NET-X 001: Double Switch Sandwich

 Wait Switch Stacking is a thing? CCNA didn't even say a thing


In CCNA, when we connect multiple switches for redundancy. One thing comes to mind, spanning-tree. Switch stacking is not something that was covered, but it is a prominent network design practice.

I was chatting with a good friend who mentioned “stacking ” a few days ago. Until then, I didn’t know you could virtually combine switches. It is amazing. I started looking into the concepts, the configurations and the use cases. I even did research to see if it is still relevant due to the rise of controllers and SDN in general. Turns out, it is still very much being used and saves a lot of companies big dolla dolla bills.

My TL;DR

  • It is connecting “stackable” switches into one insanely fast logical switch
  • Benefits include: reliability, bandwidth, more switch ports and simplicity
  • They need to be of the same model and vendor, and only recommended on access layer
  • Specialized cables are used on their “stack ports” to connect them
  • Stacking topologies include Ring and Chain
  • There are Active, Standby and Member switches in the stack
  • Election is done to choose Active switch (factors: Up-time or unit ID, or MAC address)
  • Configuration is done on Active switch first, reload after finished
  • Same process for Standby and Member switches afterwards

I would recommend studying this concept especially if you are in the same boat as me, which is between getting certified and becoming a real-world engineer.

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- Patrick


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