Dell PowerConnect 8132 Manual Download Page 1

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Victor Teeter
Network Solutions Engineer

Rev. 1.1

Stacking Dell PowerConnect Switches:
8132, 8132F, 8164, 8164F

Summary of Contents for PowerConnect 8132

Page 1: ...Victor Teeter Network Solutions Engineer Rev 1 1 Stacking Dell PowerConnect Switches 8132 8132F 8164 8164F ...

Page 2: ...n typography or photography Dell the Dell logo and PowerEdge are trademarks of Dell Inc Intel and Xeon are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U S and other countries Microsoft Windows and Windows Server are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and or other countries Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to r...

Page 3: ...erations 7 How a Master is selected 8 How to select a Master during initial stack setup 10 Stacking scenarios 11 Creating a Stack 12 Command line interface method 23 Web interface method 27 Updating firmware on a stack 30 Command line interface method 30 Web interface method 32 Removing member units 38 Command line interface method 39 Web interface method 44 Managing the standby unit 51 Command li...

Page 4: ...Firmware 5 0 x x is no longer recommended If after reading the above section it is still desired to run 5 0 x x on a stack not recommended there may be an option that will allow it depending on the CPU versions of each switch Follow the instructions below to find the CPU versions for all 8100 switches involved and determine available options 1 Run show version from the CLI prompt on either a stack...

Page 5: ...7_BSP_COMPONENT_ID Unit d has a s processor which requires firmware revision 5 1 or later unitIndex cpuString When trying to downgrade a standalone B1 unit to firmware 5 0 x x the following error is displayed to the console This unit or members of the stack require revision 5 1 or later firmware This level of firmware is also required when attaching these units to a stack To avoid errors upgrade a...

Page 6: ...MAC addresses which helps to reduce disruptions to the network When a failed Master re joins the stack it does so as a member not a Master unless a new Master has not had time to be elected Note Dell PowerConnect 8132 8132F 8164 and 8164F series switches can be mixed in any combination within a stack This document provides an easy to use step by step guide on how to configure stacking for the Dell...

Page 7: ...dant paths for control and data traffic including support for Link Aggregation Group LAGs configured across multiple switches This means that any single point of failure a switch or a stack cable failure does not affect the overall operation of the remaining stack elements Nonstop forwarding on the stack The Nonstop Forwarding NSF feature allows the forwarding plane of stack units to continue to f...

Page 8: ...d configure slot 1 0 5 PowerConnect 8164F slot 1 1 8 Dell 10GBase T Card stack member 1 4 PCT8164F exit interface out of band ip address 172 25 194 24 255 255 0 0 172 25 194 254 exit interface vlan 1 exit username admin password dec68e453164a2 privilege 15 encrypted line telnet enable authentication enableList exit snmp server engineid local 800002a203001ec9ddad5b exit Notice there is only one mem...

Page 9: ... the Management Unit before the reboot remains the Management Unit after the stack resumes operation A Unit number for the switch can be manually set To avoid unit number conflicts one of the following scenarios takes place when adding a new member to the stack If the switch has a unit number that is already in use then the unit added to the stack changes its configured unit number to the lowest u...

Page 10: ...s Master The former Master becomes a regular stack member automatically To select a particular physical unit to be Master during initial setup simply boot it up completely before powering on any of the other switches All subsequent members added to the stack will join as regular stack members When using two or more switches to initially create a stack the Master is chosen based on the highest MAC ...

Page 11: ...umes that all Dell PowerConnect devices are using the same firmware revision It is also recommended that all devices are using the latest firmware version Note Upgrade the firmware to the latest revision on the units before stacking them Unless mentioned otherwise all scenarios below assume the switches are using the static ports that are hard wired into the switches and that no modules are instal...

Page 12: ...pictures below come before the configuration steps it is important not to cable the stack until instructed to do so Cabling is one of the last steps and comes after configuring all switches used in the stack however it is necessary to know exactly each port that is going to be cabled to configure each switch correctly The Dell PowerConnect 8100 series switches can be stacked up to six high support...

Page 13: ...all of the devices are connected To complete the ring topology for the stack one stacking port on the last switch is connected to a stacking port on the first switch Things to consider when cabling a stack together Only use interfaces with the same bandwidth to stack between members It is not supported to mix 40G QSFP ports with 10G SFP or 10Gbase T ports on a switch when stacking It is okay howev...

Page 14: ...1 2 8 6 4 1 7 5 3 10 16 14 12 9 15 13 11 18 24 22 20 17 23 21 19 ACT LNK QSFP MODULE ACT LNK ACT LNK QSFP MODULE ACT LNK ACT LNK To use a QSFP quad breakout cable to stack two peers the QSFP port must be set to port mode 4x10G and reloaded before setting it to stack mode described in the next section From the interface configuration CLI prompt use the hardware profile command to set the port to th...

Page 15: ...nk Down Unknown Te1 0 22 Ethernet Ethernet Link Down Unknown Te1 0 23 Ethernet Ethernet Link Down Unknown Te1 0 24 Ethernet Ethernet Link Down Unknown Fo1 1 1 Ethernet Ethernet Link Down 40 Fo1 1 2 Ethernet Ethernet Link Down 40 Te1 1 1 Ethernet Ethernet Detach 10 Te1 1 2 Ethernet Ethernet Detach 10 Te1 1 3 Ethernet Ethernet Detach 10 Te1 1 4 Ethernet Ethernet Detach 10 Te1 1 5 Ethernet Ethernet D...

Page 16: ... stacking ports on the last and first switch to create a ring topology if desired Once the switches have been configured remove power from all switches While powered off cable all of the switches together using the stack ports that were configured Select the switch to be the Master switch and power up that switch only allowing a few minutes to boot up completely Verify the switch is up by logging ...

Page 17: ... switch is the Master of a stack the LED glows solid blue If it is a stack member only it glows a solid amber When in stand alone mode the LED is off Note Each stack members role including the Master and Standby can be defined any time after the initial stack is created Web interface method Make sure all switches are at the same firmware version prior to configuring the stack or use the Stack Firm...

Page 18: ... number of 1 one The example above shows a Dell PowerConnect 8132F with a QSFP two port expansion module installed in Slot 1 The two 40G QSFP ports are interfaces F01 1 1 and F01 1 2 We will use these two interfaces for stacking in the example below Click System Stack Management Stack Port Summary to bring up the next page used to select the ports for stacking For this example ports F01 1 1 and F0...

Page 19: ...ode column Use this menu to change port modes from Ethernet to Stack Clicking Apply at the bottom of the screen with set the Configured Stack Mode to Stack but the Running Stack Mode remains Ethernet until the switch is reloaded as instructed below Save the configuration to the Startup Configuration on the System File Management Copy Files page ...

Page 20: ...into the CLI Once the Master is up power up the next switch in line Allow the second switch 30 seconds to boot up then power up the third switch Continue to power up each switch allowing 30 seconds between powering switches This allows each adjacent switch to be active before the next one Failure to wait may result in another switch becoming the Master All subsequent switches enter the stack as Me...

Page 21: ...n a stack they need to have the same firmware as the Master Perform a manual update of the firmware on a new member to synchronize the firmware prior to cabling it into the stack Or another way to accomplish this is to configure the Master switch to use Stack Firmware Synchronization which automatically upgrades firmware on new members as they join the stack In the event the new stack member unit ...

Page 22: ...e newer B1 CPU It is therefore recommended to upgrade all PowerConnect 8100 switches to the latest firmware See Important Firmware Update for PowerConnect 81xx Stacking at the beginning of this document for more information Save the configuration to the Startup Configuration on the System File Management Copy Files page ...

Page 23: ...itch before going to the next Complete these steps again for each switch to be added This example allows adding new members without preconfiguring the existing stack though the new members themselves will need to be configured To preconfigure a stack before connecting the new stack member consult the User Guide under Preconfiguring a Stack Member Command line interface method Run the commands belo...

Page 24: ...will not be available during this time Are you sure you want to save y n y Configuration Saved Remove power from the switch Note Hot insertion of units into the stack is not supported Do not connect a new member to the stack while the new unit is powered up Follow the steps in the following section to properly add the stacking cables and complete the process Ring vs daisy chain topology If the ori...

Page 25: ...h being added into the stack ports that were unplugged in step 2 4 Plug the remaining cable ends removed in step 2 into the remaining stack ports configured on the new switch unit 5 Power up the new switch The switch will be added to the stack Allow a few minutes for the new switch to boot up completely Validation After the entire stack is created it can be validated with the show switch command f...

Page 26: ...ed to a stack a switch s out of band IP address and console port are no longer accessible Use the IP address and console port of the Master unit for management access since the stack now acts as a single large switch Repeat the above steps to add more new members to the stack ...

Page 27: ...xx Stacking at the beginning of this document for more information Note The example given below allows the new member to be added without preconfiguring the existing stack though the new member itself needs to be configured To preconfigure a stack before connecting the new stack member consult the User Guide under Preconfiguring a Stack Member On the new member switch to be added to the stack sele...

Page 28: ...s all switches to remain in communication with each other in the event a single link or switch is lost or removed When adding a switch to a daisy chain topology stack add it to one end of the stack and not in the middle Adding to the middle requires breaking the daisy chained stack which causes the stack to split creating a new Master on the group of switches that lost contact with the original Ma...

Page 29: ...e new switch The switch will be added to the stack Allow a few minutes for the new switch to boot up completely Validation After the entire stack is created validate it with the show switch command from the Master switch The example above shows a new stack member Unit 4 was added If a switch SW number is configured prior to adding it to the stack and there are no other devices using that number th...

Page 30: ...tive backup Images currently available on Flash unit active backup current active next active 1 5 0 0 1 4 2 0 0 5 0 0 1 5 0 0 1 2 5 0 0 1 4 2 0 0 5 0 0 1 5 0 0 1 3 5 0 0 1 4 2 0 0 5 0 0 1 5 0 0 1 4 5 0 0 1 4 2 0 0 5 0 0 1 5 0 0 1 Each member of the stack is updated with the latest firmware simply by updating the Master switch The commands below demonstrate how to copy the firmware file down to the...

Page 31: ...urrently available on Flash unit active backup current active next active 1 5 0 0 1 5 0 0 3 5 0 0 1 5 0 0 1 2 5 0 0 1 5 0 0 3 5 0 0 1 5 0 0 1 3 5 0 0 1 5 0 0 3 5 0 0 1 5 0 0 1 4 5 0 0 1 5 0 0 3 5 0 0 1 5 0 0 1 The backup column now shows the same values as the active column The next step is to activate the image that contains the new firmware by using the boot system backup command console boot sy...

Page 32: ...ple given the following is displayed console show version Image Descriptions active backup Images currently available on Flash unit active backup current active next active 1 5 0 0 3 5 0 0 1 5 0 0 3 5 0 0 3 2 5 0 0 3 5 0 0 1 5 0 0 3 5 0 0 3 3 5 0 0 3 5 0 0 1 5 0 0 3 5 0 0 3 4 5 0 0 3 5 0 0 1 5 0 0 3 5 0 0 3 Notice as the backup becomes active the active becomes the backup Web interface method Find...

Page 33: ...the latest firmware simply by updating the Master switch The screenshot below demonstrate how to copy the firmware to the Master using a TFTP server The stack needs access to a TFTP server on the network and the firmware file needs to be present in the download folder of the TFTP server From the System File Management File Download page select the appropriate settings The most common settings are ...

Page 34: ...ning will appear Click OK Note Be patient as this procedure may take several minutes longer than updating a single non stacked switch The following screen appears for several minutes while the firmware is being downloaded to the Master and distributed to all members of the stack ...

Page 35: ...le has been distributed to the entire stack the following dialog box appears Click Close Go back to the Active Images screen to confirm that the new firmware was downloaded to all members of the stack Notice the firmware was only copied into the backup image for each member ...

Page 36: ...s to activate the image that contains the new firmware using the drop down menus in the Next Active Image column In this example the backup image is selected for each unit After selecting backup for each unit click Apply Go to the System General Reset page to reload the switch ...

Page 37: ...y to reload all switches in the stack If the following screen appears click OK Click OK again if this screen appears If either of the following screens appear they are simply notifying the user that the network has been lost This is only temporarily while the stack reloads ...

Page 38: ...ime with several configuration changes since the initial upgrade Newer firmware can have dozens of valuable bug fixes that will not be there on the older firmware Removing member units This section provides guidance on how to remove member units from a stack while minimizing traffic flow interruptions within the stack Removing any member of a ring topology stack does not require a reload of any me...

Page 39: ...ase sensitive Look for interfaces shown to be in Stack mode The logical stack unit number is represented in each interface name The first number in the interface name is the logical stack unit For example interface Te2 0 21 is in logical unit number 2 A blinking LED light can be generated on the back of each PowerConnect 81xx to locate each physical unit This blinking LED is useful when identifyin...

Page 40: ...g removed does not need to be powered off Keeping the switches power on automatically brings it to a stand along state as the stack cables are removed In the example below Figure 13 the red quad breakout cable is removed along with the switch Cabling of five stacked units Figure 13 ACT LNK 2 8 6 4 1 7 5 3 18 24 22 20 17 23 21 19 10 16 14 12 9 15 13 11 2 8 6 4 1 7 5 3 10 16 14 12 9 15 13 11 18 24 2...

Page 41: ...used to link the bottom unit to the one directly above it The second quad breakout cable is then used to connect the top and bottom units to again complete the ring topology Note A QSFP quad breakout cable connects one QSFP 40GE port to four SFP 10GE ports Alternatively once the unit is removed the remaining quad breakout cable could be replaced with a QSFP cable to connect the top and bottom stac...

Page 42: ... be desired to renumber switches in the stack While this feature may be used at any time it is most commonly used after a switch has been removed and the remaining unit numbers are no longer consecutive While inconsecutive numbers or numbers out of order do not impact traffic in any way keeping an order can help quickly identify individual units and ports A switch may be any number between 1 and 6...

Page 43: ...s Status Model ID Model ID Status Version 1 Stack Mbr Oper Stby PCT8164F PCT8164F OK 5 0 0 3 2 Mgmt Sw PCT8132F PCT8132F OK 5 0 0 3 3 Stack Mbr PCT8164F PCT8164F OK 5 0 0 3 Configuring a removed unit to be stand alone After removing a unit from a stack the unit converts back to its original configuration that it had prior to adding it to the stack retaining the IP address VLAN LAG and other settin...

Page 44: ... blinking LED light is generated on the back of each Dell PowerConnect 81xx to locate each physical unit This blinking LED is useful when identifying physical units and ports for running diags sniffing mirroring ports and other basic troubleshooting It is also helpful when needing to add remove replace or trace cables associated with these interfaces Use the locate switch CLI command to blink the ...

Page 45: ... switch being removed does not need to be powered off Keeping the switches powered on automatically brings it to a stand along state as the stack cables are removed In the example below the red quad breakout cable will be removed along with the switch Cabling of five stacked units Figure 15 ACT LNK 2 8 6 4 1 7 5 3 18 24 22 20 17 23 21 19 10 16 14 12 9 15 13 11 2 8 6 4 1 7 5 3 10 16 14 12 9 15 13 1...

Page 46: ...SWITCH REMOVED FROM STACK Removal of a stack unit results in one or more freed cables In this example there is a freed quad breakout cable red that was used to link the bottom unit to the one directly above it The second quad breakout cable is then used to connect the top and bottom units to again complete the ring topology Note A QSFP quad breakout cable is one that allows the user to connect one...

Page 47: ...was removed A backup of the configuration copying the running configuration to the startup configuration in System File Management Copy Files is required to make the change persist after a reload Renumbering stack units It may be desired to renumber switches in the stack While this feature may be used at any time it is most commonly preferred after a switch has been removed and the remaining unit ...

Page 48: ...ripts and monitoring parameters may need to be modified In this example there are three stack members numbered 1 3 and 4 It may be desired to move 3 to 2 and then 4 to 3 This can be by renumbering 3 to 2 first then renumbering 4 to 3 It is also possible to simply move 4 to 2 which is shown in the example below Go to System Stack Management Unit Configuration and select the Switch ID to change Ente...

Page 49: ...witch to renumber then verify the new ID from the System Stack Management Stack Summary screen The switch that was Unit 4 is now Unit 2 and Unit 4 is no longer present To remove it from the list select it on the System Stack Management Unit Configuration screen and then select the Remove Switch check box at the bottom ...

Page 50: ...s VLAN LAG and other settings allowing the user to immediately access the stand alone through the out of band port if previously configured Note A duplicate address could occur on the network if another device was assigned the IP address of the device while it was a stack member If this occurs simply detach the device from the network and change the IP address through the console port Meta data re...

Page 51: ...f the administrator decides to select a different unit to be Standby then it is labeled Cfg Stby Both Standby modes work identically In this example unit 2 is the stack standby for the Master unit To change the standby to a different unit use the standby x command Verify the change with the show switch command console config stack standby 3 console show switch Management Standby Preconfig Plugged ...

Page 52: ...re Web interface method In case the Master unit fails a Standby unit is automatically configured to take place as Master To find out which unit is currently in Standby status go to the System Stack Management Stack Summary screen The Standby Status column shows which unit is in Standby mode There are two standby modes Oper Stby and Cfg Stby Oper Stby is selected automatically by the Master during ...

Page 53: ...by Note Assigning the current Stack Master to the Standby role is not allowed using this method and results in an error Instead use the initiate failover method described below Click Apply Copying the running configuration to the startup configuration is not required This setting will be persistent after a reload Verify the new Standby switch from the Stack Summary screen ...

Page 54: ... stack initiate failover The system has unsaved changes Would you like to save them now y n y Configuration Saved Management unit will be reloaded Are you sure you want to failover to the backup unit y n y Connection to host lost This message is seen in telnet sessions If using the CLI through the console port the session will no longer be valid The console port on the new Master switch will now b...

Page 55: ...g stack Turns on stacking on a port copy running config startup config Backs up the running configuration show version m Shows firmware and CPU versions on units copy tftp 10 10 1 10 PC8100v5 0 0 3 stk backup Example of firmware download using tftp boot system backup Activates the backup image to be active reload Reloads the stack locate switch 2 Blinks the locate LED on rear of switch no member 5...

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