User's Manual

6-1
Chapter 6 Cluster Configuration
6.1 Introduction to cluster network management
Cluster network management is an in-band configuration management. Unlike CLI, SNMP and Web Config
which implement a direct management of the target switches through a management workstation, cluster
network management implements a direct management of the target switches (member switches) through an
intermediate switch (commander switch). A commander switch can manage multiple member switches. As
soon as a Public IP address is configured in the commander switch, all the member switches which are
configured with private IP addresses can be managed remotely. This feature economizes public IP addresses
which are short of supply. Cluster network management can dynamically discover cluster feature enabled
switches (candidate switches). Network administrators can statically or dynamically add the candidate
switches to the cluster which is already established. Accordingly, they can configure and manage the member
switches through the commander switch. When the member switches are distributed in various physical
locations (such as on the different floors of the same building), cluster network management has obvious
advantages. Moreover, cluster network management is an in-band management. The commander switch can
communicate with member switches in existing network. There is no need to build a specific network for
network management.
Cluster network management has the following features:
 Save IP addresses
 Simplify configuration tasks
 Indifference to network topology and distance limitation
 Auto detecting and auto establishing
 With factory default settings, multiple switches can be managed through cluster network management
 The commander switch can upgrade and configure any member switches in the cluster
6.2 Cluster Network Management Configuration Sequence
Cluster Network Management Configuration Sequence:
1． Enable or disable cluster function
2． Create cluster
1) Configure private IP address pool for member switches of the cluster
2) Create or delete cluster
3) Add or remove a member switch
3． Configure attributes of the cluster in the commander switch
1) Enable or disable automatically adding cluster members
2) Set automatically added members to manually added ones
3) Set or modify the time interval of keep-alive messages on switches in the cluster.
4) Set or modify the max number of lost keep-alive messages that can be tolerated