CHAPTER 3 | Installing the Switch
Connecting Switches in a Stack
CONNECTING SWITCHES IN A STACK
Figure 18 shows how the stack cables are connected between switches in a
stack. Each stacking connection is a 48 Gbps full-duplex high-speed serial link
using proprietary stacking cables (part numbers LGB6000SC-001 or
LGB6000SC-004). The switch supports a line- and ring-topology stacking
configuration, or can be used stand alone. To ensure minimal disruption in case
a unit or stacking cable fails, we recommend always use a ring-topology.
In line-topology stacking there is a single stack cable connection between each
switch that carries two-way communications across the stack. In ring-topology
stacking, an extra cable is connected between the top and bottom switches
forming a “ring” or “closed-loop.” The closed-loop cable provides a redundant
path for the stack link, so if one link fails, stack communications can still be
maintained. Figure 18 illustrates a ring-topology stacking configuration.
To connect up to eight switches in a stack, perform the following steps:
1. Plug one end of the stack cable (ordered separately) in the
Down
(right)
port of the top unit.
2. Plug the other end of the stack cable into the Up (left) port of the next unit.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each unit in the stack. Form
a
simple
chain starting
at the Down port on the top unit and ending at the Up port on the bottom
unit (stacking up to 8 units).
4. (Optional) To form a wrap-around topology, plug one end of a stack cable
into the Down port on the bottom unit and the other end into the Up port on
the top unit.
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