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Catalyst 3750-E and 3560-E Switch Software Configuration Guide
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Chapter5 Managing Switch Stacks
Understanding Switch Stacks
Switch Stack Offline Configuration
You can use the offline configuration feature to provision (to supply a configuration to) a new switch
before it joins the switch stack. You can configure in advance the stack member number, the switch type,
and the interfaces associated with a switch that is not currently part of the stack. The configuration that
you create on the switch stack is called the provisioned configuration. The switch that is added to the
switch stack and that receives this configuration is called the provisioned switch.
You manually create the provisioned configuration through the switch stack-member-number provision
type global configuration command. The provisioned configuration is automatically created wh en a
switch is added to a switch stack and when no provisioned configuration exists.
When you configure the interfaces associated with a provisioned switch (for example, as part of a
VLAN), the switch stack accepts the configuration, and the information appears in the running
configuration. The interface associated with the provisioned switch is not active, operates as if it is
administratively shut down, and the no shutdown interface configuration command does not return it to
active service. The interface associated with the provisioned switch does not appear in the display of the
specific feature; for example, it does not appear in the show vlan user EXEC command output.
The switch stack retains the provisioned configuration in the running configuration whether or not the
provisioned switch is part of the stack. You can save the provisioned configuration to the startup
configuration file by entering the copy running-config startup-config privileged EXEC command. The
startup configuration file ensures that the switch stack can reload and can use the saved information
whether or not the provisioned switch is part of the switch stack.

Effects of Adding a Provisioned Switch to a Switch Stack

When you add a provisioned switch to the switch stack, the stack applies either the provisioned
configuration or the default configuration. Tab le 5-1 lists the events that occur when the switch stack
compares the provisioned configuration with the provisioned switch.
Table5-1 Results of Comparing the Provisioned Configuration with the Provisioned Switch
Scenario Result
The stack member numbers and
the switch types match.
1. If the stack member number of the
provisioned switch matches the stack
member number in the provisioned
configuration on the stack, and
2. If the switch type of the provisioned switch
matches the switch type in the provisioned
configuration on the stack.
The switch stack applies the provisioned
configuration to the provisioned switch
and adds it to the stack.
The stack member numbers
match but the switch types do
not match.
1. If the stack member number of the
provisioned switch matches the stack
member number in the provisioned
configuration on the stack, but
2. The switch type of the provisioned switch
does not match the switch type in the
provisioned configuration on the stack.
The switch stack applies the default
configuration to the provisioned switch
and adds it to the stack.
The provisioned configuration is changed
to reflect the new information.