When your stack is operational, one switch is the master switch, responsible for running network protocols and managing the stack.
To provide recovery in case of a break in the stack connections, you can configure redundancy by designating a backup switch to take over as master if the master switch fails. When you perform the initial software configuration of the stack, the “easy setup” configuration option automatically configures redundancy, with slot 1 as the master and slot 2 as the backup. You can also configure additional switches as “master-capable,” meaning they can become a stack master in case the initial backup switch fails.
For example, in a stack that combines Summit X460-G2 or X670-G2 switches with other switch models, an X460-G2 or X670-G2 switch might provide more memory and more features than other switches in the stack. Consider these differences when selecting a master node, selecting a backup node, and configuring failover operation.
Note
We recommend that the master and backup roles be assigned to switches from the same series. For example, if the master node is an X460-G2 switch, the backup node should also be an X460-G2 switch. Similarly, if the master node is an X670-G2 series switch, the backup node should also be an X670-G2 switch.Note
ExtremeSwitching X690 and X870 switches can be stacked with each other, but they cannot be stacked with other switch models.When easy setup compares two switches that have the same capability, the lower slot number takes precedence.
We recommend that you follow the same ranking hierarchy when you plan the physical placement of the switches in the stack.