STACKING DELL ™

POWERCONNECT ™

6200 SWITCHES

THIS WHITE PAPER IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, AND MAY CONTAIN
TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS AND TECHNICAL INACCURACIES. THE CONTENT IS
PROVIDED AS IS, WITHOUT EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND.

Dell and PowerConnect are trademarks of Dell Inc. Other trademarks and trade names may
be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their
products. Dell disclaims proprietary interest in the marks and names of others.

©Copyright 2008 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden. For more
information, contact Dell.

Information in this document is subject to change without notice.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 3

SYNCHRONIZING THE RUNNING CONFIGURATION BETWEEN

3
THE MASTER AND STANDBY UNITS

SELECTING THE MASTER UNIT 3, 7

UPDATING THE FIRMWARE ON A STACK 7

STACKING CLI COMMANDS 13

STACKING WEB INTERFACE 14

FIGURES

FIGURE 1: STACK SPLIT 6

FIGURE 2: STACK SPLIT WITH MANAGER FAILURE 7

STACKING DELL POWERCONNECT 6200 SERIES

INTRODUCTION

This paper contains information about the stacking feature on a Dell™ PowerConnect™ 6200
Series Gigabit Ethernet switch. The stacking feature allows up to 12 switches to operate as a
single unit. A single switch in the stack manages all the units in the stack. The PowerConnect
(PC) 6200 Series switches include the PC6224, PC6248, PC6224P, PC6248P, PC6224F, and
M6220. (Note: M6220 switches can only be stacked with other M6220 switches.)

A stack is created by daisy-chaining stacking links on adjacent units. A stack of units is

manageable as a single entity when the units are connected together. If a unit cannot detect a
stacking partner on a port enabled for stacking, the unit automatically operates as a standalone
unit. If a stacking partner is detected, the switch always operates in stacking mode. One unit in
the stack is designated as the Master unit. The Master manages all the units in the stack. A
second switch is designated as the Standby unit, which becomes the Master if the Master unit
is unavailable. The Standby unit can either be user-configurable or automatically selected by
the software.

Note: The terms “Master” and “Manager/Management Unit” are often used interchangeably
through out this document.

When units are in a stack, the following activities occur:

• All units are checked for software version consistency.
• The switch Control Plane is only active on the Master.
• The switch Data Plane is active on all units in the stack, including the Master.
• The Master and Standby switches keep the running configuration in synchronization
while the stack operates.

SYNCHRONIZING THE RUNNING CONFIGURATION BETWEEN

THE MASTER AND STANDBY UNITS

The Master unit synchronizes its running configuration with the Standby unit every two minutes
(120 seconds) when a standby unit is configured in the stack. This enables the Standby unit to
take over the stack operation with minimal interruption if the Master unit becomes unavailable.

The running-config synchronization also occurs when the administrator saves the running
configuration to the startup configuration on the Master unit and when the administrator
designates a new switch as the Master either by using the Web interface or the
movemanagement CLI command.

If a Master unit failure is detected in the stack, the following activities occur:
• The Standby unit initializes the control plane and enables all other stack units with
the current running configuration.
• During failover all the ports are brought down and brought up to avoid possible
loops and get new master software applications to a consistent state.
• A log entry and a trap are generated when the stack failover is detected.

The stack comes up with the default configuration in the following cases:
• When the stack is cold started (powered ON).
• When the administrator selects a new Master unit and that unit was not previously
configured or automatically selected as the Standby unit.

SELECTING THE MASTER UNIT

If a unit is capable of becoming a Master unit then it examines the list of current non-management
units in the system and decides whether it should try to become the Master unit. A switch makes
the following checks in order to decide whether to become the stack Master unit:
1. This unit has the highest administrative preference level.
2. This unit has the highest hardware preference level.
3. This unit has the highest base MAC address.

APRIL 2008 3
STACKING DELL POWERCONNECT 6200 SERIES

You can manually set the administrative preference level with the switch <unit>
priority <value> CLI command or by selecting an option from the Admin Management
Preference menu on the System > Stacking > Unit Configuration Web page.

The default hardware preference level is the same for all PCM6200 series switches.

When you add a switch to the stack, one of the following scenarios takes place:
• If the switch has the Management Unit function enabled but another Master unit is
already active, then the switch changes its configured Management Unit value to
disabled.
• If the Management Unit function is unassigned and there is another Management
Unit in the system then the switch changes its configured Management Unit value to
disabled.
• If the Management Unit function is enabled or unassigned and there is no other
Management Unit in the system, then the switch becomes Management Unit.
• If the Management Unit function is disabled, then the unit remains a non-management unit.

In addition to the administrative preference level, you can also manually set the unit number for
the switch. To avoid unit-number conflicts, one of the following scenarios takes place when you
add a new member to the stack:
• If the switch has a unit number that is already in use, then the unit that you add to
the stack changes its configured unit number to the lowest unassigned unit number.
• If the switch you add does not have an assigned unit number, then the switch sets its
configured unit number to the lowest unassigned unit number.
• If the unit number is configured and there are no other devices using the unit number,
then the switch starts using the configured unit number.
• If the switch detects that the maximum number of units already exist in the stack
making it unable to assign a unit number, then the switch sets its unit number
to “unassigned.”

EXAMPLE SCENARIOS

This section contains describes how the Master unit is selected in a variety of situations.

SCENARIO 1
The first scenario describes what happens if a stack of four units already connected
through stack links are powered at the same time. In this case the master unit selection
depends on the saved priority on the switches. A switch with the highest priority is elected
as the Master unit. Priority can be configured through the CLI or Web interface.

SCENARIO 2
In this scenario, a new switch is added to a stack of three units that are already powered
and running and already have an elected Master unit. The newly added switch becomes a
stack member rather than the Master, even if the saved priority on the new switch is better
compared to the existing Master. On the Master unit, if there is no saved configuration for
the newly added unit, it applies the default configuration. If there is a saved configuration on
the Master for the newly added unit, it would apply the saved configuration to the new unit. If
the entire stack is powered OFF and ON again, the unit that was the Master before the
reboot will remain the Master unit after the stack resumes operation.

MASTER FAILOVER

A Standby unit is pre-configured in the stack. If the current Master unit fails, the Standby unit
becomes the Master unit. During the switchover, all ports on all units in the stack are brought
down and then brought up to avoid possible loops and to get new master software applications
to a consistent state. If no switch is pre-configured as the Standby unit, the software
automatically selects a Standby unit from the existing stack units.

When the failed Master resumes normal operation, it joins the stack as a member (not a
Master) if the new Master unit has already been elected.

APRIL 2008 4
STACKING DELL POWERCONNECT 6200 SERIES

STACK MEMBER FAILOVER

When a unit in the stack fails, the Master unit un-configures the failed unit. No changes or
configuration are applied to the other stack members; however, the dynamic protocols will try
to re-converge as the topology could change because of the failed unit. When there are no
connected ports on the failed unit, the stack will be intact without any changes.

FAILOVER SCENARIOS

This section describes examples of what happens when a stack member or the Master unit fails.

SCENARIO 1
In this example, the stack has four members that are connected through a daisy-chain. When all
four units are up and running, the show switch CLI command gives the following output:

console#show switch

Management Preconfig Plugged-in Switch Code

Switch Status Model ID Model ID Status Version
------ ----------- ---------- ----------- ------- --------
1 stack Member PCT6248 PCT6248 OK 9.19.0.2
2 Stack Member PCT6248 PCT6248 OK 9.19.0.2
3 Mgmt Switch PCT6248 PCT6248 OK 9.19.0.2
4 Stack Member PCT6248 PCT6248 OK 9.19.0.2

At this point, if Unit 2 is powered off or rebooted due to an unexpected failure, show switch
gives the following output:

console#show switch

Management Preconfig Plugged-in Switch Code

Switch Status Model ID Model ID Status Version
------ ----------- ---------- ----------- ------- --------
1 stack Member PCT6248 PCT6248 OK 9.19.0.2
2 Unassigned PCT6248 Not Present 0.0.0.0
3 Mgmt Switch PCT6248 PCT6248 OK 9.19.0.2
4 Stack Member PCT6248 PCT6248 OK 9.19.0.2

When the failed unit resumes normal operation, the previous configuration that exists for that
unit is reapplied by the Master unit.

APRIL 2008 5
STACKING DELL POWERCONNECT 6200 SERIES

SCENARIO 2
Consider the same example with a four-unit stack connected in daisy-chain fashion.

Switch 1 Switch 1

Switch 2 Switch 2

Switch 3 Master Switch 3 Master

Switch 4 Switch 4

Figure 1 Stack Split

If the links between Switch1/Switch4 and Switch2/Switch3 are removed, the stack is split into
two different stacks with switches 1 and 2 in one stack and switches 3 and 4 in another.
The Master unit for each stack is determined by the following criteria:
• Switch 3 is already a Master, so it will continue to be the Master unit for units 3 and 4.
• None of the units in Stack 1 (units 1 and 2) are Master, so the election process will
start on these two units. Subsequently either switch 1 or 2 will come-up as a Master
based on the items:

1. The unit with the highest administrative preference level becomes the Master.
2. If the administrative preference levels are the same, the unit with the highest
hardware preference level becomes the Master.
3. If the administrative and hardware preference levels are the same, the unit with
the highest base MAC address becomes the Master.

In this specific example, there will not be any change in the configuration in the Stack 2. Stack
1 will come up with the previously saved configuration on the new Master elected.

APRIL 2008 6
STACKING DELL POWERCONNECT 6200 SERIES

SCENARIO 3
The following example contains a similar condition with a Master unit failover and
consequent stack split with five units in the stack, as Figure 2 shows.

Switch 1 Switch 1

Switch 2 Switch 2

Switch 3 Master Switch 3 Master

Switch 4 Switch 4

Switch 5 Switch 5

Figure 2 Stack Split with Manger Failure

In this example, there is no link back to Switch 5 from Switch 1. In this case, if for some
reason the Manager of the stack goes down (failed/rebooted), the stack is spilt into two
different stacks with units 1 and 2 in one stack and units 4 and 5 in another. With this condition,
none of the stacks will have a working Master within the stack, so both of the stacks will elect
new Masters for each stack through the process based on the following criteria:

1. The unit with the highest administrative preference level becomes the Master.
2. If the administrative preference levels are the same, the unit with the highest
hardware preference level becomes the Master.
3. If the administrative and hardware preference levels are the same, the unit with
the highest base MAC address becomes the Master.

SELECTING THE MASTER UNIT

If a unit is capable of becoming a Master unit then it examines the list of current non-management
units in the system and decides whether it should try to become the Master unit. A switch makes
the following checks in order to decide whether to become the stack Master unit:

1. This unit has the highest administrative preference level.

2. This unit has the highest hardware preference level.
3. This unit has the highest base MAC address.

Both Stack 1 and Stack 2 will come up with the previously saved configuration on the respective
Master units elected.

UPDATING THE FIRMWARE ON A STACK

You can perform firmware updates on the stack by using the CLI or the Web interface. From the CLI,
use the ftpdownload or copy tftp commands. The ftpdownload command uses the FTP
protocol, while the copy tftp command uses TFTP protocol for file transfer. To update the
firmware by using the Web interface, use the options available on the System > File Management
> File Download from Server page.

APRIL 2008 7
STACKING DELL POWERCONNECT 6200 SERIES

When connected in stack, the ftpdownload or copy tftp commands will distribute the
downloaded image to all the connected units of the stack.

In the following output, the image with a filename of image.stk is downlowded from the FTP
server with an IP address of 10.27.64.141.

console#ftpdownload 10.27.64.141/image.stk image user

admin password test1234

Mode................................................ FTP
FTP Server IP ............................. 10.27.64.141
FTP Path................................................
FTP Filename................................. /image.stk
Data Type.......................................... Code
Destination Filename.............................. image

APRIL 2008 8
STACKING DELL POWERCONNECT 6200 SERIES

CREATING A SEPARATE VLAN FOR FILE DOWNLOADS

When updating the firmware, it is helpful to keep the network port in a different VLAN and
configure the PVID appropriately to avoid any network congestion or flooding issues through
which the file is being downloaded.

The CLI commands in the following example show how to configure port 1/g17 as a network
port for firmware downloads or management access.

configure
vlan database
vlan 1000
exit
ip address dhcp
ip address vlan 1000
interface ethernet 1/g17
switchport mode general
switchport general pvid 1000
switchport general allowed vlan add 1000
switchport general allowed vlan remove 1
exit
Exit

The switch now uses VLAN 1000 as the management VLAN. Port 1/g17 is assigned to the
VLAN, and all untagged packets that enter the port are tagged with a VLAN ID of 1000.

To perform the same configuration by using the Web interface, use the following steps:
1. From the Switching > VLAN > VLAN Membership page, click Add.

APRIL 2008 9
STACKING DELL POWERCONNECT 6200 SERIES

2. From the Add VLAN page, enter 1000 in the VLAN ID field and click
Apply Changes.

3. Add VLANs 102 and 310.

4. From Ports menu on the Switching > VLAN > Port Settings page,
select port g20.
5. Configure port g17 in General mode with a PVID of 1000 and click
Apply Changes.

g17

1000

6. From the Show VLAN menu on the Switching > VLAN > VLAN
Membership page, select 1000.
7. Click the Static box for port 17 so that the letter U (untagged) appears
in the box.

APRIL 2008 10
STACKING DELL POWERCONNECT 6200 SERIES

8. Click Apply Changes.

9. Navigate to the System > IP Addressing > Management

Interface page.
10. In the Management VLAN ID field, enter 1000.

11. Click Apply Changes.

REMOVING A STACK MEMBER WITH MINIMAL INTERRUPTION

The main point to remember when you remove a unit from the stack is to disconnect all the
links on the stack member to be removed. Also, be sure to take the following actions:

• Remove all the STP participating ports and wait to stabilize the STP.
• Remove all the member ports of any Port-Channels (LAGs) so there will not be any
control traffic destined to those ports connected to this member
• Statically re-route any traffic going through this unit.

APRIL 2008 11
STACKING DELL POWERCONNECT 6200 SERIES

ADDING A STACK MEMBER WITH MINIMAL INTERRUPTION

When you add a new member to the stack, make sure the links are not already connected to
any ports of that unit. This is important because if STP is enabled and any links are UP, the
STP re-convergence will take place as soon as the link is detected.

If there are any unassigned units already configured on the stack, remove them prior to adding
a new unit to stack. This is important because when there is any preconfigured unit and the
Master holds some configuration of that unit, as soon as the unit is detected, the configuration
is applied, which might trigger many other protocols. However, it is possible to intentionally
pre-configure a unit. You can view the preconfigured/unassigned units by using the show
switch CLI command.

The following example shows how to view the units in the stack and remove an unassigned unit:

console#show switch

Management Preconfig Plugged-in Switch Code

Switch Status Model ID Model ID Status Version
------ ----------- ---------- ----------- ------- --------
1 Unassigned PCM6220 Not Present 0.0.0.0
2 Mgmt Switch PCM6220 PCM6220 OK 8.13.0.2

console#configure

console(config)#stack
console(config-stack)#no member 1
console(config-stack)#exit
console(config)#exit

console#show switch

Management Preconfig Plugged-in Switch Code

Switch Status Model ID Model ID Status Version
------ ----------- ---------- ----------- ------- --------
2 Mgmt Switch PCM6220 PCM6220 OK 8.13.0.2

APRIL 2008 12
STACKING DELL POWERCONNECT 6200 SERIES

To remove a switch from the stack by using the Web interface, navigate to the System >
Stacking > Unit Configuration page. Select the switch to remove from the Switch ID menu,
and then select the Remove Switch option. Then click Apply Changes.

STACKING CLI COMMANDS

The following stacking commands are available from the PC6200 Series CLI. See the
Dell™ PowerConnect™ 62xx Systems CLI Reference Guide for more detailed information
about the commands.

show stack-port
show stack-port counters
show stack-port diag
show supported switchtype
show switch
stack
switch priority
switch renumber
standby <unit>
show stack standby
member
movemanagement
set description

APRIL 2008 13
STACKING DELL POWERCONNECT 6200 SERIES

STACKING WEB INTERFACE

You can access the stacking configuration and monitoring Web pages from the System >
Stacking menu. The following image shows a list of the Web pages that are available for the
stacking feature.

APRIL 2008 14