Specifications

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Catalyst 2900 Series XL and Catalyst 3500 Series XL Software Configuration Guide
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Chapter 5 Clustering Switches
Understanding Switch Clusters
Standby Command Switch Characteristics
You can assign one or more switches to a standby group of command switches.
There is no limit to the number of switches you assign to a standby group. To be
eligible for a standby group, a switch must meet the following requirements:
• It is running Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XP or later.
• It has its own IP address.
• It has CDP version 2 enabled.
• It is not a command or member switch of another cluster.
• It is in the same management VLAN as the active command switch.
• It is a member of the cluster.
For redundancy, we also recommend that each standby command switch is cabled
so that connectivity to cluster members is maintained.
Candidate and Cluster Member Characteristics
Candidate switches are cluster-capable switches that have not yet been added to a
cluster. Member switches are switches that have actually been added to a switch
cluster. A candidate or member switch can have its own IP address, but it is not
required. It can also have its own enable or enable secret password.
Note Before adding a candidate switch to the cluster, you must know its enable or
enable secret password.
To join a cluster, a switch must meet the following requirements:
• It is running cluster-capable software.
• It has CDP version 2 enabled.
• It is connected to a command switch through ports that belong to the same
management VLAN (see the “Management VLAN” section on page 5-11).
• It is not an active member or the command switch of another cluster.