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5-18
Cisco Catalyst Switch Module 3110 and 3012 for IBM BladeCenter Software Configuration Guide
OL-12189-01
Chapter 5 Managing Switch Stacks
Understanding Switch Stacks
These sections provide switch stack connectivity information:
• Connectivity to the Switch Stack Through an IP Address, page 5-18
• Connectivity to the Switch Stack Through an SSH Session, page 5-18
• Connectivity to the Switch Stack Through Console Ports or Ethernet Management Ports, page 5-18
• Connectivity to Specific Stack Members, page 5-18
Connectivity to the Switch Stack Through an IP Address
The switch stack is managed through a single IP address. The IP address is a system-level setting and is
not specific to the stack master or to any other stack member. You can still manage the stack through the
same IP address even if you remove the stack master or any other stack member from the stack, provided
there is IP connectivity.
Note Stack members retain their IP addresses when you remove them from a switch stack. To avoid a conflict
by having two devices with the same IP address in your network, change the IP addresses of any switches
that you remove from the switch stack.
For related information about switch stack configurations, see the “Switch Stack Configuration Files”
section on page 5-16.
Connectivity to the Switch Stack Through an SSH Session
The Secure Shell (SSH) connectivity to the switch stack can be lost if a stack master running the
cryptographic software image and the IP base or IP services feature set fails and is replaced by a switch
that is running the noncryptographic image and the same feature set. We recommend that a switch
running the cryptographic software image and the IP base or IP services feature set be the stack master.
Encryption features are unavailable if the stack master is running the noncryptographic software image.
Connectivity to the Switch Stack Through Console Ports or Ethernet Management Ports
You can connect to the stack master by using one of these methods:
• You can connect a terminal or a PC to the stack master through the console port of one or more stack
members.
• You can connect a PC to the stack master through the Ethernet management ports of one or more
stack members. For more information about connecting to the switch stack through Ethernet
management ports, see the “Using the Internal Ethernet Management Port” section on page 10-12.
Be careful when using multiple CLI sessions to the stack master. Commands that you enter in one session
are not displayed in the other sessions. Therefore, it is possible that you might not be able to identify the
session from which you entered a command.
We recommend using only one CLI session when managing the switch stack.
Connectivity to Specific Stack Members
If you want to configure a specific stack member port, you must include the stack member number in the
CLI command interface notation. For more information, see the “Using Interface Configuration Mode”
section on page 10-7.