Dell PowerConnect J-EX8208, Software Manual

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Global Management of Member Switches in a Virtual Chassis
The interconnected member switches in a Virtual Chassis configuration operate as a
single network entity. You run EZSetup only once to specify the identification parameters
for the master, and these parameters implicitly apply to all members of the Virtual Chassis
configuration. You can view the Virtual Chassis configuration as a single device in the
J-Web user interface and apply various device management functions to all members
of the Virtual Chassis configuration.
The serial console port and dedicated out-of-band management port that are on the
rear panel of the individual switches have global virtual counterparts when the switches
are interconnected in a Virtual Chassis configuration. A
virtual console allows you to
connect to the master by connecting a terminal directly to the console port of any member
switch. A
virtual management Ethernet (VME) interface allows you to remotely manage
the Virtual Chassis configuration by connecting to the out-of-band management port of
any member switch through a single IP address. See “Understanding Global Management
of a Virtual Chassis Configuration” on page 699.
High Availability Through Redundant Routing Engines
A Virtual Chassis configuration has a master and a backup, each of which has a Routing
Engine. These redundant Routing Engines handle all routing protocol processes and
control the Virtual Chassis configuration. See “High Availability Features for J-EX Series
Switches Overview” on page 18 for further information on redundant Routing Engines
and additional high availability features.
Adaptability as an Access Switch or Distribution Switch
A Virtual Chassis configuration supports a variety of user environments, because it can
be composed of different models of J-EX4200 switches, with either 24 or 48 access
ports, and with these having either full (24 or 48 ports) or partial (8 ports) Power over
Ethernet (PoE) port capabilities. You can select different switch models to support
various functions. For example, you might set up one Virtual Chassis access switch
configuration composed of the full PoE models to support users sitting in cubicles
equipped with PCs and VoIP phones. You could set up another Virtual Chassis
configuration with partial PoE models to support the company's internal servers and
configure one more Virtual Chassis configuration with partial PoE models to support the
company's external servers. Alternatively, the Virtual Chassis configuration can be used
as a distribution switch. For this type of deployment, you might select the J-EX4200-24F
model to connect the distribution switch to multiple access switches located in different
buildings on the campus.
Related
Documentation
Understanding Virtual Chassis Components on page 694
•
•
Understanding How the Master in a Virtual Chassis Configuration Is Elected on page 698
•
Understanding Virtual Chassis J-EX4200 Switch Version Compatibility on page 705
•
Understanding Virtual Chassis Configurations and Link Aggregation on page 702
•
Understanding Virtual Chassis Configuration on page 704
•
J-EX4200 Switch Models on page 26
693
Chapter 43: Virtual Chassis—Overview, Components, and Configurations