White Papers

Adding a Standalone Switch to a Stack
The following steps describe adding a standalone switch to a stack with no configured stack groups (steps from 1 to 6) and with
configured stack groups (steps 7 and 8).
To add a standalone switch with no stack groups configured to a stack, follow these steps.
1. Attach port cables to connect ports on the switch to one or more switches in the stack.
2. Power on the switch.
3. Log on to the CLI and enter Global Configuration mode.
Login: username
Password: *****
Dell> enable
Dell# configure
4. Configure a group of four 10 GbE ports or a single 40 GbE port for stacking.
CONFIGURATION mode
stack-unit 0 stack-group group-number
● stack-unit 0 defines the default ID unit-number in the initial configuration of a switch.
● stack-group group-number configures a group of 10 GbE ports or a single 40 GbE port for stacking.
5. Save the stacking configuration.
EXEC Privilege mode
write memory
6. Reload the switch. Dell networking OS automatically assigns a number to the new unit and adds it as member switch in the
stack.
EXEC Privilege mode
reload
The new unit synchronizes its running and startup configurations with the stack.
To add a standalone switch which has stack groups already configured to a stack, use the next steps.
7. Attach port cables to connect the ports in pre-configured stack groups to one or more switches in the stack.
8. Power on the switch. Dell networking OS automatically assigns a number to the new unit and adds it as member switch in
the stack.
The new unit synchronizes its running and startup configurations with the stack.
Dell Networking OS Behavior: When you add a new switch to a stack:
● When you add a unit to a stack, the management unit performs a system check on the new unit to ensure the hardware type
(S5000) is compatible. The Dell Networking OS version performs a similar check. If the stack is running 9.1(1.0) and a new
unit is running a different software version, the new unit is put into a card problem state. The new unit is then upgraded to
use the same Dell Networking OS version as the stack and is rebooted before joining the stack.
● If the new unit has been configured with a stack number that is already assigned to a stack member, the stack avoids a
numbering conflict by assigning the new switch the first available stack number.
● After the new unit loads, it synchronizes its running and startup configurations with the stack.
Merging Two Stacks
You can merge two S5000 switch stacks while they are powered and online.
To merge two stacks, connect one stack to the other using port cables. After you connect the port cables, the two stacks
merge:
● Dell networking OS selects a master switch for the merged stack from the existing masters in the two stacks.
To ensure that one of the two master switches wins the master election in the merged stack, use the stack-unit priority
command to configure the highest priority for the unit (refer to Assigning a Priority to Stacked Switches).
● All the units in the losing stack reboot and then merge with the winning stack that has the stack master.
● If there is no unit numbering conflict, the stack members retain their previous unit numbers. Otherwise, the stack master
assigns new unit numbers, based on the order in which they come online.
Stacking
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