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Deployment Topologies
Figure 5 shows a three-member stack with full bandwidth and with redundant FlexStack connections.
Figure 5. Fully Redundant Three-Member Stack
When one FlexStack link is not present, the stack still functions. Figure 6 shows a stack with incomplete FlexStack
cabling. In Figure 6, all data traffic passes through the middle member. This stack is operating in a nonredundant
mode. This stack provides only half of the possible bandwidth between members and does not have redundant
connections. Only the middle member has full stack bandwidth. The top and bottom members are operating at half
the fully redundant stack bandwidth. The fully redundant stack bandwidth for 2960-X and 2960-XR is 40Gbps per
member. The fully redundant stack bandwidth for 2960-S is 20Gbps per member.
Figure 6. Nonredundant Three-Member Stack
Three different FlexStack-Plus cable lengths are available, as shown in Table 4.
Table 4. FlexStack Cable Lengths
Product ID
Length
Description
CAB-STK-E-0.5M
0.5 meters
This is the default cable that ships with the FlexStack or FlexStack-Plus module.
CAB-STK-E-1M
1.0 meters
CAB-STK-E-3M
3.0 meters
The different lengths allow for deployment flexibility. Figure 7 shows how to stack four switches using only the 0.5-
meter cables. The stack member connections are interweaved using the stack cables. No cable extends more than
two stack members. The interweaving of the stack links still provides redundant connections for the stack.
Figure 7. Four-Member Stack with 0.5-Meter Cables