Load balance using vlans on Catalyst & hp procurve

roussillon · ‎11-13-2008

Hi I want to setup a load balance using 2 Catalyst 6500 as distribution switches and hp procurve as acces switches. I mean the computers will connected to the procurve acces switch.

Well I want to have:

distribution switch1 the root bridge for vlans 1,3,5,7,9.

distribution switch2 the root bridge for vlans 2,4,6,8,10

In attachment there is a diagram.

SO my fist Idea is to give one priority for vlans 1,3,5,7,9

and another for 2,4,6,8,10 in one catalyst and reverse priority values in the other catalyst

So catalyst 1 will be the root bridge for vlans 1,3,5,7,9 and backup bridge for vlans 2,4,6,8,10. logically Catalyst2 will be root bridge for vlans 2,4,6,8,10 and backup bridge for vlans 1,3,5,7,9.

My huge problem (among other) is how to integrate the procurve 2626?. How to configure them?

My seconf idea is MSTP. I read that this exists on Catalyst & hp procurve and it allows to create instances & joining vlans to the instances, but I am not really clear.

Thanks for your advices

Giuseppe Larosa · ‎11-13-2008

Hello Osvaldo,

your second idea is the correct one:

you need to used the standard 802.1s MST in a multivendor environment if supported by both types of switches

for c6500 here is a link for MST configuration

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/switches/lan/catalyst6500/ios/12.2SX/configuration/guide/spantree.html#wp1102007

Hope to help

Giuseppe

roussillon · ‎11-14-2008

Helo Giuseppe.

Thank you very much for your answer. But there is something wear. My distribution switch will manage all vlans, but my acces switchs do not necessary host all vlans. For example the distribution switch1 may only have traffic for vlan 1,2 & 3, I was reading the link you sent me & it reads "For two or more switches to be in the same MST region, they must have the same VLAN-to-instance mapping" .... In the same link it is also said that

.."For load balancing across redundant paths in the network to work, all VLAN-to-instance mapping assignments must match; otherwise, all traffic flows on a single link. ".....

That means I have to declare all vlans in all distribution switch even if they do not manage all vlans?

So I can not longer use... "switchport trunk allowed vlan 1,2"..... to limit, for instance, an access switch, conected in the concerned port, to only vlan 1,2 ?

Thanks Guiseppe

mbuillon · ‎11-14-2008

Hello,

You must configure MST to have the same vlan.

Example: MST1 contain vlan 1,3,5,Etc.

MST2 contain vlan 2,3,4,5

Configure all switch with the same MST configuration to have a correct mst configuration.

Then you can configure your trunk to have only 2 vlan to pass trougth

Giuseppe Larosa · ‎11-14-2008

Hello Osvaldo,

I share Maxim's answer you don't need to really propagate over the trunks all the vlans.

However, in configuring MST region you need to be consistent.

This is because MST doesn't send a distinct BPDU for every vlan as PVST and even not a separate BPDU for each Rapid STP instance so actually you don't need to propagate all the vlans on every trunk port

Hope to help

Giuseppe

roussillon · ‎11-17-2008

Hello Giuseppe & you all.

Well this is the configuration I think could work.

& one more question witch software to use for simulating a catalyst 6500 or another MSTP capable switch?

Thanks

Now the config(according to my schema):

DS1 (catalyst 6500)

interface Fasethernet 7/2

switchport mode trunk

switchport encapsulation dot1Q

switch trunk allowed vlan 1,2,3

switchport nonegociate

interface Fasethernet 7/3

switchport mode trunk

switchport encapsulation dot1Q

switch trunk allowed vlan 2,4,5

switchport nonegociate

interface Fasethernet 7/4

switchport mode trunk

switchport encapsulation dot1Q

switch trunk allowed vlan 4,5,6

switchport nonegociate

spanning-tree mode mst

spanning-tree extend system-id

.

spanning-tree mst configuration

name procurve-cisco

revision 1

instance 1 vlan 1, 3, 5

instance 2 vlan 2, 4, 6

spanning-tree mst 0-1 priority 0

spanning-tree mst 2 priority 4096

DS2(catalyst 6500)

interface Fasethernet 7/2

switchport mode trunk

switchport encapsulation dot1Q

switch trunk allowed vlan 1,2,3

switchport nonegociate

interface Fasethernet 7/3

switchport mode trunk

switchport encapsulation dot1Q

switch trunk allowed vlan 2,4,5

switchport nonegociate

interface Fasethernet 7/4

switchport mode trunk

switchport encapsulation dot1Q

switch trunk allowed vlan 4,5,6

switchport nonegociate

spanning-tree mode mst

spanning-tree extend system-id

.

spanning-tree mst configuration

name procurve-cisco

revision 1

instance 1 vlan 1, 3, 5

instance 2 vlan 3, 4, 6

spanning-tree mst 0-1 priority 4096

spanning-tree mst 2 priority 0

AS1(hp procurve 2600)

vlan 1,2,3,4,5,6

vlan 1 tagged 25, 26

vlan 1 untagged 1-4

vlan 2 tagged 25, 26

vlan 2 untagged 5-6

vlan 3 tagged 25, 26

vlan 3 untagged 7-12

spanning-tree

spanning-tree protocol-version MSTP

spanning-tree config-name "procurve-cisco"

spanning-tree config-revision 1

spanning-tree instance 1 vlan 1 2 3

spanning-tree instance 2 vlan 2 4 6

spanning-tree 1-24 edge-port

AS2(hp procurve 2626)

vlan 1,2,3,4,5,6

vlan 2 tagged 25, 26

vlan 2 untagged 1-4

vlan 4 tagged 25, 26

vlan 4 untagged 5-6

vlan 5 tagged 25, 26

vlan 5 untagged 7-12

spanning-tree

spanning-tree protocol-version MSTP

spanning-tree config-name "procurve-cisco"

spanning-tree config-revision 1

spanning-tree instance 1 vlan 1 2 3

spanning-tree instance 2 vlan 2 4 6

spanning-tree 1-24 edge-port

AS3(hp procurve 2626)

vlan 1,2,3,4,5,6

vlan 4 tagged 25, 26

vlan 4 untagged 1-4

vlan 5 tagged 25, 26

vlan 5 untagged 5-6

vlan 6 tagged 25, 26

vlan 6 untagged 7-12

spanning-tree

spanning-tree protocol-version MSTP

spanning-tree config-name "procurve-cisco"

spanning-tree config-revision 1

spanning-tree instance 1 vlan 1 2 3

spanning-tree instance 2 vlan 2 4 6

spanning-tree 1-24 edge-port

Thanks for any comments.