Can I mix IPbase & IPservices IOS in a 3750 stack

[DrGrove]

Ive read a couple of threads on this forum re IOS versions and stack membership.. and found out that really all stack members should have the same IOS incase of stack master failure, and I just wanted to clarify a few things...

For example... we have an 8 switch stack of 3750's, the top and bottm switches are configured to use their gigabit interfaces as uplinks back to the core, and are configured in such a way that if the top switch (master) fails, the bottom will handle the traffic...

So my quesiton is can these 2 switches alone have the IPservices IOS on, and the inbetween switches have the IPbase IOS of the same revision? As only these 2 are connected to the core, these are the most important, and the chances of both failing would hopefully be rather slim. Yhere seems little point in having all stack memebers with the IPServices IOS?

Any comments would be welcome... thanks

 

[vipergg]

All switches in the stack should be running the same version.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/swi.../12.2_25_see/configuration/guide/swstack.html

 

[VinceWhirlwind]

The answer is yes, you can do that, but if you are running OSPF/Multicast routing/etc... and the stackmember(s) with "IPServices" on them fail, you lose that functionality until you replace the failed switch.

 

[DrGrove]

In the unlikely event that both stackmembers with IPServices fail, you lose the only 2 routes to the core anyway, so the remaining stack is severed from the core...

This is my point really, unless all stack members are fibred back to the core, only those with direct connections really need the IPServices IOS, and the remaining can simply have IPBase...

Additionally, if both where to fail, I assume you could simply transfer the licensed IPServices IOS onto another stackmember

 

[VinceWhirlwind]

Yes, I think you've just saved yourself $60,000 at the cost of an extremely tiny risk.

Although you've not really admitted that repatching your uplinks to a not-dead stackmember is *just a bit* easier than copying a new IOS to a not-dead stackmember.

I don't know if there is any issue with transferring the licence - when you buy an IP Services licence, they don't ask you for a switch serial #, so I guess as long as you are only running as many as you have paid for at any one time, you are OK.