Dell PowerConnect 8132 Manual 

Also see for PowerConnect 8132: Configuration guide Release note User configuration guide User configuration guide Specifications

Contents

Dell PowerConnect 8132 Manual  Manual pdf 7 page image

Stacking Dell PowerConnect Switches: 8132, 8132F, 8164, 8164F7Stacking and managementAn important advantage of stacking is that it provides a consolidated interface for management ofmultiple switches that are linked together. One switch acts as the Master, and the entire stack ismanaged through the management interface (Web, CLI, or SNMP) of the stack Master. After a stack isdeployed in the network, operators can easily add units to the stack as their port requirementsincrease, with minimal administrative overhead. Additional stack members can immediately useexisting configuration information such as routing and switching configurations, VLANs, ACLs, portprofiles, and security certificates.Simplified firmware updates for stack membersWhen switches are stacked, only the Master needs to be updated with new firmware. All members ofthe stack receive the firmware from the Master at the same time it is being updated, minimizing theadministrator’s time used for updating firmware. Also, when a switch is added to a stack, if it isrunning a different backup version of firmware than the active version on the stack Master, the backupfirmware on the new member is automatically updated to match the Master, the backup version offirmware on the new member is activated, and the new member is rebooted.Stacking and redundancyBy connecting a cable from the last switch in a stack back to the first switch, the operator makes surethat a stack has the protection of redundant paths for control and data traffic, including support forLink Aggregation Group (LAGs) configured across multiple switches. This means that any single pointof failure (a switch or a stack cable failure) does not affect the overall operation of the remaining stackelements.Nonstop forwarding on the stackThe Nonstop Forwarding (NSF) feature allows the forwarding plane of stack units to continue to forwardpackets while the control and management planes restart as a result of a power failure, hardwarefailure, or software fault on the stack Master and allows the standby switch to quickly takeover as theMaster.Hot add/delete and firmware synchronizationUnits can be added and removed to and from the stack without cycling the power on the stack. Whenadding a unit, the Stack Firmware Synchronization feature automatically synchronizes the firmwareversion with the version running on the stack Master. The synchronization operation may result ineither an upgrade or a downgrade of firmware on the mismatched stack member. In addition, therunning-config on the member is updated to match the Master switch. The startup-config on thestandby and member switches is not updated to match the Master switch. The hardware configurationof every switch is updated to match the Master switch (unit number, slot configuration, stack membernumber, and so on).Meta-data considerationsWhen creating a stack, the configuration information is meta-data that is part of the hardwareconfiguration applied at boot time before the switch firmware is started (and before the startupconfiguration is read). The stack information shown in the startup and running configurations is simply