The objective of this article is to provide stacking guidelines and information about Cisco Business Switch (CBS) models that support stacking.
A subset of the CBS switch models can be connected to operate as a logical single unit. These configurations are called "stacks” and are useful for quickly increasing the capacity of a network. Stacking multiple switches together provide advanced and powerful technologies to administer and control your central network.
You cannot stack the legacy Sx350 or Sx550 switches (or Enterprise switches) with the new Cisco Business stackable switches. If you are stacking legacy switches, check out Feature Support Comparison Between the Cisco Stackable Managed Switches for Hybrid Stacking.
You can stack the following CBS models:
Other ways to determine if a switch might support stacking include:
The uplink network ports will be configured for stacking and the proper interconnecting small form-factor pluggable (SFP) cables support the stack channels. A list of supported SFP adapters is available in the CBS datasheets. For more information on SFP modules supported on CBS, refer to the article on Cisco Business Switches: SFP Modules.
While MRv3.0 provides stacking capabilities, only MRv3.1 provides the option to create a Hybrid Mode stack which allows the largest interoperability between CBS models. Click if you need guidance performing a firmware upgrade.
All units in a stack must run the same firmware version for proper operation.
The following table lists the features impacted in Hybrid Mode and the differences between two CBS350 sub-types.
Feature | CBS350 “10G uplink port SKUs” | CBS350 “10G network port SKUs” | Hybrid stack |
---|---|---|---|
MAC table size | 16K | 32K or 64K | 16K |
Number of Multicast groups | 2K | 4K | 2K |
Number of ACEs supported | 1K- reserved | 2K- reserved | 1K- reserved |
Total number of IP entries | 992 | 7392 | 992 |
ARP table size | 1K – reserved | 8K – reserved | 1K – reserved |
Max number of IPv6 interfaces | 106 | 200 | 106 |
Max MAC table aging | 400 seconds | 630 seconds | 400 seconds |
IPv6 Manual Tunnel/ 6tp4 tunnel/ ISATAP routing tunnel | Not supported | Supported | Not supported |
Default number of VLAN Mapping entries | 0 | 32 | 0 |
Trying to determine which switches to purchase for the mode you want to use?
Have you already purchased your switches and need to know which mode to select?
Use this stacking picker to easily determine the stacking operating modes.
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Stacking is relatively easy to configure. To configure stacking on a CBS350 switch, refer to the following articles:
Configuring a stack on Cisco Business switches is straightforward, but care must be taken to validate all end-to-end connections for successful deployment. If you encounter problems, check the following scenarios for resolution.
Verify the stack-connecting ports and interconnecting cables have the same speed/negotiation capabilities.
While a chain topology can be created (with certain limits), a ring topology provides resilience in the case of a single unit failure and does not allow the failure to cascade down to the remaining units in the stack.
1. Potential faults in a ring topology include a failure to create a true single ring topology as intended.
You may have a functional stack, but you may not have the expected resilience if a single unit fails. If you remove a unit from the stack, do you lose contact with two members in the stack? This would indicate an improper single-ring topology. Validate your ring topology to ensure that each segment between stack units is operational.
Log in to the user interface (UI) of the switch. Navigate to Administration > Stack Management and check the status of stacking ports.
2. Failure to create a functional dual ring stacking configuration.
A dual ring stacking configuration can be used to double the bandwidth of your network. For example, for a 10Gbps port, dual ring will effectively create a 20Gbps channel between each stack unit.
Some general tips when creating a dual ring stacking configuration:
Choose the left pair OR the right pair to connect to the next neighbor.
Diagnose the first ring of a dual ring topology.
Diagnose the secondary ring of a dual ring topology.
Re-Insert all cables and the dual ring should be fully functional.
If a unit refuses to join the stack even after the topology, cables, and port configuration have been validated, a change in stack mode may be required to overcome the failure.
Stack mode to support interoperability is available on MRv3.1 firmware and above.
Reconfigure ALL the stack ports to use Hybrid Mode instead of Native Mode based on the models listed in this document. Each switch participating in the stack must have its configuration changed (all or nothing). This should resolve any last problems with stack operation.
Now that you have a better understanding of stacking, expand and manage your network with ease!
Looking for more articles on your CBS350 switch? Check out any of the links below for more information.
Revision | Publish Date | Comments |
---|---|---|
2.0 |
02-Sep-2021 |
Links to additional articles added. |
1.0 |
11-Aug-2021 |
Initial Release |