Upgrading Switches

[abillybob]

Hello All

 

I've never had to do this before so I'm wondering if it's at all possible.

 

Basically I have 7 new switches that have been configured and will be a direct replacement of two switches. The old one's are 24 Port new one's are 48 Port so how do I move over all the connections to the new switches without there being down time? I'll be replacing the core switch in each cabinet so I can't just make a trunk and transfer them all over or can I and just haven't thought about it?

 

Thanks all

[pete]

Step 01: Schedule some downtime.

[PotNoodleTech]

I do all switch upgrade/replacements in the holidays. No way round it really you can't unplug 24 connections, swap out the switch, and then plug them all back in without incurring some form of downtime.

[Accura2k7]

I do all my small downtime first thing in the morning around 6am before staff arrive.. Gives me nearly an hour to swap switches, restart equipment before it causes issues.

[Katy]

Wait, there's a 6 *am*? Never knew that!

 

I'd either schedule a morning of downtime to do them all (during the holidays), or if they're spread over the school possibly spread it over multiple days doing one area a day (with a shorter period of downtime on each of the days local to each area, depending on who is in and whether less downtime for each area would be better received than more downtime everywhere)

[abillybob]

Thanks all! Unfortunately I no longer work in education I'm in a business and the company would loose thousands of pounds every minute if I was to cause down time, the other issue is they're 24/7 so there's no period of time that isn't in operation.

 

I thought about bonding a trunk port and swap each connection over 1 at a time so at least there's only 1 connection down for 5 seconds while I transfer it over?

[Boredguy]

Put switch into cabinet and put a patch lead in to link to existing switch.

Assuming you have already preconfigured the switch, move the uplink over from old switch to new one so it has another hop when it's a quietish time. Move other port connections over until old switch has been emptied.

 

Repeat for other switchs as the NIC should only take a couple of seconds to come back up.

[abillybob]

Cheers mate, I think this is going to be the plan. I'm going to stay late and work through the night as well to try and get this sorted.

[mavhc]

Step 0: Make sure you're being paid extra.

Step -1: if you can't have downtime, then you should have already installed redundant systems of hardware and software.

[pete]

^ Yeah that.

 

"We're a 24/7 shop who can't afford any downtime" quite often becomes "Er, Sunday afternoon would be fine" when you tell them how much 24/7 redundancy costs.

[Aron688]

I think down time is inevitable. I current meet similar situation, could share what have you done for this? thinks a lot