About stacking links and stacking health

Stacking links

Stacking links apply to Ethernet networks only. You can connect all the interconnects to one another through stacking links so that Ethernet traffic from a server connected to an interconnect downlink can reach the data center networks through that interconnect or through a stacking link from that interconnect to another interconnect. When adding enclosures, create a single logical interconnect group with a single logical interconnect that contains all interconnects within the enclosure. This creates a fully stacked enclosure.

To set up an enclosure that is not stacked, configure multiple logical interconnect groups where each interconnect is in a separate logical interconnect group (and subsequently separate logical interconnects) before adding the enclosure. You can also set up a partially stacked enclosure where you have more than one interconnect in a logical interconnect group. See About multiple logical interconnect groups in an enclosure group for more information.

Stacking health

The appliance detects the topology within an enclosure of the connections between interconnects, and determines the redundancy of paths between servers and data center networks. The appliance reports redundancy information as the stacking health of the logical interconnect, which is one of the following:

Redundantly Connected

There are at least two independent paths between any pair of interconnects in the logical interconnect, and there are at least two independent paths from any downlink port on any interconnect in the logical interconnect to any other port (uplink or downlink) in the logical interconnect.

Connected

There is a single path between any pair of interconnects in the logical interconnect, and there is a single path from any downlink port on any interconnect in the logical interconnect to any other port (uplink or downlink) in the logical interconnect.

Disconnected

At least one interconnect is not connected to the other member interconnects in the logical interconnect.

Not applicable

Interconnects do not support stacking or there is a single interconnect in the logical interconnect.