Single Ip Management; Single Ip Management (Sim) Overview - D-Link DES-3550 User Manual

DES-3550 Layer 2

Single IP Management

Single IP Management (SIM) Overview

Topology
Firmware Upgrade
Configuration Backup/Restore
Single IP Management (SIM) Overview
Simply put, Single IP Management is a concept that will stack switches together over Ethernet
instead of using stacking ports or modules. There are some advantages in implementing the
"Single IP Management" feature:
1. SIM can simplify management of small workgroups or wiring closets while scaling
the network to handle increased bandwidth demand.
2. SIM can reduce the number of IP address needed in your network.
3. SIM can eliminate any specialized cables for stacking connectivity and remove the
distance barriers that typically limit your topology options when using other stacking
technology.
Switches using Single IP Management (labeled here as SIM) must conform to the following
rules:
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SIM is an optional feature on the Switch and can easily be enabled or disabled
through the Command Line Interface. SIM grouping has no effect on the normal
operation of the Switch in the user's network.
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There are three classifications for switches using SIM. The Commander
Switch (CS), which is the master switch of the group, Member Switch (MS), which
is a switch that is recognized by the CS as a member of a SIM group, and a Candidate
Switch (CaS), which is a Switch that has a physical link to the SIM group but has not
been recognized by the CS as a member of the SIM group.
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A SIM group can only have one Commander Switch (CS).
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All switches in a particular SIM group must be in the same IP subnet
(broadcast domain). Members of a SIM group cannot cross a router.
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A SIM group accepts up to 32 switches (numbered 0-31), including the
Commander Switch (numbered 0).
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There is no limit to the number of SIM groups in the same IP subnet (broadcast
domain), however a single switch can only belong to one group.
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If multiple VLANs are configured, the SIM group will only utilize the default
VLAN on any switch.
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SIM allows intermediate devices that do not support SIM. This enables the
user to manage a switch that is more than one hop away from the CS.
The SIM group is a group of switches that are managed as a single entity. The DES-3550 may
take on three different roles:
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Commander Switch (CS) – This is a switch that has been manually configured as the
controlling device for a group, and takes on the following characteristics:
It has an IP Address.
It is not a command switch or member switch of another Single IP group.
It is connected to the member switches through its management VLAN.
Fast Ethernet Switch User's Guide
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Section 10