will a switch which is part of stack reload if it loses connectivity to master?

[Anand Mittal]

If I have 4 switches configures as a stack - where StackWise ports are connected as 1 to 2, 2 to 3, 3 to 4 and 4 to 1. Switch1 is the master.

If something were to break stack connectivity between 4 to 1 stack still works as Switch 4 still has connectivity to master via 3 to 2 to 1.

Below the a reference output- 

switch#show switch detail
Switch/Stack Mac Address : 0023.34b3.5600
H/W Current
Switch# Role Mac Address Priority Version State
----------------------------------------------------------
*1 Master 0023.34b3.5600 15 0 Ready
2 Member 0023.0543.aa00 14 0 Ready
3 Member 3037.a6ca.2000 13 0 Ready
4 Member 3037.a6ca.6900 12 0 Ready

Stack Port Status Neighbors
Switch# Port 1 Port 2 Port 1 Port 2
--------------------------------------------------------
1 Ok Down 2 None
2 Ok Ok 3 1
3 Ok Ok 4 2
4 Down Ok None 3

switch#

With this as current status does reloading 2 automatically cause 3 and 4 to reload because they loose connectivity to master completely or will they stay up as individual switches'

And same question again - will reloading switch 3 cause switch 4 to automatically reload as it has lost connectivity to master completely?

I saw this happen... so need to confirm if this is expected or we need to check and troubleshoot some other issue that might have caused this!

[Reza Sharifi · Accepted solution]

This is not the expected behavior. Disconnecting a stack member should not cause other switches to reboot. They should work as individual switches.

From Cisco's documentation:

An active switch connected to a fully operational

stack becomes a stack member. It receives the running

configuration from the stack master

. When you disconnect a stack memb

er, the switch numbers and port

numbers of the remaining stack members do

not change, and the switches do not reload.

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/lan/catalyst3750/software/troubleshooting/switch_stacks.pdf

[Joseph W. Doherty]

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Posting

As Reza noted, partitioned stack members should continue to function without reloading.  As he also noted, one or more stack elections might be caused because every switch stack, which can be just one member, has a stack master.

If the stack partitions, "bad stuff" can happen on your network, because each partitioned stack "thinks" it's the stack.  I.e. you could have the same logical device on your network more than once.

If you experienced different behavior, perhaps it's an IOS bug.

[Philip D'Ath]

I have never tried this.

My guess is no.  Reloading 2 will cause 3 and 4 to have a stack election, which one of them will have to win.