Switch Upgrade/Replacements

[Steve21]

Morning All,

 

Just looking at sorting out a development plan in terms of replacement/upgrade switches, as new job hasn't had a plan in place when arriving here, and was wondering what the current consensus is with the common switches.

 

2/3s of the site is still using HP 2610-48s (10/100) with single CAT5 uplink, so obviously need to get these up to gig minimum.

 

In terms of "core" switches (I say core lightly) there's 2 different ones, there's a 3 "stack" of 2900's doing most the server room work/fiber links, and a HP5406ZL seemingly doing nothing much in the old part of the building apart from linking the fiber connections between the three server rooms, guessing this was the original core. But seems the actual routing is done via the SWGFL switches still.

 

Is it mainly still the 2900s that are being used or have those been replaced recently? Was looking at the Dell alternatives as there's 2 new ones here as part of a visualization project, just seems expensive for what you get.

 

Many thanks,

Steve

[steveg]

I put in a stack of 4 2920's just a few months ago as our core, 40gig stack links between them, and 10gig links to the servers it runs very nicely. Got a 10gig link over to another building with another 2920 in it.

 

This worked out as the best value option for us, and is going to last us a good few years.

 

Steve

[3s-gtech]

The 5406ZL is a serious piece of kit, and should be more appropriate as a core - however, it depends what modules are installed in it as modules are not cheap. Dual PSUs etc are big plus points.

[localzuk]

My first comment would be - what do you want the network to do?

 

Then I'd design the network around it.

 

Do you need 1Gbit connections to clients (only really any use if you're manipulating large files like DV video and gigabyte Photoshop files)?

Do you need 10Gbit to the edge? (Goes with the above question - if you determine that an area only needs 100Mbit, its unlikely you'll need 10Gbit to it for backbone).

 

What does your core need? Are you using centralised storage with virtualisation etc...? What bandwidth do you need? Is 10Gbit for the servers needed?

 

Do you want to introduce core switch redundancy? How many core ports do you need?

 

How many clients is the network going to be supporting (clients being everything connected to an edge switch)? Will it need to support a wireless network? Do you need PoE anywhere?

 

Are you going to be using VLANs?

 

How long will it be before your next infrastructure upgrade, if you do change things now?

[Steve21]

I put in a stack of 4 2920's just a few months ago as our core, 40gig stack links between them, and 10gig links to the servers it runs very nicely. Got a 10gig link over to another building with another 2920 in it.

 

This worked out as the best value option for us, and is going to last us a good few years.

 

Steve

 

What are you running as edges if you're using 2920 as core? Or is it all running direct?

 

The 5406ZL is a serious piece of kit, and should be more appropriate as a core - however, it depends what modules are installed in it as modules are not cheap. Dual PSUs etc are big plus points.

 

Aye think it's just not been moved since new part of building added on. Currently it's only running 2 modules just GiG-T/SFP+ modules. So got another 4 to play with, but no idea how old the original is in terms of reliability/redundancy for future proofing it.

 

Tempted to rip it out of middle and move it directly into server room, then just get some new SFP's in the second room to restore the fibers.

 

Thanks,

Steve

[Steve21]

My first comment would be - what do you want the network to do?

 

Then I'd design the network around it.

 

Do you need 1Gbit connections to clients (only really any use if you're manipulating large files like DV video and gigabyte Photoshop files)?

Do you need 10Gbit to the edge? (Goes with the above question - if you determine that an area only needs 100Mbit, its unlikely you'll need 10Gbit to it for backbone).

 

What does your core need? Are you using centralised storage with virtualisation etc...? What bandwidth do you need? Is 10Gbit for the servers needed?

 

Do you want to introduce core switch redundancy? How many core ports do you need?

 

How many clients is the network going to be supporting (clients being everything connected to an edge switch)? Will it need to support a wireless network? Do you need PoE anywhere?

 

Are you going to be using VLANs?

 

How long will it be before your next infrastructure upgrade, if you do change things now?

 

As it currently stands it's 3 server rooms linked via 10gig fiber triangle. All the rooms then are gig uplink to the the edge switches, and 100MB to clients etc. Wireless is all currently PoE via single switch, but this is likely to be another project as it's currently two separate wireless networks (Original building, and 6th form), so needs work on upgrading etc.

 

Would obviously love the redundancy but think in reality my plans already getting costly enough without adding on double of everything haha Was tempted to put in a backup line for the priority areas, so server-mid rooms, as there's currently already 10 fiber cores spare between these. Then manually swap to this if required, so wouldn't be as powerful a switch/setup.

 

Clients are only 6-700 currently, but looking about BYOD so a lot more likely to hit it once wireless sorted.

 

Probably gonna be last infrastructure for awhile, as lots of other projects/bits need sorting, but obviously don't want to blow the money just incase

 

Thanks,

Steve

[localzuk]

3 server rooms?! That sounds a lot for a school! Might be helpful if you drew a diagram of the layout. How many servers in each room?

[steveg]

What are you running as edges if you're using 2920 as core? Or is it all running direct?

 

 

Another 48 port 2920 in one of the buildings, on the end of a 10gig fiber link, and then a 1800 series in the other building, over a 1 gig link, that's it for us, about 250 connections to clients in total, the rest is wireless.

 

Steve

[3s-gtech]

Aye think it's just not been moved since new part of building added on. Currently it's only running 2 modules just GiG-T/SFP+ modules. So got another 4 to play with, but no idea how old the original is in terms of reliability/redundancy for future proofing it.

 

They're tough switches, and new firmware is still being released for them https://h10145.www1.hp.com/Downloads/SoftwareReleases.aspx?ProductNumber=J8697A&lang=en&cc=us&prodSeriesId=1827663