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Starting a New Data Center Design-which Switches?

startek2000
Level 1
Level 1

Hi All

I have just been given a project to design a Data Center , a small one , about 200 servers . I have 3000 users.

I need to decide whether to go for Catalyst or Nexus Switches.

The LAN must be 1 Giga Lan.

The design is a 3 Tier Design, L2-L3 Access/ Distribution/Core switches with Redundancy

Also will install Cisco Unified Communications Manager for VOIP and Multi Media Services.

We are either looking at the Nexus 5000/7000 or the Catalyst 4500 series Switches.

VPN is also a requirement

Regards

Setev

3 Replies 3

vmiller
Level 7
Level 7

Cisco has some well written design guides on their website

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/solutions/Enterprise/Data_Center/HA_Clusters/HA_Clusters.html

My own 2 cents.For DC Services, I would lean towards the Nexus platform. It does mean new configuration commands,

but they aren't that difficult.

the 45xx to me has always been a good access layer device in a high rise or a distribution/core device in a low rise/ smaller environment.

Leo Laohoo
Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame

I have just been given a project to design a Data Center , a small one , about 200 servers . I have 3000 users.

I need to decide whether to go for Catalyst or Nexus Switches.

According to Cisco SE, this will depend on your uplinks.  The 6500E and Sup2T is good if you have alot of 1Gbps uplinks and a few 10 Gbps uplinks.

However, if you are dealing with more 10 Gbps or 40 Gbps then Nexus 5K/7K is your answer.

Marwan ALshawi
VIP Alumni
VIP Alumni

Hi Setev

there are two factors in your design and product selection the budge of your project and meeting the required design/performance taking into considerations future growth if any is anticipated

i would say you can go with some design options ( all options below are not depending on STP to make sure all the uplinks are in forwarding state )

option 1

DC access - N5K 5548 with 2K FEXs like 2248

DC distribution - is pair of Cat65K with Sup2t configured in VSS

Core - this could be your enterprise/campus core where you can have it as either pair of Cat65K in VSS or pair of N7K ( this is open option )

option 2

DC access - N5K 5548 with 2K FEXs like 2248

if the core is only for the DC core then:

you can have a pair of N7K configured with VDCs to perform a collapsed architecture where the the pair of N7K will be both the DC distribution and core )

option3

here you can use the N7K as both collapsed core/distribution and access and connect the N2K FEXs directly to the N7K pairs which means you will need only pair of N7K but make sure you select the right hardware and software that support this option

hope this help

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