Interface Errors

[mshields at namemedia.com (Matt Shields)]

The errors started a week ago after we reconfiged the network.  There
was another email where I explained that the original config we had:

Fiber drop -> switch1 -> switch2 -> switch3 -> firewall

This config was done out of unplanned growth and server reconfigs.  They
never planned on having the firewall a couple hops away from the
fiberdrop.  All of our servers (no matter what purpose) were scattered
across all switches, which meant that when you made a web request it
went from:

Fiber drop -> sw1 -> sw2 -> sw3 -> fw -> (whichever sw had a webserver)
-> (whichever sw had an appserver) -> (whichever sw had a db) ...... Etc
etc etc.

When I started looking at how many hops across switches it took to make
a single web request it was crazy.


Now it is:
Fiber drop -> core switch -> firewall

Basically, we moved the firewall to the rack with the main switch.  Then
out from the core switch it is connected to all of the other switches.
Switches are connected to servers by function, so the web, app, db
servers are grouped together.  Mail/spam/virus servers are grouped
together, etc.  Based on mrtg graphs you can see that we've cut down on
cross-switch traffic..... But, now we have the interface errors on the
firewall.


Matthew Shields
Sr Systems Administrator
NameMedia, Inc.
(P) 781-839-2828
mshields at namemedia.com
http://www.namemedia.com


-----Original Message-----
From: discuss-bounces at blu.org [mailto:discuss-bounces at blu.org] On Behalf
Of Christoph Doerbeck
Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2006 10:18 AM
To: discuss at blu.org
Subject: Re: Interface Errors

On Mon, 2006-06-19 at 11:59 -0400, Matt Shields wrote:
> I've been having a problem for about a week where the interface on my 
> server slowly collects errors (~4 or 5 errors/minute). This server 
> (Dell Poweredge 1850) is our firewall and is connected via GigE to our

> Dell PowerConnect 5324.  The Powerconnect has an uplink to our 
> provider that is Gig Fiber.  I'm using CAT6 cable and I have replaced 
> it numerous times.  I've also changed the switch port.  Can anyone 
> offer any suggestions?  Don't know if this matters, but we're passing 
> 60-80 Mbits outbound, 15-20 MBits inbound.

So what changed a week ago.  Did the errors start, or is that when you
first noticed the errors?

I'm curious to know which OS and driver is being used?

-christoph

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