Switch stacking is a technology that connects multiple switches that support stacking characteristics together through stacking cables, logically virtualizes a switching device, and participates in data as a whole. Switch stacking has several benefits:
Improve reliability: Switches in a stack system can back up each other, and when one switch fails, other switches can take over their services to ensure the normal operation of the network.
Number of Expansion Ports: The number of switch ports in a stack system can be considered as a whole, and the number of ports can be expanded by increasing the number of switches when the number of access users increases.
Increase bandwidth: Switches in a stacking system can be stacked with multiple physical links to increase the uplink bandwidth of the switches and improve network performance.
Simplified networking: Stacking systems can simplify the network topology, reduce the number of network devices, and reduce the complexity and cost of network maintenance.
Stacking of switches refers to the connection of multiple switches that support stacking characteristics together through stacking cables, logically virtualizing a switching device and participating in data as a whole. Stacking switches can improve reliability, expand the number of ports, increase bandwidth, and simplify networking.
To implement the stacking of switches, the following conditions need to be met:
Switches must have a stacking function, and switches from different manufacturers cannot be stacked, and compatibility issues may exist between switches of different models.
The switch must be connected using a dedicated stack cable or stack module, and cannot use a twisted pair or optical fiber.
Switches must be configured with the same stack domain ID so that the same stack system can be identified.
The switch must be configured with different stack member IDs to distinguish between different devices in the stack.
The switch must be configured with a stack priority so that the master switch and standby switch are elected.
The switch must be configured with a stack-port to specify the physical port to be used for the stack connection.
Switches must use the same software version and configuration file to ensure consistency across the stack.