Is this Switch configuration OK ?

[karan_a]

Hello everybody, I am planning a configuration in our company.  I configured this switch

1 * J9822A (5412RZL2 Switch - includes 1 MGM Board)

1 * J9827A (Management Board) (for extra reduncancy)

3 * J9828A (Powersupply) 2 * J9537A (SFP * 24 Module)

4 * J9549A (20 LAN ,4SFP)

4 *J9987A (24 LAN)

24* J9150A (10 GBit SFP LC SR)

4 * J9151A (10 GBit SFP LC LR)

Can you help me ? Is this configuration ok or can you find any mistakes? I would be very happy if somebody can confirm if this config is ok and has noch technically restrictions. Thank you very much. A.Karan

[parnassus]

No, it's not OK.

At least looking at your Bill of Material and without knowing anything about your Network Topology requirements.

Since you're starting with an Aruba 5412R zl2 Switch (12 Slots) you should avoid to use v2 zl Modules and try to get only newer v3 zl2 Modules (produced with the newest 6th generation ASIC): the choice (more expensive) to go with a 5400R zl2 Switch with only v3 zl2 Modules (to let the 5400R zl2 to operate in v3-only mode) will grant you a future-proof path to new software features available only with the new KB.16.xx software branch (as example: deploying VSF, ZTP etc.).

Then you should pay extreme attention that 10G Mini-GBIC(s) require SFP+ and not SFP (SFP+ can accomodate and use both 10G and 1G Mini-GBIC(s), SFP cannot...it is compatible with only 1G Mini-GBIC(s) copper or optical).

What does it mean to you?

It means that - if you're really planning to use that - 28 - number of 10G Mini-GBIC(s) as written on your BoM - by purchasing 4 HPE X132 10G SFP+ LC LR Transceivers (J9151A) plus 24 HPE X132 10G SFP+ LC SR Transceivers (J9150A) you need absolutely SFP+ Modules and not SFP Modules.

Since your BoM has only 10G Mini-GBIC and no SFP+ are listed...your list has an inconsistence about pairing right Modules with right Mini-GBIC(s).

Supposing the 10G Mini-GBIC(s) are right...then you've a problem because 28 x 10G Mini-GBIC(s) (4 LC + 24 LR) can't be fitted in simply one or two SFP+ Modules because it doesn't exist any SFP+ (so for 10 Gbps) Module able to accomodate the same number of 24 SFP ports (so for 1 Gbps) like happens to the J9537A on your BoM.

Then another question looking at your BoM: why 2 J9537A (24+24 SFP)...are you planning to just distribute some Mini-GBIC on both Modules avoiding to fill just one?

[*] One can ask why there isn't a larger number of 10G ports (more than 8) Module: well...a 10G ports Module have less ports because each port has ten times the throughput of a single 1G port - SFP+ or Copper doesn't matter - so an 8 ports 10G Module means an overall theoretical throughput of 80 Gbps (160 Gbps Full-Duplex)...while a 24 1G ports has 24 Gbps (48 Gbps Full-Duplex)...simply, with this fabric, you can't have a single 24 x 10G for an overall theoretical throughput of 240 Gbps (480 Gbps Full-Duplex).

So - very first question - are you really sure you need 24 + 4 = 28 10G Mini-GBIC(s) (probably for 28 10Gbps optical uplinks to other edge Swithces or Servers)?

This will be my very first concern.

At best - if 10G  ports are really essential and you care about using v3 zl2 Modules - you will find the J9993A HP 8 port 1G/10GbE SFP+ v3 zl2 Module which accomodates 8 SFP+ ports...said so...you should definitely re-think your Switch chassis composition or the way you grant your desidered Network Topology (if you're forced to use 2 x 12 Slots chassis to balance your line cards then you are going to be forced to go with VSF and v3 zl2 Modules become a must to have).

Consider reading carefully this document (especially the section about zl v2 and zl v3 Modules for 5400R zl2 Switch Series): HP Networking zl and zl2 Modular Ethernet Switches - Support for v1, v2 and v3 zl Modules

Then other worth reading interesting documents 5400R zl2 related are:

• HPE ArubaOS-Switch Software Feature Support Matrix (June 2016)
• Aruba 5400R zl2 v2 to zl v3 Modules Compatibility and upgrade guide Technical White Paper
• HPE 5400R zl2 Switch Series FAQ

List of v2 zl Modules:

J9534A HP 24-port Gig-T PoE+ v2 zl Module

J9535A HP 20-port Gig-T PoE+ / 4-port SFP v2 zl Module

J9536A HP 20-port Gig-T PoE+ / 2-port 10-GbE SFP+ v2 zl Module

J9537A HP 24-port SFP v2 zl Module

J9538A HP 8-port 10-GbE SFP+ v2 zl Module

J9546A HP 8-port 10GBase-T v2 zl Module

J9547A HP 24-port 10/100 PoE+ v2 zl Module

J9548A HP 20-port Gig-T / 2-port 10-GbE SFP+ v2 zl Module

J9549A HP 20-port Gig-T / 4-port SFP v2 zl Module

J9550A HP 24-port Gig-T v2 zl Module

J9636A HP 12-port SFP v2 zl Module

J9637A HP 12-port Gig-T / 12-port SFP v2 zl Module

List of v3 zl2 Modules:

J9995A HP 8-port 1/2.5/5/10GBASE-T PoE+ MACsec v3 zl2 Module

J9993A HP 8-port 1G/10GbE SFP+ MACsec v3 zl2 Module

J9989A HP 12-port 10/100/1000BASE-T PoE+/12-port 1GbE SFP MACsec v3 zl2 Module

J9990A HP 20-port 10/100/1000BASE-T PoE+/4-port 1G/10GbE SFP+ MACsec v3 zl2 Module

J9991A HP 20-port 10/100/1000BASE-T PoE+/4p 1/2.5/5/10GBASE-T PoE+ MACsec v3 zl2 Module

J9992A HP 20-port 10/100/1000BASE-T PoE+ MACsec/1-port 40GbE QSFP+ v3 zl2 Module

J9987A HP 24-port 10/100/1000BASE-T MACsec v3 zl2 Module

J9986A HP 24-port 10/100/1000BASE-T PoE+ MACsec v3 zl2 Module

J9988A HP 24-port 1GbE SFP MACsec v3 zl2 Module

J9996A HP 2-port 40GbE QSFP+ v3 zl2 Module

Edit: [*] clearly that argument deserves a better description (out of the scope here) and it becomes really important (Fabric Channels and Ports Overcommitting) especially when you're planning to (or you are just going to risk to) have all connected chassis 10G links concurrently saturated due to burst or persistent high traffic.

[karan_a]

Thank you very mich friend.

Without you i would make a big mistake. Thank you very much.

A Little bit about our network topology:

We have a Backbone Switch (the planned config) an 12 other switches (in different buildings) which are connected with fiber (lacp) to the backbone switch.

We planed to have a 10Gbit connection between the backbone and the other switches. For redundancy I planed to use 2 x 24SFP Modules.

Now I know that I need SFP+ Modules an should use V3 Modules.

I have to plan more different. Thank you very much for your help

[parnassus]

Yep.

If you're planning a dozen of trunks and each trunk is made of two fiber links aggregated into a LAG using SFP+ Transceivers (for 10 Gbps) - so to have IEEE 802.3ad LACP 2 ports Trunks between each Switch pair - to your new Core Switch (the 5400R zl2) then you will need really (12+12) 24 SFP+ ports dedicated to fiber optics trunks...and, as far as I know, with the only availability of 8 SFP+ ports Module (J9993A) you need at least 3 of them...so a 12 Slot chassis could be not enough if you also plan to install other Modules.

Really you will need a 2 x 10G SFP+ Transceivers LAG for each trunk?

That's OK for link resiliency...but what's about your inter-switch traffic load?

Is it really so high-demanding that a "lower-end" 2 x 1G SFP Transceivers LAG for each Trunk can't be enough to sustain it?

That's up to you!

If so...pay the necessary attention on how you will distribute LAG member's links (I mean: how you will group SFP+ ports) on your various SFP+ Modules installed within the same Chassis (as said, it could be relevant).

Good luck!