Connecting Devices In A Stack - Brocade Communications Systems FastIron CX Installation Manual

FIGURE 26
4. If installing a single switch only, proceed to
5. If installing multiple switches, mount them in the rack, one below the other, in any order.

Connecting devices in a stack

FCX624S, FCX648S, FCX624S-F, FCX624-HPOE, FCX648-HPOE devices
Figure 5
based on 10G/16G Gigabit Ethernet, using CX4 cables. FastIron CX devices support linear and ring
stack topologies, and can also operate as standalone devices.
In a linear stack topology there is a single stack cable connection between each switch that carries
two-way communications across the stack. In ring stack topology, an extra cable is connected
between the top and bottom switches forming a "ring" or "closed-loop." The closed-loop cable
provides a redundant path for the stack link, so if one link fails, stack communications can be
maintained.
You can form a stack containing up to eight FastIron CX units. To connect switches in a stack,
perform the following steps:
1. Plug one end of a stack cable into one of the CX4 stacking ports of the top unit.
2. Plug the other end of the stack cable into one of the stacking ports of the next unit.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each unit in the stack. Form a simple chain starting with a stacking
4. (Optional) To form a ring stack topology, plug one end of a stack cable into the remaining
Brocade FastIron CX Switch Hardware Installation Guide
53-1001978-01
DRAFT: BROCADE CONFIDENTIAL
Installing the device in a rack
shows how the stack cables are connected between switches in a stack. The connection is
Figure 5 illustrates a ring-topology stacking configuration.
port on the top unit and ending at a stacking port on the bottom unit (stacking up to eight
units).
stacking port on the bottom unit and the other end into the remaining stacking port on the top
unit.
Preparing the installation site
"Powering on the system"
2
on page 26.
23