Using the Extreme Stacking Tool

The Extreme Stacking Tool provides an easy way to plan your stack. As you select various switch models and stacking methods, the tool shows you:
  • What switch models can be stacked together and which cannot.
  • Statistics showing the routing options that are available with every stack combination.
  • Recommendations about which switches should be the primary and backup nodes.
  • Information about the supported versions of Switch Engine for every combination.

To use the Stacking Tool, follow these steps.

  1. Open the Stacking Tool (https://stackingtool.extremenetworks.com/StackingTool/) in a web browser.
    Note

    Note

    The Stacking Tool is also available in the Support Tools section of the Extreme Portal.
  2. Find a switch model in the Switches column.
    Each switch model is represented by a rectangle, as shown in the example in the following figure. In this example, stacking ports are represented by U1 and U2 on the right side.
    Click to expand in new window
    5720 Switch Shown in the Stacking Tool
    5720 Switch Shown in the Stacking Tool
    Tip

    Tip

    Select a rectangle to display more information about the switch model and the VIMs (if any) that it can use for stacking.
  3. Drag the rectangle to the first slot in the Stack column in the middle of the page.
    To the right of the Stack column, the tool displays statistics about available routes, supported software versions, and primary/backup recommendations.
    Tip

    Tip

    If you do not see statistics and other information, select the arrow (> symbol) to the immediate right of the Stack column.
  4. Use the tool in any of the following ways:
    • Select other switches and drag them to the slots in the stacking column.
    • For any switch in the stack, select the U1 and U2 symbols to choose stacking methods – for example, SummitStack-V and SummitStack-V80.
    • To remove a switch from the stack, drag it away from the stacking column.

    Whenever you add or remove a switch from the stack, the statistics and recommendations update automatically.

In addition to statistics and recommendations, colors in the display show whether the selected switch models and stacking methods are compatible.
Table 1. Colors in the Stacking Tool Display
Color Meaning
Green Compatible and preferred
Blue Compatible
Yellow Incompatible with the selected primary node
Red Incompatible