An engineer is designing a campus network with Cisco Catalyst 9500 switches in the aggregation layer. The design requires running nonblocking Layer 2 MEC from the aggregation layer to the access…

VSS (Virtual Switching System) is a similar virtualization technology but is primarily used for older Catalyst 6500 and 4500 series switches, not Catalyst 9500.

StackWise-480 is a stacking technology typically used for fixed-configuration access switches (e.g., Catalyst 9300) and is limited to short-distance, backplane-like connections, making it unsuitable for switches located on different floors.

VPC (Virtual Port Channel) is a multi-chassis EtherChannel technology commonly associated with Cisco Nexus switches and is not the primary high-availability solution for Catalyst 9500 switches in a campus aggregation layer.

StackWise Virtual allows two Cisco Catalyst 9500 switches, even if located on different campus floors, to operate as a single logical switch. This enables the creation of a Multi-chassis EtherChannel (MEC) from the aggregation layer to access switches, providing both link and device redundancy, eliminating spanning tree blocked ports, and ensuring maximum bandwidth utilization and high availability.