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User Manual for the NETGEAR 7300S Series Layer 3 Managed Switch Software
12-2 Managing Switch Stacks
202-10088-01, March 2005
A switch stack is identified in the network by its network IP address. The network IP address is
assigned according to the MAC address of the stack master. Every stack member is uniquely
identified by its own stack member number.
All stack members are eligible stack masters. If the stack master becomes unavailable, the
remaining stack members participate in electing a new stack master from among themselves. A set
of factors determine which switch is elected the stack master. These factors are:
1. The switch who is master always has priority to retain the role of master
2. Assigned priority
3. MAC address
If the master cannot be selected by (1), then (2) is used. If (2) does not resolve which stack member
becomes stack master, then (3) is used.
The stack master contains the saved and running configuration files for the switch stack. The
configuration files include the system-level settings for the switch stack and the interface-level
settings for all stack members. Each stack member retains a copy of the saved file for backup
purposes.
If the master is removed from the stack, another member will be elected master, and will then run
from that saved configuration.
You can use these methods to manage switch stacks:
• Stack web interface
• Command line interface (CLI) over a serial connection to the console port of the master
• A network management application through the Simple Network Management Protocol
(SNMP)
Switch Stack Membership
A switch stack has up to eight stack members connected through their stacking ports. A switch
stack always has one stack master.
A standalone switch is a switch stack with one stack member that also operates as the stack master.
You can connect one standalone switch to another to create a switch stack containing two stack
members, with one of them being the stack master. You can connect standalone switches to an
existing switch stack to increase the stack membership.