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Understanding EX Series Virtual Chassis Configuration

Note: This topic applies to all EX Series Virtual Chassis except EX8200 Virtual Chassis. See Understanding EX8200 Virtual Chassis Components for information about EX8200 Virtual Chassis.

You configure and manage almost all aspects of an EX2200, EX3300, EX4200, EX4500, or EX4550 Virtual Chassis configuration through the master switch of the Virtual Chassis. However, you can also configure Virtual Chassis parameters when a switch is a standalone switch not interconnected with other members.

EX2200, EX3300, EX4200, EX4500, and EX4550 switches have some innate characteristics of a Virtual Chassis by default. A standalone switch is assigned member ID 0 and is the master of itself. Therefore, you can edit its Virtual Chassis configuration. When the standalone switch is interconnected with an existing Virtual Chassis configuration, the Virtual Chassis configuration statements and any uplink Virtual Chassis port (VCP) settings that you previously specified on the standalone switch remain part of its configuration.

A switch is not recognized by the Virtual Chassis as a member switch until it is interconnected with the master or interconnected with an existing member of the Virtual Chassis.

EX2200 and EX3300 switches do not have dedicated VCPs. An EX2200 Virtual Chassis or EX3300 Virtual Chassis is connected using uplink port connections. No uplink ports are configured, by default, as VCPs on an EX2200 switch. Uplink ports 2 and 3 on any EX3300 switch are configured, by default, as VCPs. You can change this default configuration or configure another uplink module port as a VCP on an EX3300 switch. You can expand the uplink connections on EX2200 and EX3300 switches over long distances to connect switches at different locations into the same Virtual Chassis.

When an EX4200, EX4500, or EX4550 switch is located too far away to be interconnected through dedicated VCPs, you can configure an optical port as a VCP.

A link aggregation group (LAG) will be formed automatically when the new switch is added to the configuration if more than one such link with the same speed is detected between optical VCPs on the new member and an existing member. See Understanding EX Series Virtual Chassis Port Link Aggregation.

When an optical port is set as a VCP, it cannot be used for any other purpose. If you want to use the optical port for another purpose, you must delete the VCP setting. You can execute this command directly on the member whose uplink VCP setting you want to delete or through the master of the Virtual Chassis configuration.

Caution: Deleting a VCP in a Virtual Chassis configuration can cause the Virtual Chassis configuration to split. For more information, see Understanding Split and Merge in an EX Series Virtual Chassis.

You can create a preprovisioned configuration. This type of configuration allows you to deterministically control the member ID and role assigned to a member switch by associating the switch with its serial number. For an example of a preprovisioned configuration, see Example: Configuring an EX4200 Virtual Chassis Using a Preprovisioned Configuration File.

Note: If a switch is interconnected with other switches in a Virtual Chassis configuration, each individual switch that is included as a member of the configuration is identified with a member ID. The member ID functions as an FPC slot number. When you are configuring interfaces for a Virtual Chassis configuration, you specify the appropriate member ID as the slot element of the interface name. The default factory settings for a Virtual Chassis configuration include FPC 0 as a member of the default VLAN because FPC 0 is configured as part of the ethernet-switching family. To include the FPC in the default VLAN, add the ethernet-switching family to the configurations for those interfaces.