Recommendations for Placing Switches for Stacked Operation

For best results in a stacked configuration, follow these recommendations for physically situating your equipment:

• Use the shortest possible stacking cables to connect the switches in the stack. This reduces the likelihood that the stacking cables might accidentally be damaged or disconnected. Stacking cables are available in lengths ranging from 0.5 meters to 100 meters.
• When possible, place all switches for the stack in the same rack or in adjacent racks. This facilitates using shorter stacking cables.
• Your stack can consist of any combination of 48-port and 24-port 220 series switches. (12-port switches cannot be stacked.)
• You will configure the stack initially through the stack manager, using the console port. For simplicity and ease of connecting the stacking cables, we recommend that you designate the top switch in a vertical physical stack as the stack manager. If switches are installed in several adjacent racks, place the stack manager at one end of the row.
• If possible, locate the intended manager and standby units adjacent to each other, and connect them directly to each other.
• On the stack manager, connect the Ethernet management port to your management network.
• Use stacking cables to interconnect the switches into a ring topology. Include only the switches that you expect to be active in the stack.

The recommended procedures for installing and interconnecting a stack are found in Setting up the Physical Stack.

For information about configuring stacks and managing them on a day-to-day basis, see ExtremeSwitching 200 Series: Administration Guide.