Cisco Catalyst - Configure StackWise Virtual

  • Tue, Apr 9, 2024
  • 3-minute read

Hello! 😊 In this blog post we’ll see how to configure virtual stackwise on Cisco Catalyst 9000

Why?

In the realm of network infrastructure, high availability, scalability, and simplified management are paramount. Cisco’s StackWise Virtual (SV) technology addresses these critical needs by allowing you to stack two physical switches into a single logical entity. Let’s delve into the reasons why configuring SV on your Cisco Catalyst 9000 switches is a smart move.

Benefits

High Availability and Resilience
StackWise Virtual allows you to cluster two physical switches into a single logical entity. These switches operate as one, sharing the same configuration and forwarding state.
By creating a loop-free topology, SV reduces the risk associated with loops in your network. From a STP point of view, the StackWise Virtual pair as one bridge node, enhancing high availability.
In case of a failure, the redundant chassis with Stateful Switch Over (SSO)-enabled supervisors ensures non-stop business communication.

Increased Bandwidth
Thanks to SV, Multi-chassis EtherChannel (MEC) is supported, allowing aggregated bandwidth across the switches

Simplified Management and Fewer Failure Points
With SV, you manage two Cisco Catalyst 9000 switches as a single logical switch, reducing operational complexity. Configuration errors are minimized, and First Hop Redundancy Protocols (FHRP) like HSRP, GLBP, and VRRP can be eliminated.

Scalability and Maintenance
SV enhances scalability by allowing you to add more switches to the virtual domain. Maintenance tasks become simpler since you manage a single configuration.

Disclaimer

DYOR (Do Your Own Research). Test the procedure before apply changes into your production environment.

Hardware and Software

For that test I’m using a Catalyst 9606X SUP-2 with 17.12.3

Cabling

Here is the connectivity matrix for our test:

DEVICE_1 INTERFACE DEVICE_2 INTERFACE TRANCEIVER PORT_SCOPE
SST-CORE-1 Fif2/0/48 SST-CORE-2 Fif2/0/48 SFP-10G-SR-S Dual Active Detection Link
SST-CORE-1 Hu1/0/23 SST-CORE-2 Hu1/0/23 QSFP 100G SR4 StackWise Virtual Link
SST-CORE-1 Hu1/0/24 SST-CORE-2 Hu1/0/24 QSFP 100G SR4 StackWise Virtual Link

Configuration

Here is the configuration of Switch_1

conf t

stackwise-virtual
 domain 10
 exit

interface HundredGigE1/0/23
 stackwise-virtual link 1
 description SVL_1
interface HundredGigE1/0/24
 stackwise-virtual link 1
 description SVL_2

interface FiftyGigE2/0/48
  stackwise-virtual dual-active-detection
  description DAD
  end
copy run start

Here is the configuration of Switch_2

switch renumber 2

Do not reload the switch yet:

conf t

stackwise-virtual
 domain 10
 exit

interface HundredGigE1/0/23
 stackwise-virtual link 1
 description SVL_1
interface HundredGigE1/0/24
 stackwise-virtual link 1
 description SVL_2

interface FiftyGigE2/0/48
  stackwise-virtual dual-active-detection
  description DAD
  end
copy run start

Now, reload Switch_1 and after 10 seconds Switch_2.

Change Priority

When the devices come up, one of them will be elected as “active”. In order to manually assign the active and Standby role, you can configure the priority per each switches. Here are an example:

Please, note that the Console will be active only in the “Active” switch:

switch 1 priority 15
switch 2 priority 10

Then, save and reload

Verify

After the procedure, here is the output from “show switch” command:

SST-CORE-1#show switch
Switch/Stack Mac Address : 481b.a4b4.9b80 - Local Mac Address
Mac persistency wait time: Indefinite
                                             H/W   Current
Switch#   Role    Mac Address     Priority Version  State
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*1       Active   481b.a4b4.9b80     15     V02     Ready                              
 2       Standby  481b.a4b4.84c0     10     V02     Ready

Great! Nowyou can take all the advantages of having a this technology and design! 😉

Thanks for your time I hope that you’re enjoying my blog!
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Riccardo

Cisco2024Catalyst