How Is The Firmware Updated On The Stack; What Is Stacking Standby - Dell PowerConnect 8024 User Configuration Manual

When a unit in the stack fails, the Master unit removes the failed unit from
the stack. No changes or configuration are applied to the other stack
members; however, the dynamic protocols will try to reconverge as the
topology could change because of the failed unit. When there are no
connected ports on the failed unit, the stack will be intact without any
changes.
unit
If you remove a unit and plan to renumber the stack, issue a no member
command in Stack Configuration mode to delete the removed switch from
the configured stack member information.

How is the Firmware Updated on the Stack?

When you add a new switch to a stack, the Stack Firmware Synchronization
feature automatically synchronizes the firmware version with the version
running on the stack master. The synchronization operation may result in
either upgrade or downgrade of firmware on the mismatched stack member.
Upgrading the firmware on a stack of switches is the same as upgrading the
firmware on a single switch. After you download a new image by using the File
Download page or copy command, the downloaded image is distributed to all
the connected units of the stack. For more information about downloading
and installing images, see "Managing Images and Files" on page 335.

What is Stacking Standby?

A Standby unit is preconfigured in the stack. If the current Master unit fails,
the Standby unit becomes the Master unit. If no switch is pre-configured as
the Standby unit, the software automatically selects a Standby unit from the
existing stack units.
When the failed Master resumes normal operation, it joins the stack as a
member (not a Master) if the new Master unit has already been elected.
The Master unit copies its running configuration to the Standby unit
whenever it changes (subject to some restrictions to reduce overhead). This
enables the Standby unit to take over the stack operation with minimal
interruption if the Master unit becomes unavailable.
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Managing a Switch Stack