Distribution / Core switch connections

mzinz

I'm revamping pieces of our production network.

Currently, we have no real core. Our servers connect to 2 switches, and these 2 switches connect to a 3800 series router. Right now, the router is doing all inter-vlan routing.

Traffic is low, so things are OK for right now, but should this router go down, we're dead.

I'm considering getting a couple 3560's to use at the core.

As we know, it is not advised to have VLANs run all the way to the core, so I will likely have them terminate at our existing switches, and setup layer 3 connections between the existing switches and the new 3560's. Our existing router would hook directly into the 3560's as well.

Here's my question: When Cisco says that they recommend layer 3 links between distribution and core switches, do they recommend setting up arbitrary /30 IP connections, or should all distribution/core links fall in the same subnet?

I intend on having the 3560s do as little packet inspection as possible (no vlans, no acl, routing protocols??).

Any advice would be great

networker050184

If all you have are two switches and a router I don't really see the need for adding more equipment. Over complicating things isn't always the best plan. If the existing switches are L3 switches then you can just go with a collapsed core design. I think that would make a lot more sense in your situation.

On the L3 uplinks, I always use a /31 and run OSPF/EIGRP to avoid static routes.