Cisco 6500 VSS Configuration Example

This topic is to discuss the following lesson:

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this is good stuff, thanks

Good work!!! When is better configure Vss instead SSO? Can work together?

VSS was created to have SSO (Stateful Switchover) + NSF (Non Stop Forwarding). When the active switch dies, the standby will take over without any downtime. SSO/NSF make sure that there is no re-convergence for (routing) protocols.

Nice, thanks

Thank you so much for great Post… its awesome… :slight_smile:

Hi this is very nice doc… thank you very much…

Regards,
kommi.

Wondering how you can get the chassis serial number off the standby switch ?

Hi Charles,

Not sure and I don’t have a 6500 around to check it now. If anyone knows, please share :slight_smile:

Rene

show idprom switch 2 backplane
IDPROM for backplane, chassis 2, #1
  (FRU is 'Catalyst 6500 6-slot backplane')
  OEM String = 'Cisco Systems'
  Product Number = 'WS-C6506-E'
  Serial Number = 'SALxxxxxxx'
  Manufacturing Assembly Number = '73-9370-04'
  Manufacturing Assembly Revision = 'A0'
  Hardware Revision = 1.1
  Current supplied (+) or consumed (-) =  -

I have configured VSS QUADSUP on 6513E, Everything works just fine . But each time I remove a Supervisor module and insert it back the entire LAN card tends to reboot. I am not sure of what the problem could be .

  1. Theres already a legacy core and running live.
  2. My company insisting me to have a VSS on a core layer, and want to connect access layer switches with VSS switch
  3. Now they want the VSS to interact with existing legacy core

Question:
a. how can I route the traffic from access layer switch to VSS?
b. how can I route the traffic from existing legacy core to VSS?

Will i need to have vlan config in VSS?

Pls help.
Thanks

Great topic. Can you please add to it the VPC concept as well ? and what are the issues that may occur when adding a L-2 switches between two VSS switches?? i will email you the config and the design as well so you can look at it. Thanks

Ammar,

Hi Ammar,

I’ll add VPC once I start working on the Nexus material. Not sure what will happen if you try to put a switch in between…it doesn’t sound like a good idea hehe :slight_smile:

Rene

How many switches can be in a VSS? also do you have articles on a chassis and its difference components/modules and what they do?

also this site is awesome, every article is very clear, detailed and very easy to understand.

Hi Atif,

VSS is really only for two switches, that’s it. I don’t have any articles on the 6500 chassis or any of its components. The problem with writing about specific products is that it gets outdated pretty fast.

If you want to learn more about this, I would start at the Cisco.com site…they have so many product demos / videos etc. :slight_smile:

Rene

Hello Rene,

ok.we are combining two switch as single logical switch and what about traffic is it two switch’s will forward the traffic simultaneously ? and what about return traffic ?

here what is the role of Supervisor Engine ?

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any config about 4500-x VVS , need know how i can config MEC and DAD on vss 4500-x

Hi Omar,

I’m afraid not, I don’t have any examples for MEC or DAD at the moment.

Rene

Now that VSS is operational between the two 6500 switches (say distribution layer), I’d like to connect the Access layer switches(also VSS operational, 2 physical access switches) to the VSS-distribution switch. What is the technique in making the logical connection? Is it the same technique as creating the VSL (between the 6500s)? Where a port-channel is created and within the port-channel, create a virtual link?

Joe