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Question

Best setup for servers/switches for speed

Sep 16, 2015 8:40AM PDT

I'm cleaning up a server room form a previous install and I'm looking for some suggestions on how to best configure what we already have to optimize speed/throughput.

We currently have 3 switches: 2 Dell PowerConnect 2724 (switches A&C below) managed switches and 1 Dell PowerConnect 2848 (switch B below) - 82 ports in total in use.

We have 1 primary NAS storage array (4 port Gb NIC) and a handful of other application servers (all Gb NICs)

And we have they typical assortment of other devices from highend workstation desktops to network printers, laptops, wireless routers, etc.

Right now, the three switches are connected like this:
SWITCH A connects to switch B via 4 CAT5e cables in a LAG
SWITCH C connects to switch B via 4 CAT5e cables in a LAG

Our servers are all connected to switch B via CAT5e. Our storage array is connected to SWITCH B via CAT5e cables in a LAG with the 4 ports on the server teamed (Broadcom teaming software built in)

My questions:
- would we see significant performance gains if the switches were interconnected via SFP instead of the LAGs as described (they each have fibre ports available - the 2724s have 2 and the 2848 has 4)? If so, what would be the right configuration (ex: switch A to B, A to C, B to C each via single SFP)?

- would we see significant performance gains by upgrading the switches themselves that would warrant the cost of doing so? I was thinking that newer switches may offer better throughput and if we went from 3 switches to 2 (like 2 48 port), that would help. If so, do you have recommendations on specific products?

thanks for any recommendations

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Time to call Cisco.
Sep 16, 2015 8:49AM PDT

You paid for all their nice gear so time for them to do their support. I find that CCNA folk don't answer in forums and your setup is advanced to need Cisco and their CCNA trained folk.

That said, you are correct to think that more ports on one switch almost always wins speed races over many switches.

But I've rarely found the switches to be the cause of any appreciable lag. That is, the seek time on a HDD is usually far more time than a network switch hop.

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Dell actually
Sep 16, 2015 8:54AM PDT

I am waiting to speak with Dell's network folks (that's the switches we have). Good thought on the HDD seek though. Just need to fund the "all-solid-state" upgrade on my dream list.

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Sorry but the model number looked like a
Sep 16, 2015 8:59AM PDT

There's some common Cisco switch that looks so close to that. And here's a thing. Many NAS are just dog slow. I've lost count of that issue and can't guess why they went to NAS over a server.