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ArubaOS-CX Switches: VSX and MC-LAG

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  • 1.  ArubaOS-CX Switches: VSX and MC-LAG

    EMPLOYEE
    Posted Jun 20, 2019 10:54 PM

    This is a quick note on how to configure VSX and MC-LAG in two tier topology.

     

    Topology Diagram:Topology Diagram3.jpg

    For initial setup of ArubaOS-CX Switch, please refer the below page.

    https://community.arubanetworks.com/t5/Wired-Intelligent-Edge-Campus/ArubaOS-CX-Switches-Configuring-for-initial-access-and/td-p/526080

     

    How to configure VSX and MC-LAG ?

    Aruba Virtual Switching Extension (VSX) is virtualization technology for aggregation/core switches running the ArubaOS-CX operating system.
    VSX virtualizes the control plane of two aggregation switches to function as one device at layer 2 and as independent devices at layer 3. From a datapath perspective, each device does an independent forwarding lookup to decide how to handle traffic.

     

    Creating the VSX LAG:
    Create the required VLANs
    vlan 200
    vlan 250

     

    Create the ISL interface
    interface lag 256
    description ISL link for VSX
    no shutdown
    no routing
    vlan trunk native 250
    vlan trunk allowed 200,250
    lacp mode active

     

    Add a physical interface into the LAG
    interface 1/1/52
    description vsx-link
    no shutdown
    lag 256
    interface 1/1/53
    description vsx-link
    no shutdown
    lag 256

     

    Enable the interface for keepalive communication
    interface 1/1/1
    description heartbeat-link
    no shutdown
    ip address 192.168.255.1/24
    ipv6 address link-local


    Goto the VSX context, set the role of switch(Primary/Secondary), Enable ISL and Enable Keepalive.
    vsx
    inter-switch-link lag 256
    role primary
    keepalive peer 192.168.255.2 source 192.168.255.1
    vsx-sync copp-policy dns snmp static-routes time


    Configure the Multi-Chassis LAG:
    interface lag 1 multi-chassis
    vsx-sync vlans
    description MC-LAG
    no shutdown
    no routing
    vlan trunk native 250
    vlan trunk allowed all
    lacp mode active


    Add physical interfaces into the multichassis interface
    interface 1/1/31
    no shutdown
    lag 1

     

    Create an active gateway SVI
    interface vlan250
    vsx-sync active-gateways
    ip address 10.10.250.11/24
    active-gateway ip 10.10.250.1 mac 00:00:00:00:83:20
    interface vlan200
    vsx-sync active-gateways
    ip address 10.200.1.11/24
    active-gateway ip 10.200.1.1 mac 00:00:00:00:83:21

     

    Repeat the previous steps for the secondary switch.Secondary Switch.jpg

     

    Configuration on the Access Switch (ArubaOS-Switch)

    trunk 1/A1-1/A2 trk1 lacp
    vlan 200
    name "VLAN200"
    tagged Trk1
    ip address 10.200.1.13 255.255.255.0
    exit
    vlan 250
    name "VLAN250"
    untagged Trk1
    ip address 10.10.250.13 255.255.255.0
    exit

     

    Verification:

    show vsx briefvsx brief.jpg

     

    show lacp interfaceslacp interfaces.jpg

     

    show vsx statusvsx status.jpg

     

    show lacp (From Access Switch)lacp from access switch.jpg

     

    Statistics Commands:

    show vsx statistics interface lag256
    show vsx statistics interface lag1

     

    Hope you find this post useful.  Please post your feedback !



  • 2.  RE: ArubaOS-CX Switches: VSX and MC-LAG

    EMPLOYEE
    Posted Nov 07, 2019 12:27 AM

    Great post, I just completed the exact design with all CX platform using GNS3. 



  • 3.  RE: ArubaOS-CX Switches: VSX and MC-LAG

    Posted Nov 07, 2019 12:48 PM

    Great write up. Just set this up in my lab. 

     

    What program did you use to map out the topology? I'm about to build one and was just curious if you used something other than visio. 



  • 4.  RE: ArubaOS-CX Switches: VSX and MC-LAG

    EMPLOYEE
    Posted Nov 07, 2019 04:55 PM

    I used a tool called Intangi Iris.



  • 5.  RE: ArubaOS-CX Switches: VSX and MC-LAG

    Posted Dec 26, 2019 10:16 PM

    Can you do 14 x VSX Lags, say to 14 IDF's in a warehouse with this topology using this two VSX pair in this two tier toplogy? I have two large warehouses where I purchased 4 Aruba 8320 48 port.  My thought was two for each building.  I also bought 40 x 2930F - 2 for for each IDF.  



  • 6.  RE: ArubaOS-CX Switches: VSX and MC-LAG

    MVP GURU
    Posted Dec 27, 2019 04:50 AM

    Hi,

    Yes and no...

     

    Because you can have only 2 switch on a VSX

     

    Do you have a schema what do you plan to make ?

     

     



  • 7.  RE: ArubaOS-CX Switches: VSX and MC-LAG

    Posted Dec 27, 2019 03:52 PM
    6524y6


  • 8.  RE: ArubaOS-CX Switches: VSX and MC-LAG

    MVP GURU
    Posted Jan 02, 2020 04:22 AM

    Yes, i will be work

    (but there is the 2 other 8320 ?)



  • 9.  RE: ArubaOS-CX Switches: VSX and MC-LAG

    Posted Jan 02, 2020 06:57 AM

    Yes, there are two more 8320 in the other building.  They will be connected via LACP Trunk using 2 x QSFTP Modules.  That will be OK?

     

    Thank you so much for responding.  :-)

     

     



  • 10.  RE: ArubaOS-CX Switches: VSX and MC-LAG

    MVP GURU
    Posted Jan 02, 2020 08:36 AM
    @bygrob77 wrote:

    Yes, there are two more 8320 in the other building.  They will be connected via LACP Trunk using 2 x QSFTP Modules.  That will be OK?

     

    Thank you so much for responding.  :-)

     

     

    2930F/M will no be connected on this other 8320?



  • 11.  RE: ArubaOS-CX Switches: VSX and MC-LAG

    Posted Jan 02, 2020 09:27 AM

    Yes, there will be 2 x 2930F on the 2 x 8320 in second building but only for access ports, no routing.  Will that be OK?



  • 12.  RE: ArubaOS-CX Switches: VSX and MC-LAG

    MVP GURU
    Posted Jan 02, 2020 09:51 AM
    @bygrob77 wrote:

    Yes, there will be 2 x 2930F on the 2 x 8320 in second building but only for access ports, no routing.  Will that be OK?

    Yes !



  • 13.  RE: ArubaOS-CX Switches: VSX and MC-LAG

    Posted Jan 02, 2020 10:36 AM

    THANK YOU SO MUCH! YOU ARE AWESOME!



  • 14.  RE: ArubaOS-CX Switches: VSX and MC-LAG

    Posted Jan 03, 2020 11:51 AM
    ghfsadgasdfgads


  • 15.  RE: ArubaOS-CX Switches: VSX and MC-LAG

    Posted Feb 27, 2022 10:56 AM
    When setting up the access layer in the mc-lag topology shown here, is it necessary to have IP addresses assigned to each VLAN on the access layer switches.  I will be setting up a similar network soon and will be going from a single HP 8212 core to having redundancy with two 8325 cores.  My access layer switches will all be stacks of 6200f with no aggregation layer.  With the system we have now with HP and Aruba OS, none of the access layer switches have IP addresses assigned to VLANS.  On the 8212 core, each VLAN just has a 10.1.X.1 IP address assigned to it.  In mc-lag, if one core has a VLAN IP address of 10.1.X.2 and the other core 10.1.X.3 with an active gateway of 10.1.X.1, will I have to assign IP addresses for each VLAN at the access switch?

    ------------------------------
    Wayne DuBose
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 16.  RE: ArubaOS-CX Switches: VSX and MC-LAG

    Posted Feb 28, 2022 02:15 AM
    Hi Wayne

    Whether or not you want to assign IP addresses to the access layer depends on how you connect your clients to the networks. In the setup you described it is not necessary to assign IPs to each VLAN since the routing takes place on the core (8325) layer. The access switches just do layer 2 work and bridge the ethernet frames to the core where the traffic gets routed. However, it is recommended to have at least one IP set in order to allow the management and monitoring of your switches ;-). But one in a management VLAN is perfectly sufficient.

    I hope this helps.
    Best regards, Thomas

    ------------------------------
    Thomas Siegenthaler
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 17.  RE: ArubaOS-CX Switches: VSX and MC-LAG

    Posted Jul 06, 2023 09:18 AM
    8360 CX - using Multi-Chassis LAG to connect servers:

    I am doing a DC refresh and migrating from Cisco N9K to Aruba network hardware.  We need 100G uplinks and 10G edge ports For TOR switches.  We also have a number of  vPC (virtual port channels) configured to connect aggregate links to servers. I would like to know if the 8360-48XT4C would be suitable. I will be deploying these switches in VSX pairs and would like to know, if I can configure Multi-chassis LAG ports to replace the Cisco vPCs connecting to the servers. I have used multi-chassis lags to connect switches, but need to know if it will work as required to connect edge devices/servers/VM/ESXi etc.

    Any other considerations I should be thinking of?


    Original Message


  • 18.  RE: ArubaOS-CX Switches: VSX and MC-LAG

    MVP GURU
    Posted Jul 06, 2023 06:27 PM

    Hi! Yes, you can.

    VSX LAGs with LACP work perfectly also with peers like baremetal Servers, NAS, VMware ESXi nodes (both VSX LAGs with Non Protocol and VSX LAGs with LACP <- this particular choice depends on availability of VSS or VDS on VMware side) and so on...provided that those peers support Links Aggregation (AKA Bonding) with LACP or, at worst, without it (Static = Non Protocol).


    Original Message