This chapter contains a complete sample Link Aggregation Group configuration.

LACP is based on the 802.3ad IEEE specification. It allows bundling of several physical interfaces to form a single logical channel providing enhanced performance and redundancy. The aggregated interface is viewed as a single link to each switch. The spanning tree views it as one interface and not as two or three interfaces. When there is a failure in one physical interface, the other interfaces stay up and there is no disruption. Traffic can be load balanced within an LACP trunk group in a controlled manner using the hashing algorithm.

The maximum number of physical Ethernet links in a single logical channel depends upon the hardware support. Table 12-1 lists the number of LAG groups per device and number of port settings per LAG group for the QMX, QUX, and QAX hardware.

In Figure 12-20, 3 links are configured between the two switches SW1 and SW2. These three links are assigned the same administrative key (1) so that they aggregate to form a single channel 1. They are viewed by the STP as one interface.

show etherchannel detail, show etherchannel summary, show running-config interface po10, show running-config interface eth1

Configure the minimum number of ports that must be linked up and bundled in the LACP port channel. We can configure the minimum links range from 2 to 32. If the number of ports aggregated to the port channel is less than the minimum number of links configured, then the port channel enters the Protocol Down because of the minimum link state.

Configure the minimum bandwidth allowed for ports that must be linked up and bundled in the LACP port channel. We can configure the minimum bandwidth range from BANDWIDTH <1-999>k|m for 1 to 999 kilo bits or mega bits <1-1000>g for 1 to 1000 giga bits. If the Total bandwidth of ports aggregated to the port channel is less than the minimum Bandwidth value configured, then the port channel enters the Protocol Down because of the minimum Bandwidth state.

Configure the minimum number of ports that must be linked up and bundled in the LACP port channel. We can configure the minimum links range from 2 to 32. If the number of ports aggregated to the port channel is less than the minimum number of links configured, then the port channel enters the Protocol Down because of the minimum link state.

Configure the minimum bandwidth allowed for ports that must be linked up and bundled in the LACP port channel. We can configure the minimum bandwidth range from BANDWIDTH <1-999>k|m for 1 to 999 kilo bits or mega bits <1-1000>g for 1 to 1000 giga bits. If the Total bandwidth of ports aggregated to the port channel is less than the minimum Bandwidth value configured, then the port channel enters the Protocol Down because of the minimum Bandwidth state.

OcNOS allows the configuration of minimum number of the LAG members per LAG group. Both these configurations are meaningful in case the LAG is used for incremental-BW mode. The minimum configuration controls the minimum number of members /bandwidth that must be operationally up / bandwidth available to declare their LAG as operationally UP.

When static/dynamic LAG interface configured with minimum links / minimum bandwidth, the following conditions are to be met:

The user can specify the minimum number of members that must be operationally up to declare their LAG as operationally UP. Note that this parameter applies to static/dynamic LAG.

The minimum active member configuration will be allowed to be modified to be greater than the current number of active members. In such configuration, the LAG operational status will become operationally down.

The user can specify the minimum bandwidth, based on the configured value and the ports that satisfy the conditions LAG will be operationally UP. This parameter is applied for static/dynamic LAG.

BANDWIDTH <1-999>k|m for 1 to 999 kilo bits or mega bits <1-1000>g for 1 to 1000 giga bits.

When condition fails, the operational state changes to DOWN.

This configuration is applicable for the dynamic LAG with MLAG topology except dynamic LAG interface creations, which needs to be referred from the dynamic LAG configurations given above.

When sa or po goes down due to min-link or min-bandwidth not satisfied, below validations to be done:

In an aggregated environment, there are some parameters that are set for member ports in lag. Whenever the parameters are set and conditions are satisfied, the port channel will be in SYNC. If force-up mode is enabled for the member port, the port channel will always be in SYNC even if the parameters are not set i.e. the traffic will not be affected and the port channel will never go down.

Send L2 traffic with incremental source mac of 1000 and with VLAN 100 from CE1 and with incremental source mac of 1000 and with SVLAN 100(TPID 0x88a8), CVLAN 100 from CE2.

On server side (PE1) to make LAG down you can unconfigure the channel-group 1 configurations and verify force-up is getting enabled in PE2.

To simulate the force-up:

To forward traffic from ge44 of PE1:

Use the port-channel weight command to configure weighted load balancing on port-channel member links. As per the weights configured, traffic distribution will be happening across the member interfaces.

Consider if ports xe1 and xe2 associated with the L2 lag, having default load-balance as src-dst-mac and by default, best traffic distribution can happen up to 50% on each link (by varying source and destination MACs). After weight configured as 2 on interface xe1, the best traffic distribution can happen as 66.66% and 33.33% on xe1 and xe2 respectively.

As per the weights configured, traffic distribution will be happening across the member interfaces.

As per the weights configured, traffic distribution will be happening across the member interfaces.