Using Ethernet Ports for Stacking (SummitStack-V)

On many Extreme Networks switches, you can reconfigure one or two 10-Gbps Ethernet data ports to operate as stacking ports.

This feature, known as SummitStack-V, means that you can use less expensive cables to connect the switches in a stack. Because copper and fiber Ethernet ports support longer cable distances, you can also extend the physical distance between stack nodes – connecting, for example, switches on different floors in a building or in different buildings on a campus.

The SummitStack-V feature also allows you to stack switches that have no dedicated (or native) stacking ports but that do have at least two Ethernet ports, which can be configured to support either data communications or the stacking protocol. When these dual-purpose ports are configured to support stacking, they are called alternate stacking ports to distinguish them from the native stacking ports that use custom cables.

Note

Note

The SummitStack-V feature is supported only on switches that are running ExtremeXOS 12.5.1 (or later).

A single stack can use both native stacking ports and alternate stacking ports. On one switch, for example, you can use a native stacking port to connect to a switch in the same rack, and you can use an alternate stacking port to connect to a switch on a different floor.

Note

Note

When you connect distant nodes using alternate stacking ports, be sure to run the cables over physically different pathways to reduce the likelihood of a cut affecting multiple links.

On each switch model, only specific data ports can be used as alternate stacking ports. The alternate stacking ports must be 10-Gbps Ethernet ports, either on the front panel of the switch or on installed port option cards or versatile interface modules at the rear of the switch. Switch models that do not have native stacking ports can still use the SummitStack-V feature if they have 10-Gbps Ethernet ports.

Alternate stacking ports on different switches must be directly connected, with no intervening switch connections. This is because alternate stacking ports use the proprietary ExtremeXOS stacking protocol, not the standard Ethernet protocol.

Alternate Stacking Ports lists the data ports that can be used as alternate stacking ports for each switch model.

When the stacking-support option is enabled (with the enable stacking-support command), data communication stops on the physical data ports that are designated for alternate stacking. Then, when stacking is enabled (with the enable stacking command), those ports – shown in Alternate Stacking Ports as Alternate Stacking Port 1 and Alternate Stacking Port 2 – operate using the stacking protocol for the logical stacking ports.

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Alternate Stacking Ports

Switch Model Type or location of Native Stacking Ports Alternate Stacking Ports Location of Alternate Stacking Ports
X440-24t-10G

X440-24x-10G

X440-24p-10G

None 25,26 Front panel
X440-48t-10G

X440-48p-10G

None 49,50 Front panel
X440-G2-12t-10GE4

X440-G2-12p-10GE4

Fixed (front panel) 15,16 Front panel
X440-G2-24t-10GE4

X440-G2-24p-10GE4

X440-G2-24x-10GE4

X440-G2-24t-10GE4-DC

Fixed (rear panel) 27,28 Front panel
X440-G2-48t-10GE4

X440-G2-48p-10GE4

X440-G2-48t-10GE4-DC

Fixed (rear panel, dedicated SFP+ port) 49,50 Front panel
X450a-24t

X450a-24tDC

X450a-24x

X450a-24xDC

X450e-24t

X450e-24p

Fixed (rear panel) 25,26 XGM2-2xf or

XGM2-2xn or

XGM2-2sf or

XGM2-2bt

X450a-48t

X450a-48tDC

X450e-48t

X450e-48p

Fixed (rear panel) 49,50 XGM2-2xf or

XGM2-2xn or

XGM2-2sf or

XGM2-2bt

X450-G2-24t-10GE4

X450-G2-24p-10GE4

Fixed (rear panel) 27,28 Front panel
X450-G2-48t-10GE4

X450-G2-48p-10GE4

Fixed (rear panel) 51,52 Front panel
X460-24t

X460-24x

X460-24p

SummitStack module or

SummitStack-V80 module

S1,S2

(29,30)

XGM3-2sf or

XGM3S-2sf or

XGM3S-2xf

X460-48t

X460-48p

SummitStack module or

SummitStack-V80 module

S1,S2

(53,54)

XGM3-2sf or

XGM3S-2sf or

XGM3S-2xf

X460-48x SummitStack module or

SummitStack-V80 module

S1,S2

(49,50)

XGM3S-2sf or

XGM3S-2xf

X460-G2-24t-GE4

X460-G2-24p-GE4

VIM-2ss or VIM-2q 33,34 VIM-2t or VIM-2x
X460-G2-48t-GE4

X460-G2-48p-GE4

VIM-2ss or VIM-2q 53,54 VIM-2t or VIM-2x
X460-G2-24t-10GE4

X460-G2-24x-10GE4

X460-G2-24p-10GE4

None 31,32 Front panel
X460-G2-48t-10GE4

X460-G2-48x-10GE4

X460-G2-48p-10GE4

None 51,52 Front panel
X480-24x None: VIM has only data ports S3,S4

(29,30)

VIM2-10G4X module
None: No installed VIM 25,26 Front panel
VIM2-SummitStack module

VIM2-SummitStack128 module

VIM2-SummitStack-V80 module

VIM3-40G4X

25,26 Front panel
X480-48t

X480-48x

None: VIM has only data ports S3,S4

(51,52)

VIM2-10G4X module
X620-8t-2x

X620-10x

None 9,10 Front panel
X620-16t

X620-16x

X620-16p

None 15,16 Front panel
X670-48x None 47,48 Front panel
X670V-48t

X670V-48x

VIM4-40G4X 47,48 Front panel
X670-G2-48x-4q Ports 49,53,57,65 47,48 Front panel
X670-G2-72x None 71,72 Front panel
X770-32q front panel, QSFP+ 103,104 Front panel