question with finding out stack switch management port

[phoebe]

Hi all 

dose anyone know how to or if there is a way to find out which one of the management port in a stack switch are which?  we have stack of 4-5 switches with all the management port plug in to management switches but is have not label it so we are trying to find out which is which. Please help.

thank you  

[balaji.bandi]

First we need to know the model of the switches we are looking here ?

high level even though all are connected to the management port - in the stack, only the master switch has an active management IP will work.  You can look at the management IP address to connect 

or if you looking to which one is Active switch in the stack - 

Depending on the model you can see the front panel LED-master on 3750 and on  3850 you see active LED - as I remember correctly.

[phoebe]

Hi BB 

thank you for the response, the model is 9200L.

we have located the master but we are trying to find out which port the rest of the member are connected on the management switch. would that be possible if all of them are consider 1 switch from the management prospective.  

thank you 

[balaji.bandi · Accepted solution]

No that is not possible as per I know, since the rest of the ports are not going to be active in the stack (only the master management port is active)

until you like to switch the master role to another member, which I do not recommend.

best is Physical tracing of the cables (learning lessons and making a standard installation document and labeling them) - I have seen this in many places as they grow organically and not to make a standard approach - when they have major issues on the network (you have another hidden issue to trace the cables - especially the middle of the night)

" would that be possible if all of them are consider 1 switch from the management prospective."    - YES all have only 1 management.

i would suggest only Master and slave management port required to connect to Management switch ( rest all switches not required)

[phoebe]

Hi BB 

i see, i see. I totally agree with labeling and documentation and our situation is like what you said this was done from long time ago and now we are trying to sort thing out now and was hopping there would a easer way i guess not.  thank you very much for the helpful suggestion.  

best 

[MHM Cisco World]

Ethernet Management Port Connection to Stack Switches using a Hub

In a stack with only stack switches, all the Ethernet management ports on the stack members are connected to a hub to which the PC is connected. The active link is from the Ethernet management port on the through the hub, to the PC. If the active switch fails and a new active switch is elected, the active link is now from the Ethernet management port on the new active switch to the PC.

Figure 2. Connecting a Switch Stack to a PC. This figure displays how a PC uses a hub to connect to a switch stack.