Connecting HPE Officeconnect 1920 with 1950

[rthreis]

Hello everyone,

I'm calling for some help.  I need to update our network using a couple of switches (6x Office connect 1950 24p and 1x Office connect 1920 PoE).

I need to connect a 1950 and a 1920 together.  Can I use one of those HP Flex cables (those connected in SFP connectors) ?  I already set up an IRF between 3 1950 switches and it works fine (used those 1/10GBase-T connections because I'm going to use the SFP+ connection for a couple of fiber connections interconnecting some buildings of ours).

I read somewhere that the 1920 series isn't able to use IRF protocol.  But I don't find a stack options on the 1950 series either (like on the 1920 in the left menu).

Can someone up here tell me how I can do to interconnect those 2 switches in a proper way ?

Thank you for all the help you're going to spend.

[parnassus · Accepted solution]

Hi, first of all a little recap on wording that could be misleading : on HPE OfficeConnect 1950 Switch series (Comware 7 operating system based) IRF is referred as Stacking into documentation...big surprise...everywhere else on Comware 5/7 operating system based Switch series supporting IRF, IRF is simply called IRF not Stacking (even if it's a technology that help to create a Virtual Switch that can resemble a Virtual Stack)...Stacking feature is generally associated with a feature used to manage a series of Switches from one Switch with the master role (that happens also on ProVision/ArubaOS-Switch based switches) not a technology feature to create a Virtual Switch (as IRF really is)....on HPE OfficeConnect 1920 Switch series (Comware 5 operating system based) IRF isn't implemented at all and Stacking feature exists (exactly to provide what I described above: centralized management from one master Switch, not Virtual Switching).

So, back to your issue: the answer to your problems is to simply create an Uplink (made of a single interface's link or made of multiple aggregated similar interfaces aggregated together's link), that Uplink will connect a/some IRF Stack's 1950 member(s) to your 1920 and vice-versa.

Now the terminology can be simple (for single interface uplink you connect one port of one member of your IRF Stack to one port of the 1920...nothing more, nothing less...provided that you then permit all required VLANs - if any - to pass through that uplink...port link-type IIRC should be set to type-trunk) or a little bit more complex for multiple aggregated interfaces uplink: in this case, on both ends, you need to define a BAGG (also called LAG Link Aggregation Group), associate to that BAGG each physical interface you want to aggregate together and then define the load sharing mode (Static=Non Protocol or Dynamic=LACP IEEE802.3ad)..that way you can interconnect your two ends with more than one physical link without incurring into STP issues (loop). A note: on IRF side, BAGG member ports can reside on any IRF Member (suppose you have 4 IRF Members and you can use a 4 Interfaces BAGG on both 1950 IRF Stack and on 1920), there is no requirement/restriction that force you to use interfaces all located on one IRF Member (that's a way to enhance resiliency of the uplink between 1920 and 1950 against a IRF Member failure).

So to recap: single interface's link, you're basically done...multiple aggregated interfaces' link, you need some configuration done on both sides -> create a BAGG/LAG (Menu Network -> Aggregation -> "+" add) -> chose member interfaces (same type and quantities - start with 2 as example - on both ends, on 1950 and 1920) -> decide about load sharing mode (Static or Dynamic <- use Dynamic on both ends) then - only then - connect both ends with cables and check LAG status(es) with proper commands (or via GUI).

There is a nice PDF that will help you understand visually what I mean (refer always to official HPE guides for 1950 and 1920 about implementing various features, the one linked is only an example to understand how you can setup an aggregated link between a Switch and a IRF Stack, both Switches "speak" the same language). The single link uplink is the most simple case so no discussion here.

[rthreis]

Well,  this is what I call an answer.

Thank you for this information.  I set everything up, and it seems to run (on test mode). I will install everything in place this afternoon, and hope it will be on point.

Thanks again for your precious help.

[parnassus]

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@rthreiswrote: Well,  this is what I call an answer.

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If so I deserve a Kudo (first time I'm asking about it!).