Users Guide

Stacking

Stacking provides a single point of management and network interface controller (NIC) teaming for high

availability and higher throughput.

Stacking is supported on the 10 GbE data ports of Ethernet module. Stacking is not supported on Fibre

Channel/Ethernet Universal Port Modules. You can connect up to six S5000 switches in a single stack using

port cables; no special cabling is required.

For information about the High Availability features supported on a stacked S5000 switch, refer to the

High Availability (HA) chapter.

NOTE

: You cannot stack an S5000 switch with other S-Series switches.

Topics:

• Stacking S5000 Switches

• Configuring an S5000 Switch Stack

• Configuring Stacking Ports and Bringing Up a Stack

• Provisioning a Stack Unit

• Converting Four 10 GbE Ports to 40 GbE Ports for Stacking

• Removing a Stack Group from Stacking Mode

• Remove a Switch from a Stack

• Adding a Stack Unit

• Adding a Standalone Switch to a Stack

• Merging Two Stacks

• Split a Stack

• Managing Redundant Stack Management

• Resetting a Unit on a Stack

• Verify a Stack Configuration

• Troubleshooting a Switch Stack

Stacking S5000 Switches

A stack of S5000 switches operates as a virtual chassis with management units (master and standby) and

member units.

The Dell Networking OS operating software elects a primary (master) and secondary (standby) management

unit; all other units are member units. The forwarding database resides on the master switch; all other stack

units maintain a synchronized local copy. Each unit in the stack makes forwarding decisions based on their

local copy.

The following illustration shows an example of how you can stack four S5000 switches and the role played by

each switch in the stack. Connect the S5000 switches to operate as a single stack using only 10 GbE ports on

Stacking 1009