Dell Powerconnect 6224 remove stacked without shutting down

Hello,
I understood what you wanted to do, but frankly, I wasn't sure if you should be on the field physically or not. Now, as far as I know, for example, if a switch was replacement in a stack configuration and after replacement two switches were master switches at the same time. it could be included in the stack configuration by changing the Stack port configuration from ethernet to stack. And then unplug the power cable of the added switch, reconnecting stacking cable to replacement switch.

The second switch I can think of is not the master, so it might not be a problem, but I'm not sure at all.

First of all, if you need to take any action, definitely get the backup configuration of the switches.

I suggest you wait for other users to share their experiences in the community. Since you will not be on the field in practice, it will be healthy to minimize the risk.

Hope that helps!

Hi,

I aborted the idea of ​​trying to disable the port to (simulate) the absence of the slave.

I think what you thought was what happened.

When I asked to disconnect the cables from the stacked the second tried to become the primary and this caused a problem in the network. See the screenshot of the screenshot I captured via console cable.

console image of the secondary switch at the moment we disconnect the console cables

I lost access to the network!!!

So I asked them to turn off the secondary and leave the cables plugged in only on the primary XG1 and XG2, but on the disconnected secondary.

I got access to the environment again!!!

I'm doing this remotely and to learn how this process of removing the secondary, failover from primary to secondary and inserting the secondary again works.

Next step now was to ask to turn on the secondary that is now disconnected from the primary and was turned off to confirm if it will try to start as primary or start with the default configuration.

I will clear the settings and turn it off. Reconnect the cables and reconnect the secondary to confirm whether it will become secondary automatically or not.

Thanks.

SandroAlvesBR,

In my opinion, technically I would never recommend to play with the Stack in a working environment. That to me is risky, and can cause issues like this.

To answer your questions.

When a Switch is in a Stack, we can only access the Master not the Slave.

The command to fail over would be 

initiate failover

Now what I would recommend is to get onsite, direct console to the Slave, and see if we can boot up properly or not. Then set it back to the member Switch #2 again, then connect, and then reboot the Master

Let us know how it goes.

On this switch stacking cables are not hot swap so you need to reboot for it to detect the changes.

Hi,

I'm thinking about logic.

If we reset the master the slave converts to master, perfect. That's what high availability is for after all!

If I restart the slave, nothing affects my environment it comes back as slave. Perfect!

If I turn off the slave and turn off the stacked cables, when it starts it should check that it has no connection to the stacked one and turn it on as a master. This makes total sense to me!

As it still doesn't know that it has been removed from stacked in the settings.

Wouldn't the right thing be to turn it off on power, keep the cables connected to the master so that when it turns on it will be informed that it is no longer a slave? So I would turn it off, turn it on again, remove the stacked cables so that when it starts it enters the original settings before becoming a stacked one?

Thanks.

Yes, that is the right order of things that will happen.

running-config settings:

SW1

BRRJHOSTS-Site2#show running-config
!Current Configuration:
!System Description "PowerConnect 6224, 3.3.12.1, VxWorks 6.5"
!System Software Version 3.3.12.1
!Cut-through mode is configured as disabled
!
configure
vlan database
vlan 12,1000,1447
vlan routing 1000 2
vlan routing 1447 3
vlan routing 12 4
exit
hostname "BRRJHOSTS-Site2"
stack
member 1 1
exit
ip address none
ip routing
ip route 172.16.0.0 255.255.255.0 10.0.0.1
ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 172.16.2.254
interface vlan 12

name "iSCSI_Data"
routing
ip address 192.168.131.1 255.255.255.0
exit
interface vlan 1000
name "Vlan_Transito"
routing
ip address 10.0.0.2 255.255.255.252
exit
interface vlan 1447
name "LAN"
routing
ip address 172.16.2.8 255.255.255.0
exit
username "admin" password 7c45619f40cb6d73cc3490568877cf03 level 15 encrypted
aaa authentication login "defaultList" local
aaa authentication enable "enableList" line
line console
password 7c45619f40cb6d73cc3490568877cf03 encrypted
exit
line telnet

password 7c45619f40cb6d73cc3490568877cf03 encrypted
exit
line ssh
password 7c45619f40cb6d73cc3490568877cf03 encrypted
exit
spanning-tree priority 8192
!
interface ethernet 1/g1
spanning-tree portfast
mtu 9216
switchport access vlan 12
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g2
spanning-tree portfast
mtu 9216
switchport access vlan 12
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g3
spanning-tree portfast

mtu 9216
switchport access vlan 12
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g4
spanning-tree portfast
mtu 9216
switchport access vlan 12
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g5
spanning-tree portfast
mtu 9216
switchport access vlan 12
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g6
spanning-tree portfast
mtu 9216
switchport access vlan 12
exit

!
interface ethernet 1/g7
spanning-tree portfast
mtu 9216
switchport access vlan 12
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g8
spanning-tree portfast
mtu 9216
switchport access vlan 12
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g9
spanning-tree portfast
mtu 9216
switchport access vlan 12
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g10
spanning-tree portfast

switchport access vlan 1447
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g11
spanning-tree portfast
switchport access vlan 1447
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g12
spanning-tree portfast
switchport access vlan 1447
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g13
spanning-tree portfast
switchport access vlan 1447
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g14
spanning-tree portfast
switchport access vlan 1447

exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g15
spanning-tree portfast
switchport access vlan 1447
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g16
spanning-tree portfast
switchport access vlan 1447
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g17
spanning-tree portfast
switchport access vlan 1447
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g18
spanning-tree portfast
switchport access vlan 1447
exit

!
interface ethernet 1/g19
spanning-tree portfast
switchport access vlan 1447
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g20
channel-group 1 mode auto
description "UPLINK-TO-SITE1"
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g21
spanning-tree portfast
switchport access vlan 1447
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g22
spanning-tree portfast
switchport access vlan 1447
exit
!

interface ethernet 1/g23
spanning-tree portfast
switchport access vlan 1447
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g24
channel-group 2 mode auto
description "UPLINK-TO-SWRK01"
exit
!
interface port-channel 1
description "UPLINK-TO-SITE1"
switchport mode general
switchport general allowed vlan add 1000 tagged
exit
!
interface port-channel 2
description "UPLINK-TO-SWRK01_02"
switchport mode trunk
switchport trunk allowed vlan add 1447
exit

exit

SW2

SW2#show running-config
!Current Configuration:
!System Description "PowerConnect 6224, 3.3.12.1, VxWorks 6.5"
!System Software Version 3.3.12.1
!Cut-through mode is configured as disabled
!
configure
vlan database
vlan 12,1000,1447
vlan routing 1000 2
vlan routing 1447 3
vlan routing 12 4
exit
hostname "SW2"
stack
member 1 1
exit
ip address none
ip routing
ip route 172.16.0.0 255.255.255.0 10.0.0.1
ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 172.16.2.254
interface vlan 12

name "iSCSI_Data"
routing
ip address 192.168.131.1 255.255.255.0
exit
interface vlan 1000
name "Vlan_Transito"
routing
ip address 10.0.0.2 255.255.255.252
exit
interface vlan 1447
name "LAN"
routing
ip address 172.16.2.14 255.255.255.0
exit
username "admin" password 7c45619f40cb6d73cc3490568877cf03 level 15 encrypted
aaa authentication login "defaultList" local
aaa authentication enable "enableList" line
line console
password 7c45619f40cb6d73cc3490568877cf03 encrypted
exit
line telnet

password 7c45619f40cb6d73cc3490568877cf03 encrypted
exit
line ssh
password 7c45619f40cb6d73cc3490568877cf03 encrypted
exit
spanning-tree priority 8192
!
interface ethernet 1/g1
spanning-tree portfast
mtu 9216
switchport access vlan 12
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g2
spanning-tree portfast
mtu 9216
switchport access vlan 12
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g3
spanning-tree portfast

mtu 9216
switchport access vlan 12
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g4
spanning-tree portfast
mtu 9216
switchport access vlan 12
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g5
spanning-tree portfast
mtu 9216
switchport access vlan 12
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g6
spanning-tree portfast
mtu 9216
switchport access vlan 12
exit

!
interface ethernet 1/g7
spanning-tree portfast
mtu 9216
switchport access vlan 12
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g8
spanning-tree portfast
mtu 9216
switchport access vlan 12
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g9
spanning-tree portfast
mtu 9216
switchport access vlan 12
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g10
spanning-tree portfast

switchport access vlan 1447
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g11
spanning-tree portfast
switchport access vlan 1447
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g12
spanning-tree portfast
switchport access vlan 1447
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g13
spanning-tree portfast
switchport access vlan 1447
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g14
spanning-tree portfast
switchport access vlan 1447

exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g15
spanning-tree portfast
switchport access vlan 1447
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g16
spanning-tree portfast
switchport access vlan 1447
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g17
spanning-tree portfast
switchport access vlan 1447
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g18
spanning-tree portfast
switchport access vlan 1447
exit

!
interface ethernet 1/g19
channel-group 1 mode auto
description "UPLINK-TO-SITE1"
spanning-tree portfast
switchport access vlan 1447
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g20
channel-group 1 mode auto
description "UPLINK-TO-SITE1"
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g21
spanning-tree portfast
switchport access vlan 1447
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g22
spanning-tree portfast
switchport access vlan 1447

exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g23
spanning-tree portfast
switchport access vlan 1447
exit
!
interface ethernet 1/g24
channel-group 2 mode auto
description "UPLINK-TO-SWRK01"
exit
!
interface port-channel 1
description "UPLINK-TO-SITE1"
switchport mode general
switchport general allowed vlan add 1000 tagged
exit
!
interface port-channel 2
description "UPLINK-TO-SWRK01_02"
switchport mode trunk

switchport trunk allowed vlan add 1447
exit
exit

Hi,

I will tell you what is happening now with the environment.

I asked to turn on SW2 (Slave) and I realized that I lost access to the environment again.

I remember that the stacked cables are off, but I understand that he is trying to become a master.

However, when trying to access another server I managed to access the environment and I was able to connect to the computer that has the console cable connected to both switches.

That is. I'm connected to a server which is probably connected to SW1 as I'm sure the computer is connected to SW1 too. I understand that SW1 is doing the network routing so that I can do this remote access.

So now with access to SW2 I removed all the settings. I restarted, entered the menu and chose option 10 and waited but it did nothing. So I chose option 9 and restarted. (I don't understand why it didn't restart at option 10 or at least show something to do.)

It started and asked to start winzard, I did not accept and entered the console.

I went on SW1, got the running config and ran it on SW2, replacing only the access IP.

- I remember that I still can't access the environment using another server that is probably connected to some port of SW2.

- I remember that I kept all the network cables connected uplink with a firewall, with the servers and switches that were already there.

- I remember that the computer that has the console cables only has a network port that is connected to SW1.

- If I turn off SW2 I can access the whole environment again from SW1.

- SW1 and SW2 are intended to be access contingencies for the entire server and network environment. So each server has a cable connected to SW1 and another to SW2, as well as the firewall (gateway) is connected to SW1 and SW2.

- SW1 and SW2 have an uplink to another switch in the datacenter and from this switch to the firewall.

My goal is to be able to access the SW2 web GUI console.

Now it's like this:

SW2

- SW2 is what is removed from the stack using the same running config as SW1;
- SW2 assigns an IP (172.16.2.14);
- It pings the server (172.16.2.10) that must be connected to some port of SW2;
- It doesn't ping the computer (172.16.2.13) that I'm using console cable;
- It does not ping the gateway (172.16.2.254) which is the firewall;

SW1
- SW1 is the stacked master still nothing changed;
- SW1 already had an IP (172.16.2.8);
- It does not ping the server (172.16.2.10) which must be connected to some port of SW2;
- It pings the computer (172.16.2.13) that I'm using console cable that is connected to SW1;
- It pings the gateway (172.16.2.254) which is the firewall;

Is there a loop going on in the network and the spanning-tree is blocking access?

I imagined that it would work like another parallel switch.

Thanks.

Hi,

I disabled all SW2 ports and managed to access the environment.

When I enable all the ports on the switch I don't have access to part of the environment, it's certainly creating some loop or something is trying to use SW2 that can't reach the firewall even using the same routing settings as SW1.

I can access the SW2 WebGui (172.16.2.14)

That is, I cannot leave SW2 connected with all the cables before adding it to the stacked one. I read this in the Dell procedure, it said to move all the network cables before taking them out of the stacked and I think I can only add the cables again after inserting them into the stacked.

So I see that the procedure for my scenario would be like this:

1 - Turn off SW2 (Slave);
2 - Remove the stacked cables and remove the network cables;
3 - Remove the slave member from stacked no (master);
4 - Send to Dell and receive the new one;
5 - Upgrade the firmware or downgrade (I will choose!) via WebGui (Office, before sending to Datacenter);
7 - Define and configure the stacked ports;
8 - Send swtiche to (Datacenter)';
9 - Install the stacked cables with the switch turned off;
10 - Turn on the switch
11 - With console cable on SW1, check if unit 2 has entered the stacked.

Thanks.