topic Re: Procurve Stack in Switches, Hubs, and Modems

Procurve Stack

Menil — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 15:38:01 GMT

Hi,
i have some procurve 2810, in a "stack" configuration.
However, only the commander has the good time with sntp, and only the commander is using the syslog.
How can i do, to have correct time with sntp on the other member of the stack, and how can i do for the other members use the syslog server?

Regards.

Re: Procurve Stack

Jan-Philipp Warmers — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 08:08:13 GMT

you have done configure all switches?

commander dose not copy any config, only the password

Re: Procurve Stack

Menil — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 08:13:48 GMT

Hi,
thanks for your response.
All the member of the stack are correctly configured, with the following command:
sntp server xx.xx.xx.xx
timesync sntp
sntp unicast
sntp 300
logging facility local1
logging xx.xx.xx.xx

However, all the logs are local to the switch, they are not deported.
All the member are not to the right time:
CA-A-2# show time
Sun Mar 4 21:22:47 1990

I don't understand, how the memeber of the stakc can have the right time with sntp without an ip, The same question for the log.

Maybe, i'm wrong with my configuration?
Is ther any solution?

Regards.

Re: Procurve Stack

Pieter 't Hart — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 09:18:05 GMT

ntp does not sync time if the difference between current time and time-server is too large (default 1 hour).
timezone must be taken into account.
so compare time in UTC format at both ends.

You must manually set time within some limits of the time source.
After that ntp can sync, or when still large difference exists, slowly adjust time until synced.

Re: Procurve Stack

Pieter 't Hart — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 09:30:26 GMT

>>> I don't understand, how the memeber of the stakc can have the right time with sntp without an ip, The same question for the log. <<<

See Advanced Trafic Management guide:
All switches in a particular stack must be in the same IP subnet (broadcast domain). A stack cannot cross a router.

that is : each switch DO needs it's own ip-adress to communicate with the commander.

only thing is, for management you do not need to know all separate adresses, but only access the commander switch to manage all stack members.

See Advanced Trafic Management guide:
The Commander switch serves as the in-band entry point for access to the Member switches. For example, the Commanderâ s IP address becomes the path to all stack Members and the Commanderâ s Manager password controls access to all stack Members.

Re: Procurve Stack

Pieter 't Hart — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 09:39:30 GMT

correction of my last post
>>>that is : each switch DO needs it's own ip-adress to communicate with the commander.
<<<
There are other networking protocols that are not tcp/ip-based.
those do not need an ip-adress to communicate, but may need only the MAC-adress to communicate.

>>> All switches in a particular stack must be in the same IP subnet (broadcast domain). A stack cannot cross a router.<<
is neccessary just because a non-tcp/ip protocol is used, so a router cannot route stack-traffic to another subnet/broadcast-domain.

Re: Procurve Stack

Menil — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 09:53:47 GMT

Hi,

Only the commander has an ip in the management vlan.

I do not have to set time manually to each member of the stack. Sntp exist for that.
I want too, that all the member send her logs to my syslog server.

If i understand, i must affect an ip to each switch, int he management vlan, to have sntp access and syslog server access?

But if i read good the documentation, it says, that only the commander must have an ip.

Im' a bit confused.

Re: Procurve Stack

Pieter 't Hart — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 10:37:41 GMT

for management purposes, only the stack-commander needs an ip-adres for incomming connections.

For opertional task from a member switch, that switch needs its own ip-adres for outgoing connections such as sntp or syslog.

>>> Stacking is an optional feature (enabled in the default configuration) and can easily be disabled. Stacking has no effect on the normal operation of the switch in your network.<<<

Re: Procurve Stack

Menil — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 10:59:08 GMT

Hi,

i administer the commander in the management-vlan.
Only the management-vlan can access the syslog and the ntp server.

So, you say that the member of the stack can access my server?

So bad.

Re: Procurve Stack

Pieter 't Hart — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 11:48:28 GMT

I thought I was clear.

Each member switch needs it's own ip-adress in the management vlan.
Then it can access (on ip-level) your syslogserver and ntp server.
It does NOT use the command-switch for this.

Re: Procurve Stack

Menil — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 12:35:12 GMT

Sorry,
but the documentation mentionned the following point:
"The Commander is the only device in the stack that must have an IP address if you want to access it through the network."

And this one:
"Members (or Candidates) do not require an IP address, but they can have one."

So if i understand correctly, i have one commander, whit four member, each switch has his own ip, but the admnistration is doing by the ip of the commander?
Am i right?

Re: Procurve Stack

Pieter 't Hart — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 14:44:37 GMT

>>> if you want to access it through the network."<<<

It's exactly as it says (but no more).
- TO the stack you only need one ip-adress to manage all stack members.
- FROM the stack member to the outside, above does not count and each member needs it's own address (ntp, sylog).

If a stack member does not have it's own address then, from the stack commander you can enable /disable ports, create vlans, create port trunks etc etc.
You can manually set time on the stack member from the commander interface.

But a stack member does not use the commander for ntp queries!
It does this all by itself and hence needs an ip-adresss (in a tcp/ip environment).