What was it like to install your first pair of 6500s?

Well the question is in the title really. So what was it like for any of you's to install a pair of 6500's. i ask because ive just been told its down to me to install our 2 new 6509's

...Yes it was quite a shock for me too considering ive only been in a networking role for a little over 2 months! but there is no one else to do it and we do not (and will not pay) for support.

Im obviously very excited about this project but i am realistic to realise its high level stuff too (which many at work dont realise) and its going to be a challenge for me. So i was hoping anyone who has installed these would put forward any tips, any good links etc ??? DOnt be shy, i know there's plenty here who work with em!

Thanks

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Comments

laidbackfreak

nel first pair i worked on had different supervisor engine's (one sup2 and one 720) the one thing I found with a SUP2 you are limited to the amount of HSRP standbys I think around 16 so if you create more them 16 vlan you wont have the resilience unless you re-use 1 - 16, SUP720 limitless (I believe)

mate your gonna LOVE this job bring it on

gorebrush

I am so jealous.

I would love the opportunity to get to work on equipment like that.

Damn, i'd be putting in overtime left right and centre and learning all I could.

nel

laidbackfreak wrote:

nel first pair i worked on had different supervisor engine's (one sup2 and one 720) the one thing I found with a SUP2 you are limited to the amount of HSRP standbys I think around 16 so if you create more them 16 vlan you wont have the resilience unless you re-use 1 - 16, SUP720 limitless (I believe)

mate your gonna LOVE this job bring it on

Amen to that!

Yeah they are 720's we have.

gorebrush wrote:

I am so jealous.

I would love the opportunity to get to work on equipment like that.

Damn, i'd be putting in overtime left right and centre and learning all I could.

Yeah i feel pretty lucky but this will be a one off. a good one off none the less! its going to push me to the limits considering my current technical level. Besides this will make a great project for my degree dissertation at the end of the year! We are looking to redesign our Lan too because its been left for 10 years and has many many issues which we need to weed out. But that can wait until i get these babies in first.

i'll have to put the theoretical side of the bcmsn book down for now and concentrate on my work projects and my last year of uni so i feel kind of sad cos i wont sit the bcmsn anytime soon but i think this will kick ass and i will get a ton of good stuff out of this and step up to the next level - THEN i can go back and defeat the bcmsn.

btw, when you say overtime i hope you didnt mean payed overtime...people's bloodpressure at work will go into overdrive if that was the case

Keep any tips and suggestions coming guys!

gorebrush

If it wasn't paid overtime... I wouldn't care.

A learning experience like that would be hard to come by. I'd suck up all the knowledge I could and reap the rewards at my next employer.

"Oh yes, I completely implemented and managed two brand new 6509's"

Sounds great.

nel

gorebrush wrote:

If it wasn't paid overtime... I wouldn't care.

A learning experience like that would be hard to come by. I'd suck up all the knowledge I could and reap the rewards at my next employer.

"Oh yes, I completely implemented and managed two brand new 6509's"

Sounds great.

ha, i knew what you meant. dont worry i started reading up as soon as i realised i was going to be given it. Now i just need to find somewhere in the building where i can plug the things in and power them up

...no seriously!!

Yeah it will look great on a CV and will help back up my NP etc (when i get there of course)

bighornsheep

6500s sound scarier than they are, nel, you've said that your company has no support on them? So no smartnet contract? Make sure you read the 6500 config guide both the software and the hardware inside and out!

From my experience half the battle is getting it physically installed, how are you mounting it? Do you guys have a hydraulic platform? Otherwise you're going to have fun removing all the line cards and trying to get the chassis to level while you screw things in....

Just like installing any new switch, be careful not to wipe out your vtp database, make sure to not form any loops or cause a RB re-election, if you're doing PoE, double check your inline power status and all your cabling.

6500 line cards are hot swappable, but it rely on a small electrical microswitch/connector type of device to activate, you have to balance both sides and make sure your levers are extended out while you're inserting the card, the levers should be locked with sufficient force so that you can feel the pins inserting to the socket on the backplain, don't re-adjust too rapidly, it takes about 5 seconds for the hot swap to activate, so if you think it's not inserted properly, wait about 5 seconds and then try again.

Depending on your scope and how many people will work on the change, I think you're looking at 2-4 weeks of overtime.....I know because that's how much paid overtime I got

mikearama

Hey, great question, nel. And good timing too.

I just installed our UAT 6504 last month, and am in the middle of cofiguring our pair of production 6509's for install right after the holidays.

I found the switch config rather basic, and each Cat carries a 720, so we get to tinker with SSO and FT between them. Our previous 4500's ran HSRP, so this is a bit different. Very kewl.

As an aside, our Cats have ACE modules, which are replacing our current content switches. Oh... my... god... I do not like the MQC language. Configuring the content switches was so much quicker and simpler than the ACE's. And that, despite every cisco resource calling the MQC "more efficient and less time consuming". Hopefully one day it will be... but not until I own classes and policies. Right now that's just confusing.

So, looks like you have a few resources to pick from on the board. Don't hesitate to ask.

bighornsheep

mikearama wrote:

I do not like the MQC language. Configuring the content switches was so much quicker and simpler than the ACE's. And that, despite every cisco resource calling the MQC "more efficient and less time consuming". Hopefully one day it will be... but not until I own classes and policies. Right now that's just confusing.

so that's what ACE is for? wow....I can't wait till we get one in my department....my ONT studies will pay off!

mike, have you checked out any ONT resources for MQC? The ONT portable command guide has lots and lots of examples for MQC syntax and templates.

mikearama

Funny you should mention that... I just started the ONT a couple weeks ago to finish my NP, so I'm just getting into the MQC a bit more.

So far I just have the Official Cert Guide, but I'll definately land the command guide as well... since you endorse it. I also plan on grabbing the Bryant material... I hear Chris makes the MQC make a lot more sense.

Thanks for the tip.

And yeah, content switches typically provide load balancing and NAT translation... great for hiding web resources behind, as the private IP's are never seen by the outside. The ACE's, in my new config, don't provide NAT'ting... the ASA's will handle that. Their role is pretty much load balancing now.

EdTheLad

I've installed plenty of 6500s, very straight forward, the only tips i can thing of are as follows.

1) Wear an antistatic strap, otherwise the equipment will degrade more quickly over time.
2) Be mindful of the fantray regarding fibres, you dont want to have to remove fibres if you have a
faulty fantray.
3) The cards are heavy, line them up correctly before inserting otherwise you will bend a backplane pin, to insert the card you have to give a forceful push for the last half inch of insertion.
4)Sups go in slots 5 & 6 only, if you try in another slot you'll screw the backplane.
5)If you need to replace the cfc with a dfc, do this first, it will save you inserting, removing, inserting cards.Plan on inserting a single card once and only once,reduces the probablility for errors.

kryolla

Do you have to physically install it or just configure it. Install is a pain in the arse but where I work we have ladder racks and DC power feeds, cable runs to patch panels, fiber runs and troughs to install. For initial configuration we configure the file on a computer and then transfer it to compact flash and put it in the cat then power up the cat and do verification / health checks. Like Ed said make sure you put your daughter boards and memory on the sup before plugging in the sup and do cable testing to make sure your punch downs are good etc. But once the install is done is when the fun begins. HTH

kpjungle

I wish I had access to that kind of equipment, but alas we only have some 4507R's. You must really have alot of bandwidth/switching needs for that kind of hardware.

Unfortunally I cant give any tips, just my 2 cents worth of envy

nel

bighornsheep wrote:

6500s sound scarier than they are, nel, you've said that your company has no support on them? So no smartnet contract? Make sure you read the 6500 config guide both the software and the hardware inside and out!

Nope, no support. There's a guy at group level who i can ring for advice but his very busy anyway. Got to admit when i first looked at them i thought

but once ive took a look and made myself familiar with the hardware im not as bad as i was!

btw, paid overtime

whats that? haha. doubt there will be much of that. but its more of the learning for me anyway which i am interested about.

kryolla wrote:

Do you have to physically install it or just configure it. Install is a pain in the arse but where I work we have ladder racks and DC power feeds, cable runs to patch panels, fiber runs and troughs to install. For initial configuration we configure the file on a computer and then transfer it to compact flash and put it in the cat then power up the cat and do verification / health checks. Like Ed said make sure you put your daughter boards and memory on the sup before plugging in the sup and do cable testing to make sure your punch downs are good etc. But once the install is done is when the fun begins. HTH

Both will be down to me. However i obviously wont be lifting it by myself etc but will be leading it. I can see this being an issue because we are going to have to do a straight swap for our current 6500's as there is no space in our cabs. I was originally thinking of installing the hardrware, building the config, testing etc in a test area then dismantling it, installing the chassis into the cab, put all the hardware back in etc. Is this a wise thing to do? As for lifting it in etc i know we have a lifter and can only pray it will do the job to get it in there!

I wish I had access to that kind of equipment, but alas we only have some 4507R's. You must really have alot of bandwidth/switching needs for that kind of hardware.

Unfortunally I cant give any tips, just my 2 cents worth of envy icon_smile.gif

Yeah, its a pretty big site.

Everyone, thanks for the advice - keep it coming!

Dont worry there's no doubt i'll be asking a few stupid questions on this quest!

redwarrior

They're really heavy. If you are doing dual Sup cards, be sure that they both are running *exactly* the same IOS version or else the primary will not recognize the standby. FlexWAN modules are just bad news, tons of known issues with them, so avoid them if possible. Be sure you have the correct power ready to go beforehand. I know you can hot-swap most cards, but I generally just wait for an outage window and power down just to be safe.

Have fun and be sure to look for any release notes for your modules and the IOS version you plan to use.

tiersten

Whilst you're installing it, get some experience of OIR. OIR works fine on a 6500 assuming you've got the confidence that it will work and have done it before.

mikearama

redwarrior wrote:

I know you can hot-swap most cards, but I generally just wait for an outage window and power down just to be safe.

I'm used to the same format... just seems prudent.

I was worried about the boot time with the ACE modules... we're talking like 10 minutes before all mods were OK. When I spoke to our cisco support dude, he suggested pulling the ACE's out half an inch and letting the CAT boot. The SUP's came up far quicker without the ACE's in the mix. Once up, I slipped the ACE's back in, and they booted in record time. So, I may be using the hotswap feature more often than not.

cisco_trooper

Make sure you have enough power where they are to be installed. I know it sounds simple, but people forget about electricity more often than you would think....

mikearama

cisco_trooper wrote:

Make sure you have enough power where they are to be installed. I know it sounds simple, but people forget about electricity more often than you would think....

+1 on that.

Not only does the 6509 require 16Amp (x2) power, but uses a completely new/different pin out than anything I've seen before. The electrician had fun with that one. Had to sit on the CATs for almost two weeks before the electrician ran sufficient power/pdu's to run them bad-boys.

laidbackfreak

mikearama wrote:

cisco_trooper wrote:

Make sure you have enough power where they are to be installed. I know it sounds simple, but people forget about electricity more often than you would think....

+1 on that.

Not only does the 6509 require 16Amp (x2) power, but uses a completely new/different pin out than anything I've seen before. The electrician had fun with that one. Had to sit on the CATs for almost two weeks before the electrician ran sufficient power/pdu's to run them bad-boys.

+2 completely forgout about the farce we had trying to get power to ours when first installed, had many an arguement witht the estate department trying to get it sorted.

nel

ive found power an issue already! haha. like i said we've got no where to plug these bad boys in to configure them! ha!

Im going to have to pull our false floor up and see if there's anyspares if not it looks like the leccys will have to come in.

Anyway a few posts up i asked: "......we are going to have to do a straight swap for our current 6500's as there is no space in our cabs. I was originally thinking of installing the hardrware, building the config, testing etc in a test area then dismantling it, installing the chassis into the cab, put all the hardware back in etc. Is this a wise thing to do? As for lifting it in etc i know we have a lifter and can only pray it will do the job to get it in there! "

Is this a wise thing to do with the sensitivity of the hardware or should i be expecting to install the hardware once then put them straight into the cabs? or could i do what i asked?

JohnDouglas

nel wrote:

Anyway a few posts up i asked: "......we are going to have to do a straight swap for our current 6500's as there is no space in our cabs. I was originally thinking of installing the hardrware, building the config, testing etc in a test area then dismantling it, installing the chassis into the cab, put all the hardware back in etc. Is this a wise thing to do? As for lifting it in etc i know we have a lifter and can only pray it will do the job to get it in there! "

Is this a wise thing to do with the sensitivity of the hardware or should i be expecting to install the hardware once then put them straight into the cabs? or could i do what i asked?

That's a good plan. Rack it, make sure everything works. Take the stuff out to site and install it. Of course a spare rack is best for everyone, especially if this work will cause a customer outage. But it sounds like that is out of the question. Often you'll find stuff won't work even if it's straight from Cisco. If it's recovered kit then it may well ahve been happily working for years, but as soon as it's recommissioned bits will convincingly die. As for sensitivity of the hardware. Wear a strap-on like suggested. The hardware isn't that fragile really so long as you treat it with a bit of care. tbh i don't think that many people even observe antistatic procedures. I only tend to follow them religiously when a card is new and over £25K

Good to observe good habits though I know.

My first thought when you asked for advice was "keep your back straight when lifting". It's good you've got a lifter, many tech sites don't have one. Which is why most engineers are stocky and very strong! Frankly I don't think I'd be strong enough to be an engineer. Still, given it sounds like you're new to this and you've got a good career ahead of you make sure you don't get pressurised into lifting you don't want to do or can't do.

tiersten

JohnDouglas wrote:

Wear a strap-on like suggested.

Never heard anybody refer to a anti-static wrist strap like that...

JohnDouglas wrote:

The hardware isn't that fragile really so long as you treat it with a bit of care. tbh i don't think that many people even observe antistatic procedures.

Yeah. Most of the time people don't bother.

BeaverC32

JohnDouglas wrote:

Wear a strap-on like suggested. The hardware isn't that fragile really so long as you treat it with a bit of care.

Sounds like a beginning to a penthouse story...

nel

tiersten wrote:

JohnDouglas wrote:

Wear a strap-on like suggested.

Never heard anybody refer to a anti-static wrist strap like that...

HAHAHA!

Well i think that will be initial plan of attack, after ive found power of course. Thankfully this isnt a customer site - its where i work. im just hoping we can fit a lifter into the comms room as its pretty tight in there

aordal

Long - I was up until 3am finishing installing. Make sure you have someone to help you rack it, it's big and clunky.

kryolla

Do you guys use inverted power for AC?

Nel sorry I can't answer you question we did a migration from 6509 to 7613 last year and commissioned the 7613 first then swung all the links over of course Cat B first let it soak for a day then Cat A.

tiersten

nel wrote:

Thankfully this isnt a customer site - its where i work. im just hoping we can fit a lifter into the comms room as its pretty tight in there

If you can then that'd make it so much easier for you. A coworker was manhandling a pretty heavy Magstar library into position in a rack and let go of it. The frontpanel snapped off and the metalwork was dented. Thankfully the unit still worked but it looked terrible with a duct taped frontpanel. We asked IBM how much it'd be to fix but the quote was something pretty high so we never bothered.

nel

well just to let you guys know i have finally installed our 2 6500's - my first pair! and i absolutely loved the whole thing!!!

so all in all ive upgraded the entire LAN for one (if not) the biggest lan in our company.

I was the lead project member, i configured everything, done all the planning, lead the installation etc. Wow, great experiance not only personally but for my cv too

everything for the installation went down great. No major issues, no nasty suprises. All in all i planned everything pretty well.

There's a few reasons why i have only done this now - mainly down to power installs and other (more important) projects too. but its great to have it under my belt and that extra wait has made it even sweeter!

I have to say studying for the bcmsn definately helped at the same time. im glad i changed from the bsci to the bcmsn when i did.

To be honest ive got to give a lot of credit to the folk who helped me with the moving and physical install too because without them i could not have done it in the time space i had.

Problem is, now ive had this kind of action i want more and more and just want to keep steam rolling and moving my way up! Happy Days..

malcybood

Well done nel, good job.

What type of modules were installed into the chassis? Purely LAN or anything fancy like FWSM or CSM etc? You may get to play with some of that type of stuff at a later date if not this time.

nel

malcybood wrote: »

Well done nel, good job.

What type of modules were installed into the chassis? Purely LAN or anything fancy like FWSM or CSM etc? You may get to play with some of that type of stuff at a later date if not this time.

Thanks mate,

Nothing fancy just a few sup's and spf modules. Still good fun and experiance either way! Really really enjoyed it!