Planning A Switch Cluster; Automatic Discovery Of Cluster Candidates And Members - Cisco Catalyst 2360 Software Configuration Manual

Planning a Switch Cluster

To join a cluster, a candidate switch must meet these requirements:
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Planning a Switch Cluster
Anticipating conflicts and compatibility issues is a high priority when you manage several switches
through a cluster. This section describes these guidelines, requirements, and caveats that you should
understand before you create the cluster:
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See the release notes for the list of Catalyst switches eligible for switch clustering, including which ones
can be cluster command switches and which ones can only be cluster member switches, and for the
required software versions and browser and Java plug-in configurations.

Automatic Discovery of Cluster Candidates and Members

The cluster command switch uses Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) to discover cluster member switches,
candidate switches, neighboring switch clusters, and edge devices across multiple VLANs and in star or
cascaded topologies.
Catalyst 2360 Switch Software Configuration Guide
4-4
It is running cluster-capable software.
It has CDP Version 2 enabled.
It is not a command or cluster member switch of another cluster.
If a cluster standby group exists, it is connected to every standby cluster command switch through
at least one common VLAN. The VLAN to each standby cluster command switch can be different.
It is connected to the cluster command switch through at least one common VLAN.
Catalyst 1900, Catalyst 2820, Catalyst 2900 XL, Catalyst 2940, Catalyst 2950, and
Note
Catalyst 3500 XL candidate and cluster member switches must be connected through their
management VLAN to the cluster command switch and standby cluster command switches.
For complete information about these switches in a switch-cluster environment, see the
software configuration guide for that specific switch.
This requirement does not apply if you have a Catalyst 2360, Catalyst 2960, Catalyst 2970,
Catalyst 3550, Catalyst 3560, Catalyst 3560-E, Catalyst 3750, or Catalyst 3750-E cluster
command switch. Candidate and cluster member switches can connect through any VLAN
in common with the cluster command switch.
Automatic Discovery of Cluster Candidates and Members, page 4-4
IP Addresses, page 4-10
Hostnames, page 4-10
Passwords, page 4-10
SNMP Community Strings, page 4-11
TACACS+ and RADIUS, page 4-11
LRE Profiles, page 4-11
Chapter 4 Clustering Switches
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