Building Basic Stacks

A stack can be created in either of two ways:

In native stacking, switches are connected using either designated Ethernet data ports or dedicated stacking connectors.
In alternate stacking, switches are connected using 10-Gbps Ethernet data ports that have been configured for stacking. These ports are located either on the switch itself or on option cards installed on the rear of the switch.

When planning and building your stack, be sure to follow port compatibility and cabling recommendations as described in this chapter.

See Combining Switches from Different Series for information about which switch series can be combined to form a stack.