User's Manual

Chapter 9: Adding or Removing Switches
120
Removing or Replacing the Master Switch
This procedure is divided into the following phases:
 Phase 1: “Uploading the Active Configuration File” on page 121
 Phase 2: “Removing the Current Master Switch” on page 122
 Phase 3: “Configuring the New Master Switch” on page 125
 Phase 4: “Connecting the New Master Switch to the Stack” on
page 127
The procedures should be performed in the order presented here.
Here are the guidelines to removing or replacing the master switch:
 When you power off the master switch, the member switch that
has the lowest ID number of the remaining switches automatically
assumes the role of the master switch of the stack.
 The new master switch should be the same model as the current
master switch. Otherwise, the operations of the stack m ay be
unpredictable. For instance, you should not replace an AT-8100S/
16F8-SC Switch with an AT-8100S/24 Switch.
 You should not connect the new master switch to the stack until
after you have installed the stack’s configuration file on it.
Otherwise, the entire stack configuration may be lost. The
procedure for this is in “Uploading the Active Configuration File” on
page 121 and “Configuring the New Master Switch” on page 125.
In phase 2 it may be necessary to power off the stack. Here are the
guidelines to determining whether that will be necessary:
 You may leave the stack powered on if it is cabled in the duplex-
ring topology, or if it is cabled in the duplex-chain topology and the
master switch is at the end of the stack.
 You should power off the stack if it is wired in the duplex-chain
topology and the master switch is located between other switches.
Note
For background information on stack topologies, refer to “Stacking
Port Topologies” on page 55.