Failing at accessing virtual chassis via EMP

[secadmin]

Hey guys

Firstly, I'm new into the AL switch business; so please be kind if the solution for my problem may be obvious.

My goal is to create a 2-device cluster (virtual chassis) from two OS6560-P24X4.
I followed the setup guide from OmniSwitch AOS Release 8 Switch Management Guide 8.9R2 and got the chassis itself working. Now, I fail at creating a functioning EMP management console. I created the 3 management interfaces EMP-CHAS1, EMP-CHAS2 and EMP-VC with:
-> ip interface local chassis-id 1 emp address 192.168.2.24 mask 255.255.255.0
-> ip interface local chassis-id 2 emp address 192.168.2.25 mask 255.255.255.0
-> ip interface master emp address 192.168.2.26 mask 255.255.255.0

My management device (Admin-Notebook) is physically connected to CHAS1 1/1/1 but has no network connection; tcpdump shows only spanningtree packets from the switch. I guess that is, cause I nowhere told the interface its physical counterpart (to be 1/1/1 and 2/1/1 respectively). How am I supposed to do that? Can't find anything in the documentation; but due to the "missing" physical EMP-/Managementport I think I have to define at least one of the other ports as EMP (would be 1/1/1 and 2/1/1). Surprisingly, when using "-> show ip interface" only the loopback is shown; the three EMPs are not. They only show up if requested directly. Any advices?

Here are some more infos:
-> show system
System:
Description: Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise OS6560-P24X4 8.9.73.R01 GA, September 23, 2022.,
Object ID: 1.3.6.1.4.1.6486.801.1.1.2.1.14.1.10,
Up Time: 0 days 0 hours 24 minutes and 30 seconds,
Contact: Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, https://www.al-enterprise.com,
Name: Myfunnyswitchname,
Location: Unknown,
Services: 78,
Date & Time: THU JAN 01 1970 00:24:30 (UTC)
Flash Space:
Primary CMM:
Available (bytes): 689971200,
Comments : None

-> show ip interface EMP-CHAS1
Interface Name = EMP-CHAS1
SNMP Interface Index = 13600132,
IP Address = 192.168.2.24,
Subnet Mask = 255.255.255.0,
Broadcast Address = 192.168.2.255,
Device = EMP-CHAS1,
Forwarding = disabled,
Administrative State = enabled,
Operational State = down,
Operational State Reason = device-down,
Maximum Transfer Unit = 1500,

[Gleylancer]

A 6560 does not have a physical EMP, so my guess is that your configuration is accepted, but simply has no effect.

EMP, Ethernet Management Port, is specificly made to be physically and logically separated from all the access ports.

[secadmin]

Thanks, that's what I thought, too, until i read about the formation of a virtual chassis. The OS management guide refers about using EMP as sort of fallback in the case of a defect VFL, which makes absolute sense to prevent split brain. Additionally, there is no named exclusion of this feature for the series with no physical EMP. That's why I assume(d), there has to be a way to make at least one (or maybe even all) of the regular ports an EMP.

AL should either mention that EMP fallback in virt. chassis is not available in some series inside all their "paperwork" or they should mention the way how to do it inside their guides.
At the moment, I'm sitting here with not too few, not too cheap switches, I want to stack for redundancy and administer out-of-band for security reasons, which will probably won't work, as it seems.

So if anyone owns some "secret knowledge" to share, I would be really thankful. If not, we either have to go for in-band administration or even switch to a different vendor...

[silvio]

Not all switches (even some with EMP) support RCD (remote chassis detection). But there is an other feature VCSP (virtual chassis split protection). You need a helper switch that is connected via one LAG to all chassis of the VC.
BR Silvio

[secadmin]

Thanks again.
Well at least, now it's clear to me. I guess we will run with some pseudo-Out-Of-Band via VLAN and live with a split brain in the case of a broken VFL. Better than nothing. Still I'm a bit disappointed.

[silvio]

for OOB you can create EMP at all R8 switches (also them without built-in EMP). You need an USB-to-LAN-Adapter connected at the USB-A Port of the switch.
For split-detection you can use a helper at all switches (like explained with VCSP).
best regards
Silvio