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Catalyst 3750-X and 3560-X Switch Software Configuration Guide
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Chapter 5 Managing Switch Stacks Understanding Switch Stacks
Switch Stack Management Connectivity
You manage the switch stack and the stack member interfaces through the stack master. You can use the
CLI, SNMP, Network Assistant, and CiscoWorks network management applications. You cannot manage
stack members on an individual switch basis.
These sections provide switch stack connectivity information:
• Connectivity to the Switch Stack Through an IP Address, page 5-17
• Connectivity to the Switch Stack Through an SSH Session, page 5-17
• Connectivity to the Switch Stack Through Console Ports or Ethernet Management Ports, page 5-17
• Connectivity to Specific Stack Members, page 5-18

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

In a mixed stack, 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.
Note The noncryptographic software image was available only on Catalyst 3750 or Catalyst 3750-E switches
running Cisco IOS Release 12.2(53)SE and earlier. The Catalyst 3750-X switches run only the
cryptographic 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-X stack members. For more information about connecting to the switch stack through
Ethernet management ports, see the “Using the Ethernet Management Port” section on page 13-22.