Configuration Guide User guide

250 FastIron Configuration Guide
53-1002494-02
Connecting ICX 6450 and ICX 6430 devices in a stack
Scenario 1 - Three-member IronStack
in a ring topology using secure-setup
NOTE
For more detailed information about configuring an FCX IronStack, refer to “FCX IronStack
configuration” on page 258.
This scenario describes how to build an IronStack using the secure-setup utility. Secure-setup lets
you easily configure your entire stack through the Active Controller, which propagates the
configuration to all stack members. Secure-setup is the most secure way to build an IronStack, and
gives you the most control over how your stack is built. For example, secure-setup offers three
security features that prevent unauthorized devices from accessing or joining an IronStack:
• Authentication of secure-setup packets provides verification that these packets are from
genuine Brocade stack unit. MD5-based port verification confirms stacking ports.
• Superuser password is required to allow password-protected devices to become members of
an IronStack.
• The stack disable command. When this command is issued, a unit does not listen for or send
stacking packets, which means that no other device in the network can force the
stacking-disabled unit to join an IronStack.
Secure-setup can also be used to add units to an existing IronStack (refer to “Adding, removing, or
replacing units in an IronStack” on page 311) and to change the stack IDs of stack members (refer
to “IronStack unit identification” on page 277).
When secure-setup is issued on a unit that is not already the Active Controller, this unit becomes
the Active Controller, and, if it does not have an assigned priority, secure-setup assigns it a priority
of 128. Any unit that then tries to join the stack must have an assigned priority less than 128. If
secure-setup discovers a unit with a priority of 128 or higher, it changes the priority to 118.
When secure-setup is issued on a unit that is not already the Active Controller, this unit becomes
the Active Controller. If this unit does not already have an assigned priority, secure-setup will assign
this unit a priority of 128 by default, if no other units in the stack have a priority higher than 128. If
another unit in the stack has a priority of 128 or higher, secure-setup will give the Active Controller
a priority equal to the highest priority unit in the stack (which is by default the Standby Controller).
When the Active Controller and the Standby Controller have identical priorities, during a reset, the
old Active Controller cannot reassume its role from the Standby Controller (which has become the
Active Controller at the reset).
If the previous Active Controller again becomes active, and you want it to resume the role of Active
Controller, you should set the priority for the Standby Controller to a priority lower than 128. If you
do not want the previous Active Controller to remain Active Controller, you can set the same priority
for both Active and Standby Controllers (higher than, or equal to 128). For details, refer to
“IronStack unit priority” on page 277.
NOTE
Secure-setup works for units within a single stack. It does not work across stacks.
Figure 12 on page 241 shows an IronStack with three units in a ring topology. Refer to this figure as
you follow the procedure steps for this scenario.