Patent ID: 7630299

Claim:
A switching device for coupling in a stack switch system comprising a plurality of stack switches operably coupled, the switching device comprising: two stack ports, at least one of the stack ports operably coupled with one of the plurality of stack switches; and a stack manager operable to: elect a primary master switch to perform the primary stack management functions of the stack switch system; assign a stack address to the plurality of stack switches based on a local address of the primary master; monitor for the primary master by comparing a local address of each of the plurality of stack switches with the stack address; elect a secondary master switch ready to function as a new primary master switch when the primary master fails; receive a restart time wherein the restart time is a definite fixed period or an indefinite period; determine whether the stack address is to be replaced when the primary master fails and the secondary master switch functions as the new primary master switch; replace the stack address with a new stack address based on a local address of the secondary master functioning as the new primary master switch; and replace the stack address with the new stack address, when the primary master fails and the primary master is unable to join the stack switch system within the definite fixed period restart time.