3Com 4500 PWR 26-Port Configuration Manual page 589

Table 48-1 Description on cluster roles
Role
Management device
Member device
Candidate device
Figure 48-2 illustrates the state machine of cluster role.
Figure 48-2 State machine of cluster role
A candidate device becomes a management device when you create a cluster on it. Note that a
cluster must have one (and only one) management device. On becoming a management device,
the device collects network topology information and tries to discover and determine candidate
devices, which can then be added to the cluster through configurations.
Configuration
Configured with a external IP
address
Normally, a member device is
not assigned an external IP
address
Normally, a candidate device is
not assigned an external IP
address
48-3
Function
Provides an interface for
managing all the switches in
a cluster
Manages member devices
through command
redirection, that
forwards the commands
intended for
member devices.
Discovers neighbors,
collects the information
about network topology,
manages and maintains the
cluster. Management device
also supports FTP server
and SNMP host proxy.
Processes the commands
issued by users through the
public network
Members of a cluster
Discovers the information
about its neighbors,
processes the commands
forwarded by
management device, and
reports log. The member
devices of a luster are under
the management of the
management device.
Candidate device refers to the
devices that do not belong to
any clusters but are
cluster-capable.
is, it
specific
the