These aggregation switches typically operate at Layer 2 or Layer 3 of the OSI model, depending on the network topology and configuration requirements. An aggregation switch is a network device that consolidates traffic from multiple access switches, wireless access points, or other edge devices and forwards it to core switches or routers. This article looks at what each such tool does, compares how they differ from each other, and offers suggestions as to what sort of network each. An Aggregation or "Top-of-Rack" switch is designed to connect everything in a rack at high speeds, then have an even bigger pipe out to the rest of the network. In today's rapidly evolving. This chapter covers the design recommendations for a data center design deployment consisting of a Cisco Nexus® 7000 Series Switch at the aggregation layer and a Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switch at the access layer. It facilitates the connectivity because it would rapidly become impractical to.
[PDF Version]