Bay Technical Associates BayStack 400-ST1 User Manual

Installing the
BayStack 400-ST1
Cascade Module

Part No. 304433-A Rev 00
November 1998

© 1998 by Bay Networks, Inc.

All rights reserved.

Trademarks

Bay Networks is a registered trademark and BayStack is a trademark of Bay
Networks, Inc. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their
respective owners.

Statement of Conditio ns

In the interest of improving internal design, operational function, and/or re liability,
Bay Networks, Inc. reserves the right to make changes to the products described in
this document without notice.

Bay Networks, Inc. does not assume any liability that may occur due to the use or
application of the product(s) or circuit layout(s) described herein.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Compliance Notice:
Radio Frequency Notice

Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a
Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are
designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the
equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates,
uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy. If it is not installed and used in
accordance with the instruction manual, it may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause
harmful interference, in which case users will be required to take whatever
measures may be necessary to correct the interference at their own expense.

EN 55 022 Declaration of Conformance (UPDATE THIS FOR 400-ST1)

This is to certify that the Bay Networks BayStack 400-ST1 Cascade Module are
shielded against the generation of radio interference in accordance with the
application of Council Directive 89/336/EEC, Article 4a. Conformity is declared by
the application of EN 55 022 Class A (CISPR 22).

Warning: This device is a Class A product. In a domestic environment, this product
may cause radio interference, in which case, the user may be required to take
appropriate measures.

These products conform to the provisions of Council Directive 89/336/EEC and
72/23/EEC. The Declaration of Conformity is available on the Bay Networks World
Wide Web site at www.baynetworks.com.

Introduction

This guide provides procedures for installing the BayStack
400-ST1 Cascade Modules into supported Bay Networks
BayStack 450 switches that are configured with BayStack
450 software version V1.1.0 or later. You can determine
the software version of your switches by accessing the
System Characteristics screen for each switch.

Note:

BayStack 400-ST1 Cascade Module

The

will not oper ate with BayStack 450 switches that
are configured with BayStack 450 software
versions earlier than version V1.1.0.

If you need to upgrade your BayStack 450 switches, refer
to “

Upgrading the BayStack 450 Switch Firmware” on

page 36

of this guide. You must upgrade the switch before

installing the BayStack 400-ST1 Cascade Module.
If you are upgrading your BayStack 450 switches, be sure

to obtain the latest version of the Using the BayStack 450
10/100/1000 Series Switch guide. That guide provides
instructions for setting up your stack configuration after
you install the 400-ST1 Cascade Modules.

You can obtain the latest updates to your product
documentation, including release notes, by visiting the
Bay Networks Web site at the following location:

www.support.baynetworks.com/library/tpubs

1

Find the Bay Networks product for which you need
documentation. Then locate the specific category and
model or version for your hardware or software product.

Using Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can open the manuals
and release notes, search for the sections you need, and
print them on most standard printers. You can download
Acrobat Reader free from the Adobe Systems Web site,

www.adobe.com.

This guide also describes how to connect 400-ST1
Cascade Modules to create a stack of (up to eight)
BayStack 450 switches, and how to modify existing stack
configurations.

For information about: Go to page:

The contents of the shipping box 3
The 400-ST1 front panel components 4
The base unit 7
Stack configurations 10
The redundant cascade stacking feature 14
Installing the 400-ST1 Cascade Module 16
Modifying an existing stack configuration 26
Upgrading the BayStack 450 Switch

Firmware

36

2

Contents of Shipment

Each BayStack 400-ST1 shipment includes the following
items (Figure 1

):

• One BayStack 400-ST1 Cascade Module

• One .30 meter (12 inch) cascade cable; part number
303978-A.

• This guide (Installing the BaySta ck 400-ST1 Cascade
Module).

BayStack 400-ST1
cascade module

0.30 m (12 in.) cascade
cable (PN 303978-A)

Installing the BayStack 400-ST1
Cascade Module

Optional:
1 m (39.27 in.)
cascade max-return
cable (PN 303979-A)

BS0030A

Figure 1. Contents of Shipment

For stacking three or more units (maximum 8 units per
stack), order the optional 1 meter (39.27 inch) cascade
max-return cable (Bay Networks Order No. AL2018001).

3

If any items are missing or damaged, contact the sales
agent or the customer service representative from whom
you purchased the BayStack 400-ST1 cascade module.
You will need a Phillips screwdriver for the installation.

Unless otherwise specified, the terms

Note:

“switch” and “unit” are used interchangeably in
this guide.

BayStack 400-ST1 Front Panel Components

The front-panel components of the BayStack 400-ST1
Cascade Module are shown in Figure 2

. Component

descriptions fo llow the figure.

1

Cascade A Out

2

1 = Blank connectors (unused)
2 = Cascade A Out connector
3 = Unit Select switch
4 = Cascade A In connector

Unit Select

3

Base

Cascade A In

Figure 2. Front Panel Components

4

4

BS0031A

Cascade A Out Connector

Provides an attachment point for connecting this unit to
another unit via the cascade cable. A return cable from
another unit’s Cascade A Out connector to this unit’s
Cascade A In connector completes the stack connection
(see the example shown in Figure 3

Note: For stacking three or more units

).

(maximum 8 units per stack), order the optional
1 meter (39.27 inch) cascade max-return cable
(Bay Networks Order No. AL2018001).

Unit Select Switch

The Unit Select switch (up = Base) determines the base
unit for the stack configuration (see “

Base Unit
Description” on page 7). The Unit Select switch status is

displayed on the BayStack 450 LE D display panel (see the
Using the BayStack 450 10/100/1000 Series Switch guide
for details). When in the Base (up) position, all other Unit
Select switches in the stack configuration must be set to
Off (down).

5

Cascade A In Connector

Provides an attachment point for accepting a cascade cable
connection from an adjacent unit in the stack. A return
cable from this unit’s Cascade A Out connector to the
adjacent unit’s Cascade A In connector completes the
stack connection (see the example shown in Figure 3

).

Cascade A Out

Unit 1

Cascade A Out

Unit 2

Cascade A Out

1 = Base unit
2 = 303978-A cascade cable
3 = 303978-A cascade cable (used for return)

3

Cascade A In

Cascade A InUnit Select

Cascade A InUnit Select

Figure 3. Connecting Cascade Cables

6

1

2

BS0032A

Base Unit Description

The base unit is a unique stack un it that can b e selected by
the Unit Select switch on the front-panel of the 400-ST1
cascade module. One unit in the stack configuration must
be assigned as the base unit; all other units in the s tack
must have their Unit Select switch set to Off (see “

Unit
Select Switch” on page 5). Any single unit in the stack can

be assigned as the base unit.
The physical ordering of all of the other units in the stack

are determined by the position of the base unit within the
stack. This is important for management applications that
view the physical orde ring of the units wi thin the stack.

Some characteristics of the base unit are:

•

Initial installation

--- during the initial installation of
the stack, the software automatically determines the
physical order of all units in the stack according to the
position of the base unit within the stack.

For example, when the stack is powered up, the base
unit becomes unit 1 and the unit that the base unit
connects to (via the Cascade A Out cable) becomes
unit 2 (and the next unit is unit 3 and so on), until the
maximum stack configuration (up to 8 units) is
reached.

If the base unit is changed to anot her unit in the s tack,
the new base unit k eeps its orig inal un it num ber in the
stack.

7

Note:

You can renumber the units when you
perform the initial setup of the stack as described
in the Using the BayStack 450 10/100/1000
Series Switch guide.

• Stack IP MAC address --- The s tack IP MAC address is
automatically assigned during the stack initialization:

The base unit’s MAC address, with a software offset,
is used for the stack IP MAC address.

For example, if the base unit’s MAC address is:
00-00-82-99-44-00
and the Stack software offset is: 1F
then the Stack IP MAC address becomes:
00-00-82-99-44-1F
If another unit in the stack is assigned as the base unit,

the MAC address of the new base unit (with offset)
now applies to the stack configuration. The original
stack IP address still applies to the new base unit.

8

• T emporary Base Unit --- If an assigned base unit fails,
the next unit in the stack order automatically becomes
the new temporary b ase unit . This change is ind icated
by the Base LED on the temporary base unit’s LED
display panel t urning on (yellow).

The automatic base unit change to the next unit in the
stack order is a temporary safeguard which allows
you time to replace the failed unit, or reassign the
temporary base unit as the new base unit.

Note:

If you do not reassign the temporary base
unit as the new base unit, and the temporary base
unit fails, the automatic failover to another
temporary base unit will not occur.

Set the Unit Select switch on the temporary base unit
to Base (up =Base) to reassign it as the new base unit.

•

Removing a unit from the stack--- if a unit is removed

from the stack (therefore operating in standalone
mode), the following switch configuration settings
revert back to the settings configured before the unit
became a member of the stack:

• IP address

• console password

• TELNET password

• SNMP community strings

9

Stack Configurations

As shown in Figure 4

, the cascade connectors and cables
on the 400-ST1 front-panel provide the ability to stack up
to eight BayStack switches. With 400-4TX MDAs
installed in each switch, the stack can accommodate a
maximum of 224 switch ports.

Because stack parameters are associated with the base unit
(see “

Base Unit Description” on page 7), the physical

stack order depends on the base unit’s position and
whether the stack is configured stack up or stack down.

Stack Up Configurations

In Figure 4, data flows from the base unit (unit 1) to the
next switch, which is assigned as unit 2, and continues
until the last switch in the stack is assign e d as unit 8. The
physical order of the switches is from bottom to top (unit 1
to unit 8).

Stack Down Configurations

In Figure 5, data flows from the base unit (unit 1) to the
next switch, which is assigned as unit 2, and continues
until the last switch in the stack is assign e d as unit 8. The
physical order of the switches is from top to bottom (unit 1
to unit 8).

10