Stacked switch: What did you get from the stack?

What is a stackable switch?

The stackable switch carries the high load of the enterprise campus network. These fixed configuration switches provide terminal connection and uplink functions for enterprises. Each port is much cheaper than a modular switch. Whether an enterprise needs to assemble stacked switches for the cabling room depends on what services they need and how much redundancy the network end needs.

A fixed-configuration switch, just like its name, is an independent Ethernet switch in an integrated cabinet. A modular switch can be inserted or inserted into the egress card or management module as needed at any time. The number of interfaces and ports of a fixed-configuration switch is limited by the manufacturer. Fixed configuration vswitches include 12, 24, and 48GbE ports and 10GbE or optical fiber cascade ports. Network vendors also provide Ethernet-powered PoE) or unpowered stacked switches. Unless enterprise edge switches require high functionality, such as wireless LAN Controllers, firewall security, or high availability, the difference between modular switches and stacked switches is mainly in price.

The lack of physical scalability is the reason for the low price of stacked switches, which also makes it the best choice for enterprise network access layer switches. Enterprises can use cheap fixed-configuration stacked switches in the cabling room to provide network access and power to desktops, IP phones, and other network terminal devices.

Stack switches generally have two stack modes: Star stack and Chrysanthemum chain stack.

Stacked switch: What did you get in the stack?

Stacked Multiple Fixed-configuration switches together, you can use the chrysanthemum chain stack mode to connect one of the switches in a series, and connect the two switches at the beginning and end with a stacked cable as the connection redundancy. Redundancy between switches at the beginning and end is very important. If a switch in the middle has a hardware fault, it can ensure smooth network access.

A fixed stacked switch looks like a switch. After a correct connection, a stack switch on a link is like a single switch for network administrators. All switches and ports can be managed through a separate management port. You can operate on stacked switches like a single device, not only to allow unified configuration, but also to create separate backboards on each switch. The shared backplane allows faster throughput between the local switch port and the cascade port to the enterprise network aggregation layer.

Unfortunately, almost every network vendor uses its own dedicated connectors, cables, and software on a stack switch, therefore, Switches of the same product must be deployed in the cabling room to take advantage of stacking.

Analyze different stack Switches of different suppliers

As the stacked switch market becomes more mature and stable, each network vendor adds its own unique functions and modules to distinguish it from other vendors. Unlike the revolutionary change in the data center switch market, edge equipment vendors are gradually developing and innovating.

Rohit Mehra, Director of Communication architecture at the IDC company, said: "unlike other components in the network, the access layer stacked switch is a mature component. A slight advantage will significantly improve this area ."

Stack switch manufacturers are very concerned about energy consumption and allocation. Many vendors make their switches more environmentally friendly by minimizing energy consumption. For example, Cisco provides PowerStack technology for its stacked switches. With this technology, the switches under the stack use the power supply of each switch as a shared pool. Network administrators can allocate shared pool PoE devices anywhere on the stack. The shared pool can also provide power to switches that fail their own power supply system in the stack. The power supply shared pool method ends the demand for secondary power supply or professional power supply equipment.

Other vendors extend the stack range to enhance the role of stacked switches. SummitStack-V is a stack solution of Extreme Networks, which allows enterprises to use 10GbE Optical Fiber ports to transmit stacked connections up to 40 kilometers. Even if the switches are far away from each other, long-distance stacking can also provide the management advantages of backboards and stacked switches. Extreme's latest stack switch Summit X460 series is also promoted as a general-purpose switch that can be used on both the network end and rack of the data center. Although the customer does not know whether to accept such a hybrid product to play a key role, the product does emphasize the various functions required by the data center, which will lead them to the network end.

"Once the video, virtual desktop architecture, and mobile solutions enter the enterprise, the cabling room will require more bandwidth, and the network end will require higher intelligence and security," Mehra said ."

Although network vendors want to differentiate their respective product features in the market competition, almost all vendors highlight stacked switches in their switch product lines. Most manufacturers also introduce parity mechanisms for stacked switches and modular switches that run simultaneously in general operating systems. It is based on general software to reduce the burden of configuration and management, and enterprises can make their network policies and management more standardized, whether in data centers or wiring rooms.