Retain configuration after Stackwise Virtual config

[sanchezeldorado]

Hello!

I recently purchased four Catalyst C9407R switches. I have two sites and two will go to each site with stackwise virtual to be the core of my network. At my first site, I configured one of the switches with a couple vlans, some basic config, and tacacs. Then I configured the second switch with just ssh and a test vlan. I connected the two with stackwise virtual and the switch with all the config retained its configuration, and my test vlan from the second switch was removed. This is perfectly fine, but I need to know which switch's configuration will remain when I combine them.

My second site is far less tolerant of downtime, and it doesn't have enough rack space, so I plan to remove one of the chassis from my old core, install only a single C9407R switch in production, remove the rest of my old core, then add my second C9407R with stackwise. I need to make sure my config isn't wiped out when I do that. Can someone explain how to do this safely?

Thanks!

Andy

[Georg Pauwen]

Hello,

the active switch will synchronize its configuration with the standby switch. So whatever the standby switch had in its config will be wiped, and an exact copy of the active switch configuration will be copied to the standby switch...

--> I need to make sure my config isn't wiped out when I do that.

The config of which switch should not be wiped ?

[Reza Sharifi · Accepted solution]

Hi Andy,

After you convert the switches to StackWise Virtual, the first switch that boots up will be switch-1, and that switch will be the active switch. The second switch that boots up will be switch-2 and that is the standby switch. You can also check the status with "show redundancy". For more info have a look at this white paper.

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/switches/catalyst-9000/nb-06-cat-9k-stack-wp-cte-en.html

Once you make one of the switches the active switch, make sure you physically know which switch in which cabinet is the primary. 

for example cabinet-1 RR-5-15 active switch and cabinet-2 RR-5-15 standby switch. This way if there is a failure and you or someone else physically have to reload one of them, you know which cabinet to go to.

HTH 

[sanchezeldorado]

Thank you! So it sounds like when I enable stackwise, I just need to reload the configured switch first. That's what I needed to know!

[Reza Sharifi]

Thank you! So it sounds like when I enable stackwise, I just need to reload the configured switch first. That's what I needed to know!

That is correct. It is also good to know that the active switch will overwrite any previous config on the standby switch.

Good Luck!