IRF - Changing Standby back to Master without reboot

[erg987]

Hi,

We have 2 5700-32XGT-8XG-2QSFP+ switches running IRF on Comware 7.1.045.

I powered down the first (priority 10) switch to make sure the management port switched

over to the second switch. The second switch (priority 6) become. the master.

I then powered the first switch back on and the IRF came back together but the

second switch stayed as the master (as expected)

Is there any way to either force the first switch to become the master again, or

force a re-election, without rebooting either switch?

Thanks,

Neil

[parnassus]

I believe you can't since IRF Master election is an election process triggered by some very specific conditions (and, as example, just a change of one IRF Member priority doesn't trigger a new IRF Master election), in summary, as per documentation:

IRF Master election occurs each time the IRF Fabric Topology changes in the following situations:

• The IRF Fabric is established.
• The actual IRF Master device fails or is removed.
• The IRF Fabric splits.
• Independent IRF Fabrics merge.

IRF Master election selects an IRF Master in descending order:

1. Current IRF Master, even if a new member has an higher priority configured (when an IRF Fabric is being formed, all members consider themselves as the Master so this very initial rule is entirely skipped).
2. IRF Member with higher priority: if all IRF Members have the same priority this rule is skipped.
3. IRF Member with the longest system uptime: two IRF Members are considered to start up at the same time if the difference between their startup times is equal to or less than 10 minutes (for these members, the next tiebreaker applies).
4. IRF Member with the lowest CPU MAC Address.

For the setup of a new IRF Fabric, the subordinate devices (also known as IRF standby member(s)) must reboot to complete the setup after the IRF Master election.

For an IRF Fabric merge, involved devices must reboot if they are in the IRF Fabric that fails the master election.