Building Basic Stacks - Extreme Networks ExtremeSwitching 5420 Series Hardware Installation Manual

Building Basic Stacks

Figure 33: Switches Connected to Form a Stack
The following sections introduce you to the basic principles of stacking and provide recommendations
for creating stacks.
More information to answer your questions about stacking and help you plan your configuration is
available on the
Building Basic Stacks
A stack can be created in either of two ways:
•
In native stacking, switches are connected using either designated Ethernet data ports or dedicated
stacking connectors.
•
In alternate stacking, switches are connected using 10-Gbps Ethernet data ports that have been
configured for stacking. These ports are located either on the switch itself or on option cards
installed on either the front or the rear of the switch.
When planning and building your stack, be sure to follow port compatibility and cabling
recommendations as described in this chapter.
See Combining Switches from Different Series
can be combined to form a stack.
Slot Numbers in Stacks
A switch stack can be thought of as a virtual chassis. Each switch (node) operates as if it were
occupying a slot in a chassis and is controlled by the primary. The high-speed stacking links function like
the backplane links of a chassis.
Each switch in the stack is assigned a "slot number" during the initial software configuration of the
stack. Starting at the switch with the console connection, numbers are assigned in numerical order
following the physical path of the connected stacking cables. For example, if you follow the cabling
recommendations presented in
configure a vertical stack from the console on the switch at the top of the physical stack, the switches
will be assigned slot numbers 1 through 8 from the top down.
50 ExtremeSwitching 5420 Series Hardware Installation Guide
Extreme Networks GTAC Knowledge
Connecting the Switches to Form the Stack Ring
Base.
on page 63 for information about which switch series
Building Stacks
on page 66 and