Dell Mixing M6348 and PC7000 Series Switches in a Stack, Power-Up Sequencing Considerations

Stacking Dell PowerConnect 7000 Series Switches

Mixing M6348 and PC7000 Series Switches in a Stack

PC7000 series and M6348 can be used interchangeably in a stack of up to 12 units. As with PC7000- series only stacks, all switches in a mixed stack must have the same firmware version. Starting with the

4.1.0.6software release, a single image supports both switches. No additional configuration is required.

Either the PC7000 series switch or the M6348 switch can be the master.

NOTE: A stack that includes an M6348 switch (as the master or a member) can operate only in Normal mode—not in Simple mode.

Figure# 1 shows a stack with a mix of PC7000 series and M6348 switches.

Figure 3. Mixed Switches in a Stack

PC70241

PC70482

PC7048P3

PCM63484

PCM63485

Power-Up Sequencing Considerations

One unit in the stack acts as the master unit. The master manages all the units in the stack. A second switch is elected as the standby unit, which becomes the master if the master unit is unavailable.

The administrator can manually configure which unit is elected as the standby, or the system can select the standby automatically. To configure it manually, the administrator can use the Stacking Management > Unit Configuration page in the web interface or the standby command in the CLI.

NOTE: The terms “master” and “manager/management unit” are used interchangeably throughout this document.

The selection of the manager and standby units is important in situations where the administrator wishes to utilize the serial port for management, perhaps as a backup console. Management of the stack via the out-of-band service port or the in-band ports is transparent in a stack.

In a stacking configuration, the power-up sequence determines the manager and standby units. The switch that the operator selects as the manager should be powered up first and should be allowed to fully come up before the other stack units are powered up. The standby switch should always be directly connected to the manager. Once the manager and standby have powered up fully, other

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