Getting Started with Enhanced Layer 2 Software

Supported Platforms EX Series

Enhanced Layer 2 Software (ELS) is a standardized Layer 2 configuration syntax that

addresses customer requests for a common Layer 2 configuration for Junos OS. ELS
creates a unified Layer 2 configuration style that works on Juniper Networks switching
platforms. ELS is supported in Junos OS Release 12.3R2 and later on various Juniper
Networks platforms that provide Layer 2 switching functions. The EX4300 switch and
EX9200 switch are examples of these platforms. See platform-specific documentation
for information on which platforms run a Junos OS version that supports ELS.

The Layer 2 features that support the ELS configuration style are:

• VLANs

• Native VLANs

• Interface assignment to VLANs from the interface stanza

• Interface assignment to VLANs from the vlan stanza

• Integrated routing and bridging (IRB)

• VLAN ranges

• Interface modes access and trunk

• Static MAC address assignment

• Native analyzers

• Storm control

• MAC move limiting

• Redundant trunk groups (RTGs)

• Unknown unicast forwarding

• Nonstop bridging (NSB)

• BPDU protection, root protection, and loop protection

• IGMP snooping

The Layer 2 protocols that support the ELS configuration style are:

• LACP

• LLDP

• MSTP

• MVRP

• RSTP

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 • STP

• VSTP

This document describes the following:

• Using the ELS Translator Tool on page 2

• Configuring a VLAN on page 2
• Configuring the Native VLAN Identifier on page 3
• Configuring Layer 2 Interfaces on page 3
• Configuring Layer 3 Interfaces on page 3
• Configuring an IRB Interface on page 4
• Configuring an Aggregated Ethernet Interface and Configuring LACP on That
Interface on page 4

Using the ELS Translator Tool

The ELS Translator is a web-based tool that converts Junos OS Layer 2 configurations
to Enhanced Layer 2 Software (ELS) configurations used in Junos OS Release 12.3R2 and
later. This conversion tool supports all Juniper Networks EX Series and MX Series platforms
with ELS installed. The ELS Translator is hosted on Juniper's Customer Support website
for EX Series switches and MX Series Universal Edge routers, and is available to registered
users, internal users, partners, and premium service contract customers. You need to
login using your Juniper Networks user name and password to access the ELS Translator
tool.

NOTE: It is possible a script might not translate correctly, so review translated

scripts carefully before loading the converted configuration on your switch
or other device.

Click to access the ELS translator tool.

Configuring a VLAN
You can configure one or more VLANs to perform Layer 2 bridging. The Layer 2 bridging
functions include integrated routing and bridging (IRB) for support for Layer 2 bridging
and Layer 3 IP routing on the same interface. EX Series switches can function as Layer 2
switches, each with multiple bridging, or broadcast, domains that participate in the same
Layer 2 network. You can also configure Layer 3 routing support for a VLAN.

To configure a VLAN:

1. Create the VLAN by setting the unique VLAN name and configuring the VLAN ID:
[edit]
user@host# set vlans vlan-name vlan-id vlan-id-number
2. Assign at least one interface to the VLAN:

[edit]
user@host# set interface interface-name family ethernet-switching vlan members vlan-name

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Configuring the Native VLAN Identifier
EX Series switches support receiving and forwarding routed or bridged Ethernet frames
with 802.1Q VLAN tags. Typically, trunk ports, which connect switches to each other,
accept untagged control packets but do not accept untagged data packets. You can
enable a trunk port to accept untagged data packets by configuring a native VLAN ID on
the interface on which you want the untagged data packets to be received.

To configure the native VLAN ID:

1. On the interface on which you want untagged data packets to be received, set the
interface mode to trunk, which specifies that the interface is in multiple VLANs and
can multiplex traffic between different VLANs.
[edit interfaces]
user@host# set interface-name unit logical-unit-number family ethernet-switching
interface-mode trunk
2. Configure the native VLAN ID:

[edit interfaces]
user@host# set interface-name native-vlan-id number
3. Assign the interface to the native VLAN ID:

[edit interfaces]
user@host# set interface-name unit logical-unit-number family ethernet-switching vlan
members native-vlan-id-number

Configuring Layer 2 Interfaces

To ensure that your high-traffic network is tuned for optimal performance, explicitly
configure some settings on the switch's network interfaces.

To configure a Gigabit Ethernet interface or 10-Gigabit Ethernet interface for trunk interface
mode:
[edit]
user@host# set interfaces interface-name unit logical-unit-number family ethernet-switching
interface-mode trunk
To configure a Gigabit Ethernet interface or 10-Gigabit Ethernet interface for access
interface mode:
[edit]
user@host# set interfaces interface-name unit logical-unit-number family ethernet-switching
interface-mode access

Configuring Layer 3 Interfaces

To configure a Layer 3 interface, you must assign an IP address to the interface. You
assign an address to an interface by specifying the address when configuring the protocol
family. For the inet or inet6 family, configure the interface IP address.

You can configure interfaces with a 32-bit IP version 4 (IPv4) address and optionally with
a destination prefix, sometimes called a subnet mask. An IPv4 address utilizes a 4-octet
dotted decimal address syntax (for example, 192.16.1.1). An IPv4 address with destination
prefix utilizes a 4-octet dotted decimal address syntax with a destination prefix appended
(for example, 192.16.1.1/30).

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 To specify an IP address for the logical unit using IPv4:
[edit]
user@host# set interfaces interface-name unit logical-unit-number family inet address ip-address
You represent IP version 6 (IPv6) addresses in hexadecimal notation using a
colon-separated list of 16-bit values. You assign a 128-bit IPv6 address to an interface.

To specify an IP address for the logical unit using IPv6:

[edit]
user@host# set interfaces interface-name unit logical-unit-number family inet6 address ip-address

Configuring an IRB Interface

Integrated routing and bridging (IRB) provides support for Layer 2 bridging and Layer 3
IP routing on the same interface. IRB enables you to route packets to another routed
interface or to another VLAN that has a Layer 3 protocol configured. IRBs allow the device
to recognize packets that are being sent to local addresses so that they are bridged
(switched) whenever possible and are routed only when necessary. Whenever packets
can be switched instead of routed, several layers of processing are eliminated. An interface
named irb functions as a logical router on which you can configure a Layer 3 logical
interface for VLAN. For redundancy, you can combine an IRB interface with
implementations of the Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) in both bridging
and virtual private LAN service (VPLS) environments.

To configure an IRB interface:

1. Create a Layer 2 VLAN by assigning it a name and a VLAN ID:

[edit]
user@host# set vlans vlan-name vlan-id vlan-id
2. Create an IRB logical interface:

[edit]
user@host# set interface irb unit logical-unit-number family inet address ip-address
3. Associate the IRB interface with the VLAN:

[edit]
user@host# set vlans vlan-name l3-interface irb.logical-unit-number

Configuring an Aggregated Ethernet Interface and Configuring LACP on That Interface

Use the link aggregation feature to aggregate one or more links to form a virtual link or
link aggregation group (LAG). The MAC client can treat this virtual link as if it were a single
link to increase bandwidth, provide graceful degradation as failure occurs, and increase
availability.

To configure an aggregated Ethernet interface:

1. Specify the number of aggregated Ethernet interfaces to be created:

[edit chassis]
user@host# set aggregated-devices ethernet device-count number
2. Specify the name of the link aggregation group interface:

[edit interfaces]
user@host# set interfaces aex

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 3. Specify the minimum number of links for the aggregated Ethernet interface (aex),
that is, the defined bundle, to be labeled “up”:
[edit interfaces]
user@host# set aex aggregated-ether-options minimum-links number
4. Specify the link speed for the aggregated Ethernet bundle:

[edit interfaces]
user@host# set aex aggregated-ether-options link-speed link-speed
5. Specify the members to be included within the aggregated Ethernet bundle:

[edit interfaces]
user@host# set interface-name ether-options 802.3ad aex
user@host# set interface-name ether-options 802.3ad aex
6. Specify an interface family for the aggregated Ethernet bundle:

[edit interfaces]
user@host# set aex unit 0 family inet address ip-address

For aggregated Ethernet interfaces on the device, you can configure the Link Aggregation
Control Protocol (LACP). LACP bundles several physical interfaces to form one logical
interface. You can configure aggregated Ethernet with or without LACP enabled.

When LACP is enabled, the local and remote sides of the aggregated Ethernet links
exchange protocol data units (PDUs), containing information about the state of the link.
You can configure Ethernet links to actively transmit PDUs, or you can configure the links
to passively transmit them, sending out LACP PDUs only when they receive them from
another link. One side of the link must be configured as active for the link to be up.

To configure LACP:

1. Enable one side of the aggregated Ethernet link as active:

[edit interfaces]
user@host# set aex aggregated-ether-options lacp active
2. Specify the interval at which the interfaces send LACP packets:

[edit interfaces]
user@host# set aex aggregated-ether-options lacp periodic interval

Published: 2013-06-28

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