Configuration Guide User guide

238 FastIron Configuration Guide
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Brocade IronStack overview
• IronStack - A set of Brocade stackable units (maximum of eight) and their connected stacking
links so that: all units can be accessed through their common connections, a single unit can
manage the entire stack, and configurable entities, such as VLANs and trunk groups, can have
members on multiple stack units.
• Non-Functioning Stack Unit - A stack unit that is recognized as a stack member, and is
communicating with the Active Controller over the Control Path, but is in a non-functioning
state. Because of this state, traffic from the non-stack ports will not be forwarded into the
stack - they will be dropped or discarded. This may be caused by an image or configuration
mismatch.
• Sequential Connection - Stack unit IDs, beginning with the Active Controller, are sequential. For
example, 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 is sequential if Active Controller is 1. 1, 7, 6, 4, 3 are non-sequential in a
linear topology, but become sequential in a ring topology when counted from the other
direction as: 1, 3, 4, 6, 7. Gaps in numbering are allowed.
• Standalone Unit - A unit that is not enabled for stacking, or an Active Controller without any
Standby Controller or stack members.
• Stacking Link - A cable that connects a stacking port on one unit to a stacking port on another
unit.
• Secure Setup- A software utility that establishes a secure stack.
• Unit Replacement- The process of swapping out a unit with a Clean Unit. No configuration
change is required. Refer to “Adding, removing, or replacing units in an IronStack” on
page 311.
• Reserved / Provisional Unit- A unit configuration number that has no physical unit associated
with it.
• Trunked Stacking Port (Trunk)- A trunk consists of multiple stacking ports and is treated as one
logical link. It provides more bandwidth and better resilience.
• Stack Path - A data path formed across the stacking links to determine the set of stack
members that are present in the stack topology, and their locations in the stack.
• Stacking Port - A physical interface on a stack unit that connects a stacking link. Stacking ports
are point-to-point links that exchange proprietary packets. Stacking ports must be 10 Gbps
Ethernet ports, and cannot be configured for any other purpose while operating as stacking
ports. Brocade stacking units contain two ports that can be stacking ports. However, the
flexible stacking port feature also allows you to use one port as a stacking port and the other
port as a regular data port. Refer to “Controlling stack topology” on page 283.
• Stack Slot - A slot in a stack is synonymous with line model in a chassis. Table 40 shows the
port and slot designations for FastIron stackable devices.
• Stack Topology - A contiguously-connected set of stack units in an IronStack that are currently
communicating with each other. All units that are present in the stack topology appear in
output from the show stack command.
• Static Configuration - A configuration that remains in the database of the Active Controller even
if the unit it refers to is removed from the stack. Static configurations are derived from the
startup configuration file during the boot sequence, are manually entered, or are converted
from dynamic configurations after a write memory command is issued.
• Dynamic Configuration - A unit configuration that is dynamically learned by a new stack unit
from the Active Controller. A dynamic configuration disappears when the unit leaves the stack.