2911 router with switch modules

darren.g · ‎08-17-2011

Hi.

This is going to be somewhat long and involved for what I suspect will be a quick answer, but I need to layout the situation.

I've recently statrted a new position with a much smaller company which is just coming out of a startup phase.

Unfortunately, they had their network built by a "systems integrator" who didn't give much thought to the future.

Basically, the core of the office network is two 2911/K9 routers with an SM-ES3-24-P module in them, giving 3 routed ports and 24 switch ports.

The SM-ES3-24-P module conencts to the router via an internal backplane link which presents as a pair of psuedo-1gig connections (only one of which is actually used in this configuration, for some reason), with some trunking configured on the router ports and a single, 1 gig link between the switch modules to give connectivity.

Unfortunately, there are also a cascaded Linksys switch hanging off one of the 100 meg ports on each switch module.

Herein lies the problem.

I have purchased an additional EHWIC module for each 2911 - an EHWIC-4ESG - and installed it, upgrqded the software to the point the router recognises the new ports and got a basic configuration for them.

However, I can NOT see any way short of physically connecting the SM module and the EHWIC to integrate the switch ports in the EHWIC into the existing fabric/VLAN configuration. The EHWIC also doesn't appear to support etherchannels, which is a bit disappointing.

I want to use the EHWIC to connect the two switche modules (freeing up the 1 gig on-board port), and to connect the Linksys switches into the fabric via a trunk

Does anyone know if there is ANY way to have the new 4 ports in the same fabric as the existing 24 (26, counting the virtual ones) ports from the SM module?

I've attached sanitised configurations from one of the routers and its associated switch module. The second router is essentially the same, just with different IP addresses.

The only way I can think to do this connection is as follows

G0/1, SM module -> G0/0/0, EHWIC.

G0/0/1, EHWIC -> second router

G0/0/2, EHWIC -> Linksys switch

G0/0/3, EHWIC -> Storage device which needs 1 gig

Thanks - I'm scratching my head on this one.

Tarquin Joseph · ‎09-02-2011

Hi,

I think you need to configure High-speed Intra-chassing Module Interconnect on the routers.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/routers/access/interfaces/software/feature/guide/HIMI_2900_3900.html.

There's a step by step guide for the configuration.

This is referenced in the Q&A for the Enhanced Etherswitch Service Module.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/routers/ps10536/qa_c67_554789_ps10537_Products_Q_and_A_Item.html

See the the answer to Q. What is the function of High-speed Intra chassis Module (HIMI)?

Regards,

T.

darren.g · ‎09-19-2011

Tarquin Joseph wrote:
Hi,
I think you need to configure High-speed Intra-chassing Module Interconnect on the routers.
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/ios/12_4/12_4_mainline/srdescn1.htmlhttp://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/routers/access/interfaces/software/feature/guide/HIMI_2900_3900.html.
There's a step by step guide for the configuration.
This is referenced in the Q&A for the Enhanced Etherswitch Service Module.
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/routers/ps10536/qa_c67_554789_ps10537_Products_Q_and_A_Item.html
See the the answer to Q. What is the function of High-speed Intra chassis Module (HIMI)?
Regards,
T.

Tarquin

Thanks for your suggestions, but the commands referenced by these guides simply don't work - I can't even complete them - I either get "incomplete command" or 'unrecognised command" no matter the options I try, vis-a-vis

R2(config)#connect test module gigabitEthernet 0/0/0 ?

% Unrecognized command

This router has the following hardware

R2#sh inv

NAME: "CISCO2911/K9 chassis", DESCR: "CISCO2911/K9 chassis"

PID: CISCO2911/K9 , VID: V01 , SN: FHK1433F0DJ

NAME: "4 Port GE Non-POE EHWIC Switch on Slot 0 SubSlot 0", DESCR: "4 Port GE Non-POE EHWIC Switch"

PID: EHWIC-4ESG , VID: V01 , SN: FOC15273MW6

NAME: "SM-ES3-24-P: EtherSwitch SM L3 + PoE + 23 10/100 + 1 10/100/1000 on Slot 1", DESCR: "SM-ES3-24-P: EtherSwitch SM L3 + PoE + 23 10/100 + 1 10/100/1000"

PID: SM-ES3-24-P , VID: V01 , SN: FOC14155CRZ

NAME: "C2911 AC-POE Power Supply", DESCR: "C2911 AC-POE Power Supply"

PID: PWR-2911-POE , VID: V01 , SN: AZS141003PK

I'm trying to connect the switching fabric of the EHWIC fo the switching fabric of the SM-ES3 module without having to physically cable between them - currently I have interface g0/1 on the SM-ES3 module connected to interface g0/0/0 and trunking to get the VLAN fabric consistent across the devices - and I can't seem to figure out a way to either connect the EHWIC to the VLAN defined in the *router* (which is seperate from the switch module VLAN database, or connect to the the switching fabric of the SM-ES3 module so I don;t need to use two ports (one in the switch module, one in the EHWIC) to get them linked.

I'm stumped at this point - any further references anyone mgiht have will be looked at and tested.

Cheers.