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Catalyst 2950 and Catalyst 2955 Switch Software Configuration Guide
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Chapter 6 Clustering Switches
Using SNMP to Manage Switch Clusters
The Telnet session accesses the member-switch CLI at the same privilege level as on the command
switch. The CLI commands then operate as usual.For instructions on configuring the switch for a Telnet
session, see the “Disabling Password Recovery” section on page 6-5.

Catalyst 1900 and Catalyst 2820 CLI Considerations

If your switch cluster has Catalyst 1900 and Catalyst 2820 switches running standard edition software,
the Telnet session accesses the management console (a menu-driven interface) if the command switch is
at privilege level 15. If the command switch is at privilege level 1 to 14, you are prompted for the
password to access the menu console.
Note Catalyst 1900, 2900 XL (4 MB), and 2820 switches are not supported in Network Assistant. The
switches appear as unknown members in the Network Assistant Front Panel and Topology views.
Command-switch privilege levels map to the Catalyst 1900 and Catalyst 2820 member switches running
standard and Enterprise Edition Software as follows:
• If the command-switch privilege level is 1 to 14, the member switch is accessed at privilege level 1.
• If the command-switch privilege level is 15, the member switch is accessed at privilege level 15.
Note The Catalyst 1900 and Catalyst 2820 CLI is available only on switches running Enterprise Edition
Software.
For more information about the Catalyst 1900 and Catalyst 2820 switches, see the installation and
configuration guides for those switches.
Using SNMP to Manage Switch Clusters
When you first power on the switch, SNMP is enabled if you enter the IP information by using the setup
program and accept its proposed configuration. If you did not use the setup program to enter the IP
information and SNMP was not enabled, you can enable it as described in the “Configuring SNMP”
section on page 27-5. On Catalyst 1900 and Catalyst 2820 switches, SNMP is enabled by default.
When you create a cluster, the command switch manages the exchange of messages between member
switches and an SNMP application. The cluster software on the command switch appends the member
switch number (@esN, where N is the switch number) to the first configured read-write and read-only
community strings on the command switch and propagates them to the member switch. The command
switch uses this community string to control the forwarding of gets, sets, and get-next messages between
the SNMP management station and the member switches.
Note When a cluster standby group is configured, the command switch can change without your knowledge.
Use the first read-write and read-only community strings to communicate with the command switch if
there is a cluster standby group configured for the cluster.
If the member switch does not have an IP address, the command switch redirects traps from the member
switch to the management station, as shown in Figure 6-7. If a member switch has its own IP address
and community strings, the member switch can send traps directly to the management station, without
going through the command switch.