Allied Telesis AT-S63 - Manual (Page 46)

Chapter 1: Overview
46
Installation and Management Configurations
The AT-9400 Switches can be installed in three configurations.
Stand-alone
Switches
All the AT-9400 Switches can be installed as managed or unmanaged,
stand-alone Gigabit Ethernet switches.
AT-9400Ts
Stacks
The AT-9424Ts, AT-9424Ts/XP and AT-9448Ts/XP Switches can be
installed as a stack. This requires the AT-StackXG Stacking Module. The
switches of a stack merge and synchronize their network operations to
form a single, logical unit so that network functions, like the spanning tree
protocols, virtual LANs, and static port trunks, can span all the Gigabit
Ethernet ports of the units in the stack.
One of the advantages of stacking is that you can configure the switches
from the same management session, rather than individually from different
sessions. This can simplify management.
Another advantage is that it gives you more flexibility in customizing the
features of the switches. For instance, the ports of a static port trunk on a
stand-alone switch must be from the same switch, while the ports of a
static trunk on a stack can be selected from different switches in the same
stack.
For more information on stacking, refer to Chapter 2, “AT-9400Ts Stacks”
on page 59.
Enhanced
Stacking
This feature is a management tool that can make it easier for you to
configure the stand-alone AT-9400 Switches in your network. What this
feature allows you to do is manage the switches from the same
management session. With this feature you do not have to log out and log
in again when you need to manage another device. Instead, when you are
finished managing one switch in an enhanced stack, you can redirect the
session to another unit without having to end the initial session.
It is important to note that even through the switches of an enhanced stack
can be managed from the same management session, they are still stand-
alone switches. They operate individually from each other and they have
to be configured individually.
For more information, refer to Chapter 3, “Enhanced Stacking” on page
77.