Users Guide

Table Of Contents
Stacking 245
Adding a Switch to the Stack
When adding a new member to a stack, make sure that only the stack cables,
and no network cables, are connected before powering up the new unit. Stack
port configuration is stored on the member units. If stacking over Ethernet
ports (Dell EMC Networking N1100-ON, N1500 and N4000 Series only),
configure the ports on the unit to be added to the stack as stacking ports and
power the unit off prior to connecting the stacking cables. Make sure the links
are not already connected to any ports of that unit. This is important because
if STP is enabled and any links are UP, the STP reconvergence will take place
as soon as the link is detected.
After the stack cables on the new member are connected to the stack, the
units can be powered up, beginning with the unit directly attached to the
currently powered-up unit. Always power up new stack units closest to an
existing powered unit first. Do not connect a new member to the stack after it
is powered up. Never connect two functional, powered-up stacks together.
Hot insertion of units into a stack is not supported.
If a new switch is added to a stack of switches that are powered and running
and already have an elected stack master, the newly added switch becomes a
stack member rather than the stack master. Use the boot auto-copy-sw
command on the stack master to enable automatic firmware upgrade of newly
added switches. If a firmware mismatch is detected, the newly added switch
does not fully join the stack and holds until it is upgraded to the same
firmware version as the master switch. After firmware synchronization
finishes, the running configuration of the newly added unit is overwritten
with the stack master configuration. Stack port configuration is always stored
on the local unit and may be updated with preconfiguration information from
the stack master when the unit joins the stack.
Information about a stack member and its ports can be preconfigured before
the unit is added to the stack. The preconfiguration takes place on the stack
master. If there is saved configuration information on the stack master for the
newly added unit, the stack master applies the configuration to the new unit;
otherwise, the stack master applies the default configuration to the new unit.