Cisco Systems 3750E manual Connectivity to the Switch Stack Through an IP Address

Chapter 5 Managing Switch Stacks

Understanding Switch Stacks

Connectivity to the Switch Stack Through an IP Address

The switch stack is managed through a single IP address. The IP address is a system-level setting and is not specific to the stack master or to any other stack member. You can still manage the stack through the same IP address even if you remove the stack master or any other stack member from the stack, provided there is IP connectivity.

Note Stack members retain their IP addresses when you remove them from a switch stack. To avoid a conflict by having two devices with the same IP address in your network, change the IP addresses of any switches that you remove from the switch stack.

For related information about switch stack configurations, see the “Switch Stack Configuration Files” section on page 5-15.

Connectivity to the Switch Stack Through an SSH Session

The Secure Shell (SSH) connectivity to the switch stack can be lost if a stack master running the cryptographic software image and the IP base or IP services feature set fails and is replaced by a switch that is running the noncryptographic image and the same feature set. We recommend that a switch running the cryptographic software image and the IP base or IP services feature set be the stack master. Encryption features are unavailable if the stack master is running the noncryptographic software image.

Connectivity to the Switch Stack Through Console Ports or Ethernet Management Ports

You can connect to the stack master by using one of these methods:

•You can connect a terminal or a PC to the stack master through the console port of one or more stack members.

•You can connect a PC to the stack master through the Ethernet management ports of one or more Catalyst 3750-E stack members. For more information about connecting to the switch stack through Ethernet management ports, see the “Ethernet Management Port” section on page 11-12.

Be careful when using multiple CLI sessions to the stack master. Commands that you enter in one session are not displayed in the other sessions. Therefore, it is possible that you might not be able to identify the session from which you entered a command.

We recommend using only one CLI session when managing the switch stack.

Connectivity to Specific Stack Members

If you want to configure a specific stack member port, you must include the stack member number in the CLI command interface notation. For more information, see the “Using Interface Configuration Mode” section on page 11-15.

To debug a specific stack member, you can access it from the stack master by using the session stack-member-numberprivileged EXEC command. The stack member number is appended to the system prompt. For example, Switch-2#is the prompt in privileged EXEC mode for stack member 2, and the system prompt for the stack master is Switch. Only the show and debug commands are available in a CLI session to a specific stack member.

Catalyst 3750-E and 3560-E Switch Software Configuration Guide

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