Stacking Cisco Switches: Benefits and Advantages

Benefits of Stacking Cisco Switches

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Question

Which two benefits can you get by stacking Cisco switches? (Choose two.)

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Explanations

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A. B. C. D. E.

BD

Answer: B and D

Explanation: Cisco StackWise technology allows multiple Cisco switches to operate as a single logical unit, known as a switch stack. Stacking switches provides several benefits such as simplified management, increased bandwidth, and improved resiliency. The following are the benefits of stacking Cisco switches:

A. Incorrect: Each switch in the stack shares the same MAC address table. Therefore, all switches in the stack see the same MAC addresses and can forward packets based on the destination MAC address.

B. Correct: One of the main benefits of stacking Cisco switches is the ability to add or remove switches from the stack without taking down the entire stack. This allows for easy scalability and flexibility as the network grows or changes.

C. Incorrect: All switches in a stack must run the same IOS image. This ensures that the stack operates as a single logical unit with consistent features and configurations.

D. Correct: The stack master is responsible for managing the entire stack and performing tasks such as managing the stack configuration and forwarding traffic. If the master switch fails, any active member in the stack can take over as the new master switch, ensuring uninterrupted network operations.

E. Incorrect: Licenses must be applied to each switch in the stack individually, although there are some Cisco licenses that can be shared across multiple switches in a stack.

In conclusion, stacking Cisco switches provides several benefits, including simplified management, increased bandwidth, and improved resiliency. The ability to add or remove switches without taking down the stack and the ability to automatically recover from a failed master switch are two significant benefits of stacking Cisco switches.