Wired Intelligent Edge

Hi,

we are trying to design small campus network around 2x8320 as redundant core with few access switches connected to it over MM FO, 10Gbps. 

 However, looks like 40Gb ports on 8320 can be brought down to 10Gb with adapter as it is possible on 5710. Any other ideas around this?

Small slide attached. 

Hi!

I think your sentence:

---

@damima wrote: However, looks like 40Gb ports on 8320 can be brought down to 10Gb with adapter as it is possible on 5710.

---

should be correctly rephrased into: "However, looks like 40Gb ports on 8320 can't be brought down to 10Gb with adapter as it is possible on 5710." because no break out solution is available to split one 40Gbps port (QSFP+) into four 10Gbps ports (SFP+) on Aruba 8320.

Yep, you are right. English is not my native language and sometimes I make mistakes like this :-(

If you are planning a VSX (two Aruba 8320 interconnected by using VSX) and you have mostly 10Gbps downlinks to your access switches (stacks or standalone) you would probably use the JL479A (Aruba 8320 with 48 SFP+ ports plus 6 QSFP+ ports)...in that case SFP+ ports can be used to connect (through what are called Multi-Chassis LAGs or VSX LAGs) to your Access Switches that should use LACP as link aggregation control protocol (so each Access Switch should be connected to the VSX by means of two - or more - 10Gbps physical links aggregated into a LAG Link Aggregation Group, also called Port Trunking on HP/HPE/Aruba switches running the ArubaOS-Switch NOS). QSFP+ ports can be used with DAC Cables to form the VSX Inter Switch Link (ISL) plus a SFP+ port used for VSX Keepalive link.

Then I would need 4 of them, since  servers are 10Base-T (not SFP+). So ideally, it is 48x10Base-T + 8xSFP+ 

Looks like Aruba doesn't have solutions comparable to Cisco 9300 or some Huawei or H3C switches. 

Haven't paying much of attention to Cisco until now. Their 9300 has modular slot for uplinks so you can chose how to upgrade. Better approach then Aruba, IMO. 

What's about Aruba CX 6400 Switch series? it's modular...

Event with 2xmgmt modules, still SPOF. Event 8200zl and 5400zl we have been selling for 15+ years and only one actually had to be replaced, we parted away from this just because this one customer. He made huge issue around it so we went towards IRF stuff. HPE then acquired Aruba and we are somewhere where we are deciding whether keep going with Aruba anymore since it is not clear what HPE and Aruba wants. They don't have switches Cisco, Huawei, Extreme, H3C has so we are scratching our heads now. 

So being SPOF and also being bit pricey. I don't believe we can push it.

Please reach out to your local SE for assistance.

Reached. Only shaking heads. That's reason why I came here looking for ideas. They don't have any. 

---

@damima wrote: Event with 2xmgmt modules, still SPOF. So being SPOF and also being bit pricey. I don't believe we can push it.

---

Hi @damima, you have to consider that a single Chassis equipped with dual Management Modules is a SPoF from the chassis standpoint, not from the Management Modules standpoint.

To be clear: an Aruba 5400R zl2 equipped with dual Management Modules and NonStop Redundancy configured is not SPoF from the management standpoint, if it is also equipped with two (5406) or up to four (5412) Power Supply Units it can be considererd not SPoF also from the power supply standpoint.

So what is the SPoF you fear? it's the failure to the entire chassis! can you overcome that? Yes! Have you ever though about VSF (two Aruba 5400R zl2 working in v3-only-mode interconnected together with VSF links, think about it as Distributed Trunking with steroids)? Will a VSF be a SPoF? No it will not...dual homed system connected to VSF via LACP trunks and consuming services running on VSF are protected against the failure of one entire Chassis. Will it fit your bill? probably yes.

I didn't exactly understood what are your requirements but I'm quite sure you can find a suitable approach using HPE Aruba.

You named IRF, the same - in terms of being SPoF proof designs - happens on Core designs deployed using IRF technology (various HPE Comware based switch series) or VSX technology (ArubaOS-CX driven switch new series: Aruba 8400X, 8320 and 8325 plus Aruba CX 6400).

You wrote you need a redundant Core...this can be achieved in many ways (what level of redudancy are you looking for?) with many different type of hardware and configurations:

• well known ArubaOS-Switch based switch series (pre-rebrand some of them were known as HP ProCurve).
• new additions running ArubaOS-CX 10 operating systems.
• DC focused HPE FlexNetwork Switch series running Comware 7.

Quite different approaches are possible. IMHO HPE Aruba knows exactly where it is heading: considering the HPE Hybrid IT model the ArubaOS-CX was designed to be, being a totally new operating system, the present and future foundation for both the Core and Access layers at Campus level...and, lately, with new features added recently it is able to step into Data Center.

Hi, 

I will to keep reply "readable" :-). 

- "you have to consider that a single Chassis equipped with dual Management Modules is a SPoF from the chassis standpoint, not from the Management Modules standpoint." -->

and chassis backplane went bad. So we decided to stay away from chassis based switches since HPE is not able to provide CTR service at reasonable cost. Small market. 

- "So what is the SPoF you fear? it's the failure to the entire chassis! can you overcome that? Yes! Have you ever though about VSF (two Aruba 5400R zl2 working in v3-only-mode interconnected together with VSF links, think about it as Distributed Trunking with steroids)? Will a VSF be a SPoF? No it will not...dual homed system connected to VSF via LACP trunks and consuming services running on VSF are protected against the failure of one entire Chassis. Will it fit your bill? probably yes." -->

I have considered all of these. I was probably first guy who started doing HP Procurve at that time,  -20y.  Point is cost. You can stack two 5406 with VSF but cost is something which is double comparing to others just because Aruba doesn't have switch most others have :-). 

- "I didn't exactly understood what are your requirements but I'm quite sure you can find a suitable approach using HPE Aruba." -->

It is fairly simple: 2 x 48x10Base-T+8xSFP+ in stack/IRF/whatever and 2 additional stacks with 4x48-port 1GbE PoE+ and 2x24-port 1GbE, few standalone L2 with SFP+ uplinks. You have the edge (2930M, 2930F, 2940) but this stac with this combination of ports, you don't have except using 5710 withour clear picture what will happen to Flex line (or as we call it A series). 

- "IMHO HPE Aruba knows exactly where it is heading" -->
I do beleive Aruba know. Problem is that I don't know :-))))

- "the present and future foundation for both the Core and Access layers at Campus level" -->

yet, you are missing one port combination form small campus core. 

Thank you for long reply. Now with all other replies, I am sure Aruba can't match requirements from the customer at cost what makes senses. Time to evaluate some other brands as backup. 

Are you stuck on using the 8320? I think you would need two stacks with the 10G SFP+ model and 10Base-T model(Basically two of each). I may be wrong but am not sure if either switch by itself is going to accomplish your requirements. You might be able to to work this with a 5412 zl2 with two 8 port SFP+ modules and six 8 port Smart Rate modules, depending on total needed 10base-T you may need dual 5412's or might be able to get away with two 5406 instead. 5412