network backbone advice

[SYNACK]

Or just use a HP 5400zl series switch

If we are going to play the who's gear is better game why not just use one of these and be done with it:
Cisco Catalyst 6513 Switch - Cisco Systems
of course it would be rude not to have quad trunked 10GB fibre to each cabinet with such a core setup though so it would require a certain 'high' level of budget commitment


Back towards the topic for the moment it looks like the OP is budget constrained and is doing an initial upgrade and rationilisation of their network to make it as good as it can be within the constraints of budget and disruption.

This bit goes for Disease to, depending on network size a modular core switch may be a good long term goal if you do not already have one. Givent the OPs network a small modular is probably the best candidate if they were replacing the core.

Modular switches have a basic chassie which provides a bunch of high speed communication channels and power then takes modules. The primary module is a supervisor module which is the master of operations, these can support many networking tasks in raw hardware which makes them porongraphicly fast. They can have multiple supervisors to provide redundancy. Next up they have access modules which can be 48 port 1gb or 24 port sfp or many other combinations. This all works together as one highly redundany, very fast and generally very loud unit. They are not cheap and are definitely not right for every situation as it takes a large network for them to come into their own cost/benifit wise but in some circumstances they can be the answer.

[wesleyw]

Isn't that a little bit too slow?

Wes

[Disease]

That looks good, it only has 4 sfps so you would only have the option of two teamed fibre links without grabbing an extra 10GB fibre module. You can get a stackable one that would go with it with room for 24 sfps though if you needed to.

This is where you lost me , my fibre would be connected to the switch with cat5e from media converters so does the lack of SFPs matter? Should I change all my connections from media converters to Mini GBICs, would there much of a performance difference? Can I still trunk the fibre links if I do not use GBICs?

What about this switch from HP:
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/uk/en...reg_R1002_UKEN

Or could you recommend a 48 Port Layer 3 Switch, I have a Budget of 3k for the switch.


Thanks

[SYNACK]

I remember having to use media converters , If you continued using them then no the extra SFP ports would not be nessisary and yes you chould be able to still trunk ports via them.

Personally I find media converters to be a massive pain to manage due to the extra bulk, complexity and power usage. Using mini-gbic modules would probably only give you a small decrease in latency unless the current ones are lower grade. I find that the gbics are easier to manage as they require no external power, fit inside the switch and propperly report their acrual status through the switch interface.

You can have converters on one side of the link and gbics on the other which is what I had running for quite a while at one site before I could upgrade it.

The hp switch is go in the fact that it has four 10GB interfaces avalible which makes it more scaleable than the 3com and it also (I think - hp specs useless) has layer3 switching and probably a better warrenty.

If you already have 3com in your environment then the 3com one would integrate easier with your existing setup but will a little effort the hp should also integrate nicely.

The hp probably offers a better warrenty and a bit better scaleability for future usage with teh 10GB ports but featureset wise it is not that far from the 3com meantioned earlier.

[Disease]

Thanks for all the advice on this, I went with the 3com gear in the end compared to the HP it has a higher rate of packet transfer and slightly better features.