HPE 5830 Switch Switch Series - How to Add or Replace an IRF Switch
Stack Member
Environment
HPE 5830 Switch Series.
Issue
How to Add or Replace an IRF Switch Stack Member.
Failed port on Switch.
Failed Ports on Switch.
Cause
N/A
Resolution
The procedure to replace an IRF stack member is quite similar to the procedure used to add a member. The primary difference is
the re-use of existing configuration information such as the Member ID and/or priority. The other issue that may arise is the
difference in firmware versions between the running IRF stack and the switch to be grafted into the existing stack. If the versions
are too old on the existing IRF stack, then the replacement will need to be upgraded or downgraded accordingly.
PROCEDURE: How to replace H3C IRF Stack Member
Sometimes you have to replace (or add a new) member of an IRF stack.
One can prepare the replacement/additional switch ahead of time to minimise potential downtime of the affected ports of the switch
to be replaced if replacing a switch.
1. Login to the new (replacement) switch and upgrade or downgrade it's firmware to the version your stack is currently using.
This step may be necessary if the running IRF stack is using older firmware. For more recent versions, this step may be omitted
because the newly added switchs firmware will be replaced by the version in use by the IRF master.
Note: The switch must have the "irf auto-update enable" command enabled for auto updates to take effect.
To upgrade the switch firmware, you can use either network or local USB storage.
To use USB storage instead of configuring ip addresses and tftp to get the firmware image file to the switch you can use the
following after copying the image to a USB storage drive:
Execute the following commands from user mode:
<switch> copy usba0:/s5800_XXXXx-cmwXXX-rXXXX.bin flash:/
<switch> boot-loader file flash:/s5800_XXXXx-cmwXXX-rXXXX>.bin
(Use the versions as appropriate for the images needed)
2. Configure the IRF domain and stack Member ID.If you change the Member ID the switch needs to be rebooted to get the change
to take effect. In this example, assume that "2" is your next or replacement IRF domain number.
Enter system configuration mode:
2a. Set the domain ID
<switch> system-view
[switch] irf domain 2
2b. Set the Member ID
[switch] irf member 1 renumber 2
2c. Obtain the current IRF configuration information from the existing IRF stack
Use the following IRF commands to obtain this information:
<switch> display irf <config|topology|other>
...
3. Configure the IRF ports as needed to match the replacement (or new switch)
Examples:
Assuming the switch stack Member ID is "1" - that is the slot number is 1 then
Ten-GigabitEthernet1/0/51 and Ten-GigabitEthernet1/0/52 are IRF ports 1/1 and 1/2.
If, switch stack Member ID is 2 then ports will be
Ten-GigabitEthernet2/0/51 and Ten-GigabitEthernet2/0/52 and IRF ports 2/1 and 2/2.
These command are in interface and irf context
[interface] interface te1/0/51
[interface] shutdown
[interface] int te1/0/52
[interface] shutdown
[interface] quit
[irf] irf-port 1/1
[irf] port group interface te1/0/51
[irf] irf-port 1/2
[irf] port group interface te1/0/52
[irf] quit
[interface] interface te1/0/51
[interface] undo shutdown
[interface] int te1/0/52
[interface] undo shutdown
[interface] quit
4. Save the current-configuration and activate IRF
[switch] save force
[switch] irf-port-configuration active
using the "force" option on the save command above prevents the switch from prompting for confirmations.
After that you should be ready to add or replace switches.
5. Connect IRF ports first. Leave any other ports unpopulated at this time.
6. Power on the switch.Wait for firmware (if different from Master and was not downgraded/upgraded manually) and configuration
data from the IRF Master to be copied to the new switch. This may take a few minutes to complete.
After the IRF stack has finished synchronising itself and all switches have stabilised activity, connect any other cables as desired or
relocate them from the old to the replacement switch.
One might like to clean up any files on the flash memory of the old switch before returning it to HP.