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Adding an EX4600 Switch to a Mixed or Non-mixed Virtual Chassis

You can use this procedure to add an EX4600 switch to a mixed or non-mixed Virtual Chassis or to add an EX4300 switch to an existing mixed EX4300 and EX4600 Virtual Chassis. For EX4650 Virtual Chassis, which is more like a QFX5120 Virtual Chassis than an QFX4600 Virtual Chassis, see Adding a New Switch to an Existing EX4650 or QFX Series Virtual Chassis.

Note:

EX4300 multigigabit model (EX4300-48MP) switches are not supported in a mixed Virtual Chassis with EX4600 switches.

Before you begin, be sure you have:

  • Mounted the new switch in a rack.

  • Determined which ports you will use as Virtual Chassis ports on the new switch, and the member ports in the existing Virtual Chassis to which you will interconnect the new switch.

  • 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.

      Note:

      Serial number values are case-sensitive.

    • Edited the existing Virtual Chassis configuration to include the serial number of the new member switch. The parameters specified in the primary Virtual Chassis configuration file are applied to the new switch after it has been interconnected to an existing member switch.

    • (If you are using the autoprovisioning feature to add a member switch to an existing preprovisioned Virtual Chassis) Confirmed that the member ports in the Virtual Chassis to which you will interconnect the new switch are not already configured as VCPs. One condition for automatic VCP conversion is that the ports on both sides of the new link must not already be configured as VCPs. See Automatic Virtual Chassis Port (VCP) Conversion for details.

  • (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:

  1. If the new member switch has been previously configured, revert that switch’s configuration to the factory defaults before interconnecting it into the Virtual Chassis. See Reverting to the Default Factory Configuration for the EX Series Switch.
  2. (Required for a mixed Virtual Chassis) Set the new switch into mixed mode, and reboot the switch to complete the configuration:

    If adding this switch to the Virtual Chassis converts a non-mixed Virtual Chassis into a mixed Virtual Chassis, log into the Virtual Chassis and set the switches into mixed mode. Reboot the Virtual Chassis to complete the configuration:

  3. If you are rebooting the switch or the Virtual Chassis to complete a mixed mode setting change, wait for the reboot to complete before performing this step.Power off the new switch, and interconnect the unpowered new switch to one member of the existing Virtual Chassis configuration using a port that is supported as a VCP.

    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.

  4. Set the interconnecting QSFP+ or SFP+ ports as Virtual Chassis ports (VCPs) on the new member switch and the existing Virtual Chassis member switch where you connected the new switch, if needed:
    Note:

    Include the local option in this command if you want to make sure the command applies only to that port locally on the switch where you’re running the command.

    You do not need to perform this step in a preprovisioned Virtual Chassis if you set up the right conditions to use the autoprovisioning feature (see Automatic Virtual Chassis Port (VCP) Conversion). After the new switch is provisioned and cabled into the Virtual Chassis, the interconnecting links automatically convert into VCP links. You do not need to manually set the ports on either side of the links as VCPs.

  5. Confirm that the new member switch is now included within the Virtual Chassis configuration by entering the show virtual-chassis command. The new member switch should be listed in the output and the Status is Prsnt.
  6. Cable the next port into the Virtual Chassis, using Steps 2 through 5.
    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.

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