Stacking Concepts - NETGEAR M4350 Series Hardware Installation Manual

• Automatic address learning function to build the packet-forwarding information
table
• Store-and-forward transmission to remove bad packets from the network
• Active flow control to minimize packet loss and frame drop
• Per-port status LEDs and system status LED
• NETGEAR green power-saving features, including energy efficiency mode that fully
conforms to the IEEE802.3az standard
• Nonstop Forwarding Failover (NSF) support for the master in a stack
• Support for an APS in full-width switches to provide a larger power budget

Stacking concepts

A single switch can control and manage a stack. This switch is referred to as the stack
management switch, or simply, the management switch. Any other switch in the stack
is referred to as a member switch.
Member switches can download firmware from the management switch and the
management switch can push firmware to the member switches.
The management switch runs the fully operational software of a switch. In addition, the
management switch runs the management switch software of the distributed switching
application that configures and manages all member switches. Generally, the
management switch operates the remote member switch's low-level drivers through
the distributed switching application part that is running in the context of the member
switch.
During stacking setup, the switches autoselect one switch as the management switch.
All other switches become member switches and are assigned unique stack IDs. One
of the member switches is designated as the standby management switch. The standby
management switch functions as a member switch but can become the management
switch if the original management switch fails. In the default configuration, the
management switch and standby management switch are assigned unit IDs of 1 and 2,
respectively. You can use the device user interface (UI) to configure different ID
assignments. The management switch provides a single point of control and
management as well as a single interface through which to control and manage the
stack.
Switch software is downloaded separately for each stack member. However, all stack
members must be running the same software version.
A stack unit can operate in one of the following modes:
• A standalone switch runs as a general switch. The standalone unit does not run the
stacking application until it is connected to a stack.
Introduction
Fully Managed Switches M4350 Series
8 Hardware Installation Guide