Supported Platforms
Adding a New Switch to an Existing EX3300 Virtual Chassis (CLI Procedure)
You can use this procedure to add an EX3300 switch to an EX3300 Virtual Chassis.
Before you begin, be sure you have:
- Mounted the new switch in a rack.
- Confirmed that the new switch is powered off.
- If you are expanding a preprovisioned configuration, made a note of the serial number (the number is on the back of the switch). You will need to edit the Virtual Chassis configuration to include the serial number of the new member switch.
- If you are expanding a preprovisioned configuration, edited
the existing Virtual Chassis configuration to include the serial number
of the new member switch. The parameters specified in the master Virtual
Chassis configuration file are applied to the new switch after it
has been interconnected to an existing member switch.
Note: If you are expanding a preprovisioned Virtual Chassis configuration, you can use the autoprovisioning feature to add member switches to that configuration.
- (Optional) Configured Ethernet interfaces on different
member switches into the same LAG. See Example: Configuring Aggregated Ethernet High-Speed Uplinks Between an EX4200 Virtual Chassis Access Switch and an EX4200 Virtual Chassis Distribution Switch
An active member switch might temporarily go down before coming back up as part of this procedure. Having traffic load-balanced across member switches using a LAG helps alleviate traffic loss during this procedure.
To add a new member switch to an existing Virtual Chassis configuration::
- If the new member switch has been previously configured, revert that switch’s configuration to the factory defaults. See Reverting to the Default Factory Configuration for the EX Series Switch.
- Interconnect the unpowered new switch to one member of
the existing Virtual Chassis configuration using either uplink port
2 or 3. Uplink ports 2 and 3 are configured as VCPs by default. See Virtual Chassis Cabling Configuration Examples for EX3300 Switches.
Connect only one VCP on the unpowered new switch to a VCP on a member switch in the existing Virtual Chassis at this point of the procedure.
Note: Because EX3300 switches use uplink ports configured as VCPs to form a Virtual Chassis, this step is identical for short and long distance (up to 6.2 miles) VCP connections.
- Power on the new switch.
- Confirm that the new member switch is now included within
the Virtual Chassis configuration by checking the front-panel LCD
for the member ID. It should display a member ID that is greater than
0 (1 through 5), because there is already at least one member of the
Virtual Chassis configuration.
Note: If you are using a preprovisioned configuration, the member ID is automatically assigned to the member’s serial number in the configuration file.
- Cable the other default VCP - either uplink port 2 or
3 - on the new member switch to the Virtual Chassis.
Caution: If you immediately cable both VCPs on the new switch into the existing Virtual Chassis at the same time, a member switch that was already part of the Virtual Chassis might become nonoperational for several seconds. Network traffic to this switch is dropped during the downtime.
The member switch will return to the normal operational state with no user intervention, and normal operation of the Virtual Chassis will resume after this downtime.
