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HP switch - Stacking workaround

 
charlesPTS
Occasional Advisor

HP switch - Stacking workaround

Hi experts,

 

Appreciate if you could assist on the following:

 

Current situation:

Customer’s core switches are running out, so additional ports will be require.

Existing Core switch model: 2x 3COM 5500G-EI (3CR17254-91), stacked together using 2 resilience cables (3C17262 & 3C17263).

 

Customer is looking at HP E5500-48G (JE090A) to stack together with their existing core switch (which I have done a check, it is possible), however, HP E5500-48G had EOL.

Replacement P/N for HP E5500-48G (JE090A)  is JD007A – HP E4800-24G, which does not have any stacking cable port

 

Thus stacking using stacking cable port is not possible, is there any other workaround to stack E4800G with the existing core switch ?

 

I have found the following in the quick spec of E5500, E5500G and E4800G which I am not too sure is it a valid workaround.

 

Virtual stacking capability: single IP address management for a virtual stack of up to 255 Comware-based 3Com legacy

devices, including HP E4XXX and E55XX series switches.

 

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/13804_na/13804_na.PDF -> E5500

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/13801_na/13801_na.PDF -> E5500G

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/13798_na/13798_na.PDF -> E4800G

 

Appreciate your expertise input and advise J

 

2 REPLIES 2
showneek
Respected Contributor

Re: HP switch - Stacking workaround

Hi,

 

virtual stacking capability up to 255 devices is possible across switch families but its benefit is usually in single ip management only.

 

If they have these switches in core I suppose that they use XRN (Extended Resilient Network) technology for advanced stacking, but you should check this. 

 

This is virtualization technology that can connect two or more switches into one logical switch and all L2 and L3 functions are virtualized. From another device (server, switch) this XRN stack looks like one single device. XRN is practically the same as IRF (Intelligent Resilient Network) that is current HP technology which came from ex-H3C and newer ex-3Com devices. To use this technology you have to connect switches from the same family, so in this case you need HP E5500 switch.

 

There is End of Sale announcement:

http://h17007.www1.hp.com/docs/products/eos/E5500-ES-Announcement.pdf

 

The end of sale of the devices effective June 15, 2011, or while supplies last. So you can try to order this switch and hope that there are some pieces left in HP stores.

 

If not, try to ask reseller to get one in HP remarket program which are used switches that are retested to ensure functionality and are sold again with lower price, usually with "R" in part number (JE090AR HP 5500-48G Rfrbd Switch).

 

BR,

Jan

showneek
Respected Contributor

Re: HP switch - Stacking workaround

...or just try to get this one on internet shops... and don't forget the stacking cable.

 

Jan