VRRP doubt - 5500-24G EI

[tecpointsa]

Hello everyone! I have to set VRRP in two 5500-24G EI switches. I've read the step by step guide and I understand how to do it. My doubt is if with a common Ethernet 1000 Mbps uplink (Switch to switch connection) can do it, because the guide does not specify.

I apreciate any help, thanks!

[Vince-Whirlwind]

Difficult to say without seeing your netwoirk topology, but I don't think it should be very complicated:

the hosts that will be using the VRRP router will be on a layer-2 segment that connects them to both - so at the very least this segment will also connect the VRRP routers to each other at the distribution layer.

Ideally, however, you have a trunk directly linking the VRRP routers to each other that carries each of the VLANs for which you are configuring VRRP.

[tecpointsa]

Thanks for answering. Maybe I do not explain well. My question was about configure VRRP on 2 switches (both 5500) linked together with a UTP cable and not using SFP modules + fiber or similar solution... is this posible?

[Vince-Whirlwind]

The "Master" will be the router for your networks, and you should also configure it with the lowest STP priority so it is also the Layer2 root for your ethernet segments. This will mean all traffic from Distribution switches will use the uplinks to the Master, and you will need to ensure you have configured your redundant links from the FIrewall and Virtual environments to also use the Master.

In the even the Master fails at Layer3 but not Layer2 (ie, VRRP fails, but the switch keeps switching), all your traffic will be routed by the "Backup" when it takes over, but not switched. This means all traffic will hairpin from the Master to the Backup. Therefore you need to provide a trunk between the Master and Backup that provides sufficient bandwidth.

If your Virtual environment has 10Gb links, and/or your Distribution switches have 10Gb uplinks to the Cores, then your Cores should be trunked together with 10Gb links, preferably 2 or more of them.

VRRP itself doesn't care what your links are - it just uses each Layer2 segment to keep the Master Master and Backup Backup.

[tecpointsa]

OK, I understand you. Would happen in that instance if the master switch is turned off? In your opinion, is IFR a better redundancy solution than  VRRP for switches that are VLAN gateway (usually core switches)?

[Vince-Whirlwind]

If the master suffers a complete outage, on the backup - spanning tree unblocks the secondary links to the access switches and it starts routing. Fairly seamless. IRF is much better as all physical nodes within the IRF share forwarding tables and you can aggregate your uplinks and reduce the reliance on spanning tree so you get more efficient traffic flows.