How to build a Stack

Owned by Ramya Raman
Last updated: Mar 28, 2023
3 min read

What is a Stack?

A stack is a structure of multiple devices working together with shared configuration and data. Control of the stack may be established using the GUI of any device in the stack. All other devices will be automatically synchronized.

Note: when using a stack, changes to date and time should be made through the MCM-9000 CLI only. Any change made through BIOS may lead to malfunction.

**Please note from version 5.7.2 onwards maximum limit of stacking units is 12 for the existing configuration. However, the software would not allow an 11th server to be added.

Building Stack

Please follow the below steps to build a stack.

  1. Enable the Stacking Multicast option under Network→Configuration for each device you want to add to the stack.

 

2. To create a new stack, go to the Devices page (System→Devices) and choose the local device from the table (if you are not sure which is your local device, refer to Status field on Status table). Click the Create & Join Stack button and assign a name to your stack (4-8 characters long).

3. Give a name for the Stack.

4. Devices are added to the stack through an invitation and join policy. To invite a device to your stack, choose it from the table and click the Invite to Stack button. Repeat this action for every device you want on the stack.

** Note: An invitation cannot be sent to a device that already belongs to a stack.

Once you click on Invite to Stack, the device is ready to be added to stack.

 

5. To accept an invitation, login to the GUI of each invited device, go to Devices page, choose the local device and click the Join Stack button (In this example, the device (MCM9000-SN:9232) highlighted in black is being invited to join the stack).

A pop-up message with two options will appear:

Merge & Join – Original configuration of the device will be merged into the configuration of the stack. Choose this option when creating a stack from running servers.
Clear & Join – Original configuration of the device will be deleted prior to joining the stack.

Choose the appropriate option and click on Submit button.

6. The stack's name should now be displayed on Information table & Status table on the Devices section.

Please ensure that all the configurations of relevant device's should be on the same VLAN/network and make changes if needed. It is also essential for the stacking multicast and stacking port to be same on all servers that are about to be stacked.

For more information regarding network configuration, please refer to Network Configuration.