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Catalyst 2960 and 2960-S Switch Software Configuration Guide
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Chapter 7 Managing Switch Stacks
Understanding Stacks

Stack Through Console Ports

You can connect to the master through the console port of one or more members.
Be careful when using multiple CLI sessions to the master. Commands that you enter in one session are
not displayed in the other sessions. Therefore, it is possible tha t you might not be able to identify the
session from which you entered a command.
We recommend that you use only one CLI session when managing the stack.

Specific Members

If you want to configure a specific member port, you must include the stack member number in the CLI
notation.
To access a specific member, see the “Accessing the CLI of a Specific Member” section on page 7-21.
Stack Configuration Scenarios
Most of the scenarios in Table 7-2 assume at least two switches are connected through their stack ports.
Table 7-2 Switch Stack Configuration Scenarios
Scenario Result
Master election
specifically determined
by existing masters
Connect two powered-on stacks through the
stack ports.
Only one of the two masters becomes the new stack
master.
Master election
specifically determined
by the member priority
value
1. Connect two switches through their
stack ports.
2. Use the switch stack-member-number
priority new-priority-number global
configuration command to set one
member with a higher member priority
value.
3. Restart both members at the same time.
The member with the higher priority value is elected
master.
Master election
specifically determined
by the configuration file
Assuming that both members have the same
priority value:
1. Make sure that one member has a
default configuration and that the other
member has a saved (nondefault)
configuration file.
2. Restart both members at the same time.
The member with the saved configuration file is
elected master.
Master election
specifically determined
by the MAC address
Assuming that both members have the same
priority value, configuration file, and
software image, restart both stack members
at the same time.
The member with the lower MAC address is elected
master.