ALAXALA AX2630S Networks Corporation Instruction Manual

Preface
The purpose of this document is to help deepen your understanding of how to use the ALAXALA AX
series stack functionality from operation and maintenance perspective. Please use this document as a technical supplement to product manuals when operating or maintaining a switch using the stack functionality.

Related documents
♦ AX2600S Series product manuals
（https://www.alaxala.com/en/techinfo/manual/#AX2600S）

Notes on using this document
The information in this document is based on the basic operations verified under the environment
specified by ALAXALA Networks Corporation and does not guarantee the operation of functionality,
performance, or reliability under all environment requirements. Please use this document as a supplement to product manuals. Unless otherwise stated, the OS software version as of the creation of this document is as follows:

AX2630S Ver. 2.4

Information in this document is subject to change without notice.

Export restrictions
In the event that any or all ALAXALA products (including technologies, programs and services) described or contained herein are controlled under any of applicable export control laws and regulations
(including the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Law of Japan and United States export control laws and regulations), such products shall not be exported without obtaining the required export licenses from the authorities concerned in accordance with the above laws.

Trademarks

• The ALAXALA name and logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of ALAXALA Networks Corporation.
• Ethernet is a registered trademark of FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
• Other company and product names in this document are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Operation of Stacks

1.1 Stack operation commands
The following table shows the stack operation commands. These operation commands are necessary to
operate stacks.

1.2 Operation commands
The table below shows the major operation commands used in a stack

Basically, you must execute these commands from a master switch. If a member

switch is not specified, commands are executed only on a local switch.

1.3 Notes on stack configuration
In a stack, all member switches operate using the same configuration. When configuring a stack, you
can edit or display a running configuration only on the master switch (not on the backup switch).
When editing or displaying a configuration from the backup switch, connect to the master switch by the ”session” command.

1.4 Checking switch statuses and switch numbers
As shown below, there are two ways for checking switch statuses and switch numbers.

♦ Check on display panels
You can check the switch status by LED on the front panel. Note that the AX2600S Series switches do not have a switch number on their display panels.

[LED status] lit in green: running as a master, lit in orange: a backup

You can check the status of a stack member switch by LED (ST2). When the LED is lit in green, the switch is running as a master switch. When LED is lit in orange, the switch is running as a backup switch. For a standalone switch, LED is in power-off state.

ST2 shows both the status of MC operation mode and the status of a stack

member switch.
When MC is installed, ST2 shows the MC status instead of the switch status. For details, see the Hardware Installation Guide.

♦ Check via a console
To check the status/number of a master switch via a console, you need to log into the switch. The login
procedure is shown below. To log in from a remote operation terminal using telnet, log into the master switch.

(1) Connect to the console and log into the switch.
Connect a cable to the console and log into the member switch.

(2) From the command prompt, check the switch status (master/backup).
When you are logged into the member switch, the command prompt appears. From the command prompt, you can check the member switch status (master/backup).

(3) Use the stack operation command to check the switch number.

Use the stack operation command show switch to check the switch number.

1.5 Software update procedures
To update software in a stack configuration, you need to transfer an update file to each member switch and update the software on it.
The recommended procedure for software update is as follows.

♦ Recommended update procedure

(1) Prepare an update file in the master switch, and then transfer it to the backup switch.

Use FTP or MC to transfer the software update file to the master switch.

(2) Update the backup switch

Execute the update command by specifying the switch number of the backup switch from the master switch. The backup switch will be updated after the update file specified is automatically copied to the ”/usr/var/update” directory in the backup switch.

(3) Update the master switch.

Use the commands shown below.

(4) Confirm the software version.

Use the operation command to confirm that the software version is updated.
The software update operation ends here.

♦ If you do not want to change the location of the master switch

If you do not want to change the location of the master switch even after completing an update, update the master switch first. In this case, switchover between the master and the backup will occur twice. The procedure is shown below.

1.6 Restoring a backed-up configuration online
This section describes how to restore a backed-up configuration online. Since this procedure requires the restart of all member switches, a temporary communication interruption occurs. The backed-up configuration must meet the following prerequisites.

♦ Prerequisites

• No stack port has been changed.
• No switch number has been changed.
• No stack member model has been changed.

(1) Change the master selection priority of the backup switch.

Prepare the backup config file in the master switch, and temporarily change the master selection priority of the backup switch to 1 by configuration setting.

(2) Copy the backed-up config to the startup config.

Copy the backed-up config to the startup config file. Apply this operation only to the master switch.

(3) Restart the master switch.

Use the operation command to restart the master switch. After the master switch restarts, the backup switch with switch No. 2 will start automatically.

(4) Check the stack status and running configuration.

The member switch with switch No. 2 is synchronized with the master switch configuration and restarts as a backup switch. After the two member switches fully restart, check the status of the stack and its running configuration.

Stack Maintenance

This chapter describes maintenance work, such as a hardware replacement, which is necessary if a member switch fails or if another problem occurs in a stack configuration.

2.1 Backup and restore overview
The AX series has a backup and restore functionality.
The backup functionality backs up the settings (including configurations), software, and license information of a running switch. The restore functionality restores the backed-up device information to the switch.
In a stack configuration, the backup and restore functionality makes maintenance work easier by eliminating the necessity of software version matching and configuration settings when you replace a switch due to a hardware fault or other problem.
Therefore, when using a stack, you are recommended to save a backup file beforehand by using the backup functionality.

2.2 Replacing a switch

When you replace a stack member switch due to a hardware fault, follow the procedure below. Select an
appropriate replacement method according to the workflow. The following description assumes replacing a backup switch. When you replace a master switch due to a port fault or other problem, stop the master switch, and perform a master-to-backup switchover beforehand.

(1) Replacing the switch by backup/restore function
On each member switch, use the MC for backup/restoration. This method is recommended because it makes maintenance work easier. Command-free maintenance functionality is also available.
For details, see 2.3 Backup and Restore Using MC.
(2) Replacing the switch by configuration setting
If there is no backup file, it is necessary to match the software version between the spare switch and the other member switches and to configure stack- related settings.
For details, see 2.4 Configuration Settings for Replacement.

2.3 Backup and Restore Using MC
2.3.1 Procedure using operation commands
This section describes how to back up and restore switch information using operation commands on
an operation management terminal.

♦ Backup procedure
In a stack configuration, when you perform the backup operation using operation commands, do this from the master switch.

(1) Insert MC into the master and backup switches.
Insert MC into the master switch and the backup switch.

(2) Save a backup file to the master switch’s MC.
Use the operation command backup to save a backup file to the master switch’s MC.

(3) Save a backup file to the backup switch’s MC.
Use the operation command backup to save a backup file to the backup switch’s MC.

♦ Restore procedure

(1) Save a backup file of the target switch number to MC.

Save a backup file of the switch you want to replace to MC.

(2) Insert the above MC to a spare switch and perform restore operation.

When the spare switch is up and running, insert the MC and perform restore operation by using the
operation command (see the below example). The command will restore operation information including software and config information, and the switch will restart automatically.

(3) Stop the spare switch, establish stack links, and restart the switch.

After the restart completes, stop the spare switch by powering it off. The purpose of this stop is to prevent switchover between the master switch and the backup switch.

2.3.2 Using command-free maintenance functionality
The command-free maintenance functionality allows you to perform maintenance simply by inserting
an MC containing a maintenance script file# into the switch without using an operation terminal.
This command-free functionality can also be used in a stack configuration to back up and restore switch information. This section describes the two procedures for using the command-free maintenance functionality; that is, (1) using both a backup script and a restore script, and (2) using a script that performs backup and restore alternately.

: For information about how to use script files for the command-free

maintenance functionality, contact your distributor.

(1) Using both a backup script and a restore script

♦ Backup procedure

(1) Save a backup script into MC.
Save the backup script ax_backup into the /ax_mente directory of the MC. Do not place any other scripts in the /ax_mente directory.

(2) Insert MC into each member switch and create a backup file in each MC.
Insert MC into each member switch. In a stack, each member switch has its own unique number.
Therefore, you need to create a backup file on each member switch.
After the ST2 status lamp of the switch’s LED turns off, remove the MC from the slot. A backup image file is saved in the / directory of the MC as an MMMM_yyyymmdd_backup_n.dat (in which, MMMM:
host name, yyyy: year, mm: month, dd: day, and n: serial number within the MC).

The backup image files created in the member switches all have the same file

name. It is recommended that you attach a tab to each MC so that you can find a backup image file of the target switch more easily.

♦ Restore procedure

(1) Save a restore script into MC.
Save the restore script ax_restore into the /ax_mente directory of the MC. Do not place any other scripts in the /ax_mente directory.

(2) Change the name of a backup image file.
Change the name of the backup image file saved in MC from MMMM_yyyymmdd_backup_n.dat to ax_backup.dat.

(3) Insert MC into a spare switch and perform restore operation.
When the spare switch is turned on and is up and running, insert the MC and perform restore operation.
After the ST2 status lamp of the switch’s LED turns off, remove the MC from the slot. The spare switch restarts automatically to complete the restore.

(4) Stop the spare switch, establish stack links, and restart the switch.

After the restart completes, stop the spare switch by powering it off. The purpose of this stop is to prevent switchover between the master switch and the backup switch.

(2) Using a backup / restore script
The script ax_bkrs performs backup and restore. When there is no backup image file, the script performs backup operation. On the other hand, when there is a backup image file, the script performs restore operation.

♦ Backup procedure

(1) Save a backup / restore script into MC.
Save the backup / restore script ax_bkrs into the /ax_mente directory of the MC. Do not place any
other scripts in the /ax_mente directory.

(2) Insert MC into each member switch and create a backup file.
Insert MC into each member switch. In a stack, each member switch has its own unique number.
Therefore, you need to create a backup file on each member switch.
After the ST2 status lamp of the switch’s LED turns off, remove the MC from the slot. A backup image file is saved in the / directory of the MC as a backup.dat.

The backup image files created in the member switches all have the same file

name. It is recommended that you attach a tab to each MC so that you can find a backup image file of the target switch more easily.

♦ Restore procedure

(1) Confirm that a backup image file is saved in MC
Confirm that the backup image file ax_backup.dat is saved in the / directory of the MC you used for backup procedure.

(2) Insert MC into a spare switch and perform restore operation.
When the spare switch is turned on and is up and running, insert the MC and perform restore operation.
After the ST2 status lamp of the switch’s LED turns off, remove the MC from the slot. The spare switch restarts automatically to complete the restore.

(3) Stop the spare switch, establish stack links, and restart the switch.
After the restart completes, stop the spare switch by powering it off. The purpose of this stop is to prevent switchover between the master switch and the backup switch.

2.4 Configuration Settings for Replacement
If no switch information is backed up with the backup functionality beforehand, you need to manually match the software version and license information of the spare switch with those of the other member switch and configure stack-related settings.

(1) Check the option license and software of switches.
To add a spare switch to a stack configuration, the spare switch must have the same software version and license information as those of the other member switch. Otherwise, you need to manually match them.

(2) Update the software and license information of the spare switch.
Update the software / license information of the spare switch if it differs from that of the running member switch.

(3) Set the spare switch in single-switch stack mode.
For the spare switch, set a switch number, disable Zero Touch Provisioning (#), and set stack enable. After that, restart the spare switch so that it will enter the single-switch stack mode.

Zero Touch Provisioning and the stack functionality cannot be used together.

Therefore, you need to disable Zero Touch Provisioning in a stack.

(4) Configure the settings needed for a stack.
Specify stack ports and set the master selection priority to prevent master/backup role switchover.

(5) Connect the stack ports to form a two-switch stack.
Connect the stack ports of the spare switch and those of the running member switch to form a two- switch stack.

2.5 Collecting information on faults
This section describes how to collect information on faults in a stack configuration.
♦ Collecting dump information on faults

(1) Check whether there are dump files.
If there are dump files of the member switches, collect them from the specified directories of the master and backup switches.

(2) Copy dump files to the master switch.
If there are dump files in the backup switch, copy them to the master switch. Change the names of the copied dump files by adding the master switch’s switch number to each of them.

(3) Copy the collected dump files to MC or transfer them to your FTP server
Copy the collected dump files to MC or transfer them to your FTP server.

♦ Collecting show tech-support information

(1) Execute the show tech-support command for each member swtch.
Collect show tech-support information of the master and backup switches by using the remote command specified with all (collected by batch processing).

Note : The show tech-support information is saved under the current directory of the master switch.

(2) Copy the collected information to MC or transfer it to your FTP server.
Copy the collected show tech-support information to MC or transfer it to your FTP server.

2.6 Reverting to Standalone Mode
This section describes how to revert a stack member switch to standalone mode.
Follow the procedure below if you want to convert a stack member switch into a standalone switch.

(1) Remove cables from the target member switch.
To prevent a loop, remove all cables (including stack cables) from the target member switch.

(2) Delete the startup configuration and restart.
Delete the startup configuration by operation command and then restart the target switch (the switch will start up in standalone mode).

Remote Command

3.1 What’s remote command?
The remote command is unique to a stack. In a stack, the remote command is used to execute operations from the master switch to the specified member switch.
For example, you can perform file operation by using a file operation command (e.g., ls,dir,mv,rm) with the remote command. See section 3.3 for a list of commands that can be used with the remote command.

3.2 How to use the remote command
An example of using the remote command is shown below. Following the remote command, specify (1) a specific member switch or (2) all member switches, and then enter a relevant command from a list of commands shown in section 3.3 after. Note that the remote command can be executed only from the master switch.

3.3 Commands supporting the remote command
Below is a list of commands that can be used with the remote command (remote command).

AX2600S Series Stack Operation Guide (Operation & Maintenance) (Edition 1)

First edition issued, September 2023
Document No. NTS-23-R-002

Network Technical Support
ALAXALA Networks Corporation

Shin-Kawasaki Twin Tower (West Tower),
1-1-2 Kashimada, Saiwai-ku, Kawasaki-shi,
Kanagawa 212-0058, JAPAN
https://www.alaxala.com/en/

References

• ALAXALA Networks Corporation

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