Chapter 1 Overview
Network Configuration Examples
1-12
Catalyst 2900 Series XL and Catalyst 3500 Series XL Software Configuration Guide
78-6511-05
Figure 1-1 shows three configuration examples for using the Catalyst 2900 XL
and Catalyst 3500 XL switches to create the following:
• Cost-effective wiring closet—A cost-effective way to connect many users to
the wiring closet is to connect up to nine Catalyst 2900 and Catalyst 3500 XL
switches through GigaStack GBIC connections. When you use a stack of
Catalyst 3548 XL switches, you can connect up to 432 users. To preserve
switch connectivity if one switch in the stack fails, connect the bottom switch
to the top switch to create a GigaStack loopback and enable Cross-Stack
UplinkFast on the cross-stack Gigabit uplinks.
You can create backup paths by using Fast Ethernet, Gigabit, or Fast
EtherChannel, or Gigabit EtherChannel links. Using Gigabit modules on two
of the switches, you can have redundant uplink connections to a Gigabit
backbone switch such as the Catalyst 3508G XL switch. If one of the
redundant connections fails, the other can serve as a backup path. You can
configure the stack members and the Catalyst 3508G XL switch as a switch
cluster to manage them through a single IP address.
• High-performance workgroup—For users who require high-speed access to
network resources, use Gigabit modules to connect the switches directly to a
backbone switch in a star configuration. Each switch in this configuration
provides users a dedicated 1-Gbps connection to network resources in the
backbone. Compare this with the switches in a GigaStack configuration,
where the 1-Gbps connection is shared among the switches. Using the
following Gigabit modules also provides flexibility in media and distance
options:
–
1000BASE-SX GBIC: fiber connections of up to 1804 ft (550 m)
–
1000BASE-LX/LH GBIC: fiber connections of up to 32,808 ft (10 km)
–
1000BASE-ZX GBIC: fiber connections of up to 328,084 ft (100 km)
–
1000BASE-T GBIC: copper connections of up to 328 ft (100 m)
–
Catalyst 2900 XL 1000BASE-T: copper connections of up to 328 ft
(100 m)
• Redundant Gigabit backbone—Using HSRP, you can create backup paths
between Catalyst 4908G-L3 switches. To enhance network reliability and
load balancing for different VLANs and subnets, you can connect the
Catalyst 2900 XL and Catalyst 3500 XL switches, again in a star
configuration, to two backbone switches. If one of the backbone switches
fails, the second backbone switch preserves connectivity between the
switches and network resources.
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