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How to create a Stack on Dell Networking Force10 S25/S50 Switch

Summary: This Article explains how to create a Stack on Dell Networking Force10 S25/S50 Switches

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Article Content


Instructions

Objectives

 

  1. Important Points to Remember
  2. Needed Hardware
  3. Creating Stack
  4. Verify System and Stack-Port Status
  5. Reset a Switch Removed from Stack to Default

 

Important Points to Remember

 

  • You may stack up to eight S25/S50 systems in combination.
  • The S25 and S50 systems support mixed stacking, as long as the units have the same FTOS version.
  • You may not connect 12G and 24G stack ports.

 

Needed Hardware

 

Stacking Modules

- not interchangeable

- Types

24 Gigabit  - 1 port, Install 2 modules for Ring Topology

12 Gigabit  - 2 port

 

Cables

- bi-directional

- length

4 meters

60 centimeters

 

Picture of Hardware Components

 

HOW10584_en_US__1S25_S50 Stack Modules HOW10584_en_US__2S25_S50 Stack Cables

 

 

Creating a Stack

 

Command

Purpose

FTOS# show version

Verify that each unit has the same FTOS version prior to stacking them together.

FTOS# stack-unit renumber

Pre-configure unit numbers for each unit so that the stacking is deterministic upon boot up. (Optional)

FTOS(config)# stack-unit priority

Configure the switch priority for each unit to make management unit selection deterministic.  (Optional)

Connect the units using stacking cables and modules

 

FTOS# show system brief

Power the stack one unit at a time.  Start with the management unit, then the standby, followed by each of the members in order of their assigned stack number (or the position in the stack you want each unit to take).  Allow each unit to completely boot, and verify that the unit is detected by the stack manager, and then power on the next unit.

 

Verify System and Stack-Port Status

 

Stack#show system stack-ports
Topology: Daisy chain
Interface     Connection      Link Speed      Admin      Link       Trunk
                                                    (Gb/s)            Status    Status     Group
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0/51                                              12                   up        down
0/52              1/50                         12                   up          up
1/49              2/52                         12                   up          up
1/50              0/52                         12                   up          up
2/51                                             12                   up        down
2/52              1/49                         12                   up          up

 

Stack#show system brief
Stack MAC : 00:01:e8:d5:f9:6f
-- Stack Info --
Unit      UnitType       Status         ReqTyp          CurTyp         Version         Ports
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0           Standby         online          S50V              S50V           7.8.1.0           52
1       Management      online          S50N              S50N          7.8.1.0            52
2          Member          online          S50V              S50V           7.8.1.0            52
 
 

Reset a Switch Removed from Stack to Default

 

The running-configuration and startup-configuration are synchronized on all stack units. A stack member that is disconnected from the stack maintain this configuration.

To remove a stack member from the stack, disconnect the stacking cables from the unit. You may do this at any time, whether the unit is powered or unpowered, online or offline.

The stack continues to use the primary switch chassis MAC address even after a failover. The MAC address is not refreshed until the stack is reloaded and a different unit becomes the stack manager.

 

 

NOTE:  If the removed management unit is brought up as a standalone unit or as part of a different stack, there is a possibility of MAC address collisions.

  

NOTE:  If you remove a unit in the middle of the stack, the stack will be split into multiple parts, and each will form a new stack according to the stacking algorithm.

 

 

Command

Purpose

FTOS# reset stack-unit 0-11

Reload a stack-unit.

FTOS# reset-self

Reload a member unit, from the unit itself.

FTOS# reset stack-unit 0-11 hard

Reset a stack-unit when the unit is in a problem state.

 

Article Properties


Affected Product

Force10 S25N-S50N, Force10 S25-01-GE-24P, Force10 S25-01-GE-24T, Force10 S25-01-GE-24V, Force10 S50-01-GE-48T-V, Force10 S50-01-GE-48T, Force10 S50P

Last Published Date

30 Mar 2021

Version

4

Article Type

How To