FW: [c-nsp] Cisco Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module (CGESM) fortheHPBladeSystem

[christian.macnevin at uk.bnpparibas.com]

Yeah, unfortunately I'm not a fan of that 'they just work' argument. 
Coming from a telco background into a financial one
recently, it seems to me that a hell of a lot of network design on this 
side of the fence rests on things 'just working' until
one day, they don't. And then, your organisation starts losing millions of 
dollars a minute.

For me, if the support chain was set up better (this ain't the old 
internet, and it's a work address, so I can't offer an actual
opinion and feel safe here) then I wouldn't have too much hesitation 
anymore. But personally, I'd rather this thing was a 
3750 than a 2970, as it gives me a lot more room to move.




Internet
Olav.Langeland at active24.com
04/10/2005 17:31

To
cisco-nsp, Christian MACNEVIN
cc

Subject
FW: [c-nsp] Cisco Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module (CGESM) 
fortheHPBladeSystem






They are not your regular Cisco switches, and support and IOS releases
are with HP with all the consequences that has. But the main point is
that the CGESM are lightyears ahead of the GBE/GBE2 alternatives you are
have with HP Blades. You don't want to know what they are based on ;)

We have used the CGESM for some time now and "they just work".

-olav

-----Original Message-----
From: christian.macnevin at uk.bnpparibas.com
[mailto:christian.macnevin at uk.bnpparibas.com]
Sent: 04. oktober 2005 17.59
To: jason at oasys.net
Cc: cisco-nsp-bounces at puck.nether.net; cisco-nsp at puck.nether.net
Subject: Re: [c-nsp] Cisco Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module (CGESM)
fortheHPBladeSystem

We're looking at these devices currently in our network. I'm unsure how
much I can say that wouldn't result in someone shaking
a legal stick at me, but the number one concern I have is that these are

not Cisco devices. They are Cisco Powered devices.
In other words, if you need support, you call HP. I have feelings about
the quality of this support which are purely my own and I
cannot say reflect my company's viewpoint. The software release cycle
does
not reflect Cisco's own, either. At present, the statement
we've received says they'll release half as often as Cisco unless there
are security releases.

The other thing is that they're 2970s inside, and I guess I don't
normally
consider that anything more than a small office piece of kit. Not
really what I'd normally like to deploy in a very large, very critical
financial number crunching environment.

Has anyone out there actually implemented them?

Internet
jason at oasys.net
Sent by: cisco-nsp-bounces at puck.nether.net
04/10/2005 15:35

To
cisco-nsp
cc

Subject
Re: [c-nsp] Cisco Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module (CGESM) for
theHPBladeSystem


On 10/04, Olav Langeland wrote:
> I agree 100% regarding the comments about CGESM. If price is
acceptable
> they are overall a better choice than GBE/GBE2, and especially good if
> you are using them in a Cisco environment. They are basically Cisco
> Catalyst switches, just funny looking and inside a HP Blade enclosure
:)

I'll third that recommendation.  The cisco switches weren't yet
available when we bought our original chassis.  We ran into many
limitations (mostly STP-related) of the GBE2 switches, and traded them
after a year to get the features we needed.

-j

--
Jason Lavoie
Ratvarre sbe uver
jason at oasys.net



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