Hello Devin, well the roots of VSF (on Aruba 5400R zl2) date back to 2016 at least. At time ArubaOS-CX wasn't available and first Aruba CX switch series were presented to the public in late 2017 and early 2018...so comparing the Aruba 5400R zl2 VSF approach (and specifically it [1]) now with VSX isn't totally fair.
The very first question you should answer first is: what do I mean with
redundancy? redundancy of physical connectivity (through redundant links from peers)? redundancy of services (IP Routing, as example)? both?
I don't know you Network and the switching/routing services running on...but, from what you wrote, it seems that you have a Core (and with Core I mean a switch with IP Routing enabled, router for your internal network segments) and a sort of backup passively sitting aside. No VRRP between the two, correct me if I'm wrong.
Given that for sure transitioning to a VSF of two Aruba 5400R zl2 will be a real enhancement from the point of view of redundancy of both connectivity and services offered to your peers (Access switches and/or directly connected Servers).
Keep in mind that VSF deployed for those reasons requires a redundant connectivity spread to both VSF Members (so you should heavily end using Port Trunking with LACP to your peers).
VSF on Aruba 5400R zl2 requires you to fulfill some points and those are clearly specified on well-known documents (let me know if you need an help to find them [2]).
Clearly the discussion can be further developed in many different directions but, at the moment, I personally would stop here.
[1] Features/Requirements/Restrictions of VSF on the 2 Members VSF on Aruba 5400R zl2 (operating in v3 Mode) aren't exactly the same of VSF deployed on, say, Aruba 2930F (FSU Fast Software Upgrade is not available on Aruba 2930F VSF, as example...a "n" Members VSF can't be made on Aruba 5400R zl2 which is limited to 2 members, as example...required VSF interfaces' speed varies and so on).
[2] Start with:
https://higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com/HPE/MigratedAssets/ArubaOS%20VSF%20Configuration%20Guide.pdf (old but good),
https://higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com/HPE/MigratedAssets/Backplane%20Stacking%20and%20VSF%20Best%20Practices.pdf these just to familiarize. Then there are more updated guides to read too.
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Davide Poletto
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Original Message:
Sent: Apr 13, 2022 06:50 PM
From: Devin Burns
Subject: VSF for Access Layer Only?
I am trying to add additional redundancy to our core and am wondering if it is a bad idea to use VSF. We currently have two 5400Rs acting as our core switches and wont get the okay to upgrade anytime soon. There is almost no redundancy between the two, and the secondary is essentially a passive backup. Obviously I would like to fix this, and my first thought was VSF. It seems like most Aruba info says VSF is for access layer switches and VSX is for core. I'm seeing discussions about it as well with people saying not to use VSF on core switches. What is the reasoning behind this? Is it just the limitations of the shared control plane between the two? Any input would be appreciated.
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Devin Burns
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