Stacking Supermicro Switches: SSE-G24-TG4, SSE-G48-TG4, SBM-GEM-X2C+, SBM-GEM-X3S+
Copyright 2016, SUPERMICRO Computer, Inc.
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Switch Type
Maximum number of switches
per stack
Maximum number of stacking ports
per unit
SSE-G24-TG4,
SSE-G48-TG4
8
2 (XG1-2 / XG2-3)
SBM-GEM-X2C+
8
2 (XG2-3)
SBM-GEM-X3S+
8
2 (2 out of 3 SFP+ ports)
Table 1-2: Allowable stacking port assignments
Caution:
Please note that the bandwidth across the stack is limited to 20Gbps full duplex at
best. This bandwidth is used for administrative/management traffic as well as for any user data
traffic that must be passed between ports on different stacked switches. Although there is a
logical capacity for up to eight switches in a stack, traffic patterns may dictate smaller
stacks. Users are advised to analyze as much as possible the expected amount of intra-stack,
inter-switch traffic. If such traffic is expected, at peak, to be more than approximately 7Gbps,
there should be serious consideration to implementing a smaller stack with a corresponding
smaller intra-stack bandwidth demand.
Figure 1-1 Stacking Multiple Switches in a Ring Topology
2. Terminology
The following terms are used throughout this document and are defined here for clarification:
Stacking
: Stacking refers to a method of connecting two or more switch entities together to build
a large logical switch entity.
Stack Master
: A switch that controls the operation of the stack is called a Stack Master. Please
note that there can be only one Stack Master in the stack at any given time.
Stack Slave
: A switch which is not elected (designated) or acting as the Stack Master is called a
Stack Slave. On a Stack Slave the management and control plane remains passive unless it gets
designated as Stack Master.
Preferred Master (PM)
: A switch entity with Preferred Master setting has a higher priority to be
elected as the Stack Master than a Backup Master or Preferred Slave. However, priority is not the
