Split MLT Cisco Equivalent

[RedCTR]

Does anybody know if Cisco are planning on catching up on Nortel with their Split Multi Link Trunking. SMLT allows BayStack switches to have uplinks to 2 Passport 8000 chassis that are both Layer 2 active (ie STP not blocking one). This seems such a good idea and I am amazed Cisco has not "adopted" it yet. I know you can configure Etherchannel over modules but nothing over seperate Catalyst chassis. Is the Cisco idea that if you need 2 uplinks use layer 3 (seems costly, maybe just to justify the 3550s!)
Anybody with any theories?

Andy
CCNP, NNCSS, FNCNE

 

[baddos]

The new Cisco 3750 can create etherchannel groups over different 3750 switches in the cluster.

 

[RedCTR]

Not really a core switch like the Passport 8600 though, if they could write it into the code on the 4500 and 6500 it would be a big selling point and remove one of Nortels main advantages

 

[baddos]

You want an etherchannel over two 6509 chassis?

 

[RedCTR]

Thats the one, Cisco allow etherchannel over different modules, Nortel allow MLT over different chassis.

 

[Lequang]

Don't forget that SMLT enable load balancing on both uplink too. It means that you have 2 Mb to aggragate core switch.

 

[RedCTR]

Exactly, at Layer 2 this is so much more efficient than having STP block one your precious Gigabit links. Having 1Gbps link between 48 users (say on a 2950G-48) is not too impressive, OK you can play around with VLANs and PVST+ STP costs but it is not ideal. Come on Cisco Layer 3 at the edge is not the answer to everything!!

 

[baddos]

Either that or make the cost of layer 3 = to layer 2.