Wired Intelligent Edge

Did you know you can configure VSF in 2 steps?

With 2 Aruba 5400R switches (2x5406R or 2x5412R), both with a factory-default configuration, you can configure VSF in 2 steps.

Step 1:

• Add ports to the VSF link on 1st switch - Enable VSF and assign a domain
  • (config)# vsf member 1 link 1 A1
  • (config)# vsf enable domain 1

Step 2: 

• Verify 2nd switch has a factory-default configuration and connect 2nd switch to the VSF port on 1st switch 
  • 2nd switch will automatically enable VSF and add the connected port to the VSF link

Learn more about Virtual Switching Framework in the ArubaOS-Switch Management and Configuration Guide K/KA/KB.16.01 here.

,Hi,

Can't we configure VRF with 1G ports ?

what would be the limitations ?

Hi mithun_raam, 

I assume you mean VSF and not VRF as they are two different technologies.

Only 10g and 40g ports are supported as VSF ports on the 5400R switch.

Thanks, 

Justin

Hi,  any roudmap VSF for 3810? is better standardize stacking via VSF for 3810 as support dac cable with sfp+ port. The spec also high differ with 2930F. 

All commware switch series support IRF if the switch support SFP+ with DAC cable. Doesnt make sense if 2930F support VSF, 3810 didnt support VSF. Spec lower than 2930 + not full layer 3 features. 

Hopefully you can rise up this issue to RND

Hi fiq,

We currently do not have plan to add VSF to 3810.  The 3810 has plug-n-play high-performance back-plane stacking and full L3 capability.  Thanks for sharing your feedback though; I will take this into consideration.

Regards,

Kai Chang

PLM, Aruba Networks

Hi Kchang,

Thanks for your feedback. Any option to make it as single IP management without used backplane stacking module. Something like HPE 2530 stacking. Or maybe can provide me beta firmware 

What requirements are there on the SFP+ Cables? I have used Passive Cables before and they dont seem to be able to establish a link with a Passive SFP+ cable.  does it have to be an active cable?

Decent article. One question though, we currently have 2 separate 5406 running stuffed with modules operating without VSF. We have a disaster site coming up in a few months and would like vsf enable them for enabling redundant connections to the other DR site.  I know about the v3 and firmware requirement but if both modules have to run factory config when enabling vsf then we have some work redesigning all firewalls, netscaler, cisco etc. Do both switches need to run factory configuration?

Regards

Snakkes

I have THREE 2930F switches and i want to configure Stacking (VSF) between them. Can anyone guide me the steps needs to be taken for this and what command needs to be run on each switch for stacking?

Thanks alot

Umer

Greetings!

Once you have the second VSF member up and running per the instructions in the first post, use the following command to configure a second VSF link on the new member:

switch(config)# vsf member 2 link 2 <port>

Once this is done, connect the cable from the selected port on member 2 to the desired port on member 3, then power on the third switch. Once it boots, it should detect the VSF domain and automatically reboot to join the fabric.

Once the second boot is complete and the switch is a VSF member, you can add an additional link between members 1 and 3 to form a ring topology, so that the failure of any single VSF link or chassis will not result in a split stack.

Thanks MATTHEW FERN For the quick reply,As i understand that is the dynamic attachment of the edge switches which you explain in your post. Let say if i want to do it manually on each switch and as an example i have four switches 2930F then is the below config is fine on each switch:

Switch1:
vsf member 1 link 1 49
vsf member 1 link 2 50
vsf enable domain 2

Switch2:
vsf member 2 link 1 49
vsf member 2 link 2 50
vsf enable domain 2

Switch3:
vsf member 3 link 1 49
vsf member 3 link 2 50
vsf enable domain 2

Switch4:
vsf member 4 link 1 49
vsf member 4 link 2 50
vsf enable domain 2

sw1 port-49 will connect to sw2 port-49

sw2 port-50 will connect to sw3 port-50

sw3 port-49 will connect to sw4 port-49

and

sw4 port-50 will connect to sw1 port-50 for ring topology. Am i understand Correct ???

Please verify and advice.

Thanks 

Umer

This should work fine.

re: Snakkes

Was wondering about this myself?

---

@snakkes wrote:

Decent article. One question though, we currently have 2 separate 5406 running stuffed with modules operating without VSF. We have a disaster site coming up in a few months and would like vsf enable them for enabling redundant connections to the other DR site.  I know about the v3 and firmware requirement but if both modules have to run factory config when enabling vsf then we have some work redesigning all firewalls, netscaler, cisco etc. Do both switches need to run factory configuration?

 

Regards

 

Snakkes

---

This question somehow got missed when it was originally posted — sorry about that!

Enabling VSF does not require that the initial switch be in a factory default configuration, though it does require that the switch be in v3-only mode (no allow-v2-modules must be configured). If VSF is enabled on a switch with an existing configuration, all interface settings are updated to the VSF member/port convention (e.g., port A1 on member 1 will be updated to 1/A1), but the configuration remains otherwise unmodified. 

However, when the second member (and beyond, for the 2930F) joins the domain, its configuration will be replaced with that of the commander, so any port assignments, VLANs, or other chassis-specific configuration that previously existed there would no longer be present after VSF merge. You can work around this by pre-provisioning the second member's configuration on the commander before joining it to the stack (modifying port numbers appropriately).

Use the following commands to prepare the commander to add the second member to the stack:

switch(config)# vsf member 2 type [ j9850a | j9851a ]
switch(config)# module 2/A type <part number>
switch(config)# module 2/B type <part number>
...
switch(config)# vsf member 2 link 1 <ports>
[ Add member-specific port/VLAN configuration here ]

Once this has been done, factory reset the second switch and connect the VSF links using the ports specified in the configuration. The second member should detect the VSF domain and join automatically, using the pre-staged configuration.

Could you share again ArubaOS-Switch Management and Configuration Guide K/KA/KB.16.01?

Thanks

Here's a link to the current version of the AOS-Switch Management and Configuration Guide (16.08).