Allied Telesis AT-8000GS/POE User Manual

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Chapter 3: Stacking
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Stacking Overview
Stacking provides multiple switch management through a single point as if 
all stack members are a single unit. All stack members are accessed 
through a single IP address through which the stack is managed. The 
stack can be managed using the following interfaces: 
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Web-based Interface
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SNMP Management Station
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Command Line Interface (CLI)
Devices support stacking up to six units per stack, or can operate as 
stand-alone units. During the Stacking setup, one switch is selected as the 
Stacking Master and another stacking member can be selected as the 
Secondary Master. All other devices are selected as stack members, and 
assigned a unique Unit ID.
Switch software is downloaded separately for each stack member. 
However, all units in the stack must be running the same software version.
Switch stacking and configuration is maintained by the Stacking Master. 
The Stacking Master detects and reconfigures the ports with minimal 
operational impact in the event of:
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Unit Failure
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Inter-unit Stacking Link Failure
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Unit Insertion
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Removing a Stacking Unit
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This section includes the following topics: 
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Stacking Ring
Topology
Stacked devices operate in a Ring topology. A Ring topology is where all 
devices in the stack are connected to each other forming a circle. Each 
stacked device accepts data and sends it to the device to which it is 
physically connected. The packet continues through the stack until it 
reaches the destination port. The system automatically discovers the 
optimal path on which to send traffic.
Most difficulties in Ring topologies occur when a device in the ring 
becomes non-functional, or a link is severed. In a stack, the system