Super Advisor

HELP! - I need a switch recommendation and ideas for a setup..

So, we have:

4 enclosures with flex-10 cards (redundant)
1 enclosure with 16 1gb rj-45 ports
about 24 other misc servers/devices with 1gb rj-45 ports

I am trying to communicate with the site infrastructure. In the past all this was handled by then but now they want us to have our own tel-com rack.

We will also have 4 5300's available. I would like to use the fibre on these too. I have heard they have modules with 4-fibre ports that support SFP?

They are wanting me to supply what kind of cables I need single or pair (even a part number)

They are wanting what switches and GBICs, etc.

I can leverage 10Gb however I am trying to keep it cheap so 1gb that works with flex10 is preferred.

Any ideas? A 5400 was mentioned? This will also have fibre uplinks to the switches behind it.

Not sure what works best with Flex10 and where to start as im a server/SAN guy.
4 REPLIES 4
Pieter 't Hart
Honored Contributor
Solution

Re: HELP! - I need a switch recommendation and ideas for a setup..

Hi there,

Nice that you come to the community with this question.

But when I read : "I am trying to communicate with the site infrastructure. In the past all this was handled by them but now they want us to have our own tel-com rack".

It seems to me there is some task they previously did before and now they want to delegate administration of a subnework to your department?

I think it would be reasonable to ask your own organization to advice you.
They should take into account your wishes, and know best how to connect this to theirs.
Mohammed Faiz
Honored Contributor

Re: HELP! - I need a switch recommendation and ideas for a setup..

Hi,

I don't believe the 5300's have SFP+ modules so you'll need something like the 5400 series to support those connections.
Personally I'd use the 5300's for any 1Gb connectivity and use 5400's for any 10Gb flex10 connections (you only get 4 10Gb connections per mod) and/or as aggregation switches for the 5300's.
mujzeptu
Super Advisor

Re: HELP! - I need a switch recommendation and ideas for a setup..

Thanks for the feedback.

I wish it was that simple to get assistance, but unfortunately thats not the case.

How would you recommend connecting the 5400 to the 5300's? Also, then connect these to the fibre and copper patch panels?

Also, whats the fundamental difference between single and multi mode?

I saw on the 5400 you can get a module that has 20 1gb rj-45 connections and 4 1gb mGBIC connections. Can I use the gbics for uplinks from sites network, and still use the 1gb copper ports as downlinks to my servers? Is that too much load on the individual modules? Also is there any stipulations on module configuration? Do you have to have even sets? Any gotchas I should know about or just configure it for directly what I need based on my circumstances?
Mohammed Faiz
Honored Contributor

Re: HELP! - I need a switch recommendation and ideas for a setup..

>How would you recommend connecting the 5400
> to the 5300's?

I'd use multiple 1Gb copper connections that were trunked together. The number of ports in the trunk would depend upon your traffic loads.
For example, two (for a bit of redundancy) x 2Gb trunks from each 5300 back to a 5400.

> Also, then connect these to
> the fibre and copper patch panels?

The connectivity to the fibre panels would depend upon the type and form-factor of your fibre.

The basic difference between single-mode and multi-mode fibre is what distance you can run them over. Single-mode is for longer distances. Multi-mode is typically good for distances upto 300m.
You'll need to buy the correct mGBICs and fibre patch cables for the type of fibre infrastructure you have.

> Can I use the gbics for uplinks from sites
>network, and still use the 1gb copper ports
> as downlinks to my servers?

Yes.

> Is that too much load on the individual
> modules?

Only if you anticipate each those connections to be running at close to 1Gb for significant amounts of time concurrently.

> Also is there any stipulations on module
> configuration? Do you have to have even
> sets? Any gotchas I should know about or
> just configure it for directly what I need
> based on my circumstances?

There's nothing unexpected that you'd need to watch out for there. All I'd say is that it's best, for resiliency reasons, not to stick all your connections into 1 module. In other words, if you need to connect 20 ports, buy 2 modules and put 10 in one and 10 in the other.
The same applies to inter-switch trunk links, if you're connecting a 4Gb trunk, put two of the ports in one mod and two in another.