address of the manager. You can see this address by issuing the
show network
command. Every
stack member is uniquely identified by its own stack member number.
All stack members are eligible stack managers. Exception: Setting a stack member’s priority to 0 (zero)
makes it ineligible for manager selection. When the stack is formed, one of the units is automatically
selected as the standby for the stack. The standby of the stack takes over as manager if the current
manager fails. The standby of the stack can also be configured using the command
standby unit-
number
.
The stack manager contains the saved and running configuration files for the switch stack. The
configuration files include the system-level settings for the switch stack and the interface-level settings
for all stack members. Each stack member retains a copy of the saved file for backup purposes.
If the manager is removed from the stack, the standby of the stack will take over and will then run from
that saved configuration.
You can use these methods to manage switch stacks:
•
Web interface
•
CLI over a serial connection to the console port of the manager
•
A network management application through the
SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol)
Switch Stack Membership
A switch stack has up to n stack members, including the manager, connected through their stacking
ports. A switch stack always has one stack manager.
A standalone switch is a switch stack with one stack member that also operates as the stack manager.
You can connect one standalone switch to another to create a switch stack containing two stack
members, with one of them being the stack manager. You can connect standalone switches to an
existing switch stack to increase the stack membership.
If you replace a stack member with an identical model, the new switch functions with exactly the same
configuration as the replaced switch, assuming that the new switch is using the same member number
as the replaced switch. By default, 200 Series configures the new member.
The operation of the switch stack continues uninterrupted during membership changes unless you
remove the stack manager.
Stack Manager Election and Re-Election
The stack manager is elected or re-elected based on one of these factors and in the order listed:
•
The switch that is currently the stack manager.
•
The switch with the highest stack member priority value.
Note
We recommend assigning the highest priority value to the switch that you prefer to be the
stack manager. This ensures that the switch is re-elected as stack manager if a re-election
occurs.
Getting Started with Stacking
ExtremeSwitching 200 Series: Administration Guide
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