56 Switch FeaturesStacking FeaturesFor information about creating and maintaining a stack of switches, see"Managing a Switch Stack" on page 135.High Port CountYou can stack PowerConnect 7000 Series switches up to 12 switches high,supporting up to 576 front-panel ports, if all units in the stack are 48-portmodels. The stack can contain any combination of switch models in thePowerConnect 7000 Series as long as all switches are running the samefirmware version.Single IP ManagementWhen multiple switches are connected together through the stack ports, theyoperate as a single unit with a larger port count. The stack operates and ismanaged as a single entity. One switch acts as the master, and the entire stackis managed through the management interface (Web, CLI, or SNMP) of themaster unit.Automatic Firmware Upgrade for New Stack MembersIf a switch is added to a stack, and the switch is running an older version ofthe firmware than the other stack members, the firmware on the new memberis automatically upgraded to match the stack.Stacking Compatibility with the PowerConnect M6348PowerConnect 7000 Series switches and PowerConnect M6348 switches canbe members of the same stack.
