Configuring Link Aggregation with Ether

Channel

Overview

When multiple physical links exist between two switches,

these links can be bundled into a single logical link that
provides high aggregate bandwidth and fault tolerance for
inter-switch connectivity. This lesson will examine the
specifics of Ether Channel.
 EtherChannel

• Logical aggregation of
similar links
• Load balances
• Viewed as one logical port
• Redundancy

© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. BCMSN v3.0—3-2

Companies require greater and cheaper bandwidth to run their networks. Users
are becoming more impatient with any sort of latency that occurs in the
network. The insatiable appetite of customers for faster networks and higher
availability of the networks has made the competition intense between vendors.
Some years ago, Cisco came up with a method to not only provide substantially
higher bandwidth but with lower cost overhead.

EtherChannel is a technology originally developed by Cisco Systems as a LAN

switch-to-switch technique of inverse multiplexing of multiple Fast or Gigabit
Ethernet switch ports into one logical channel. Its benefit is that it is effectively
cheaper than higher-speed media while using existing switch ports.
EtherChannel has developed into a cross-platform method of load balancing
between servers, switches, and routers. EtherChannel can bond two, four, or
eight ports (Cisco Catalyst 6500) to develop one logical connection with
redundancy. The three major aspects to EtherChannel are as follows:

n Frame distribution

n Management of EtherChannel

n Logical port
 EtherChannel Features and Benefits

n Allows for the creation of a very high-bandwidth logical link

n Load balances among the physical links involved

n Provides automatic failover

n Simplifies subsequent logical configuration (configuration is per logical link

instead of per physical link)
 Describing the PAgP and LACP Protocols
This topic compares the Port Aggregation Protocol (PAgP) and Line Aggregation
Control Protocol (LACP). They allow ports with similar characteristics to form a
channel through dynamic negotiation with adjoining switches.

Dynamic Trunk Negotiation Protocols

PAgP
• Cisco proprietary
LACP
• IEEE 802.3ad standard

© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. BCMSN v3.0—3-3

The PAgP aids in the automatic creation of Fast EtherChannel links. PAgP
packets are sent between Fast EtherChannel–capable ports to negotiate the
forming of a channel. When PAgP identifies matched Ethernet links, it groups
the links into an EtherChannel. The EtherChannel is then added to the
spanning tree as a single bridge port.

The management of the EtherChannel is done by PAgP. PAgP packets are

sent every 30 seconds using multicast group MAC address 01-00-0C-CC-CC-
CC with protocol value 0x0104. PAgP checks for configuration consistency and
manages link additions and failures between two switches. It ensures that when
EtherChannel is created that all ports have the same type of configuration. In
EtherChannel, it is mandatory that all ports have the same speed, duplex
setting, and VLAN information. Any port modification after the creation of the
channel will also change all the other channel ports.
The last component of EtherChannel is the creation of the logical port. The
logical port, or Agport, is composed of all the links that make up the
EtherChannel. The actual functionality and behavior of the Agport is no
different than any other port. For instance, the spanning tree algorithm treats
Agport as a single port.

LACP is part of an IEEE specification (802.3ad) that allows several physical

ports to be bundled together to form a single logical channel. LACP allows a
switch to negotiate an automatic bundle by sending LACP packets to the peer.
It performs a similar function as PAgP with Cisco EtherChannel. Because
LACP is an IEEE standard, it can be used to facilitate EtherChannels in mixed-
switch environments.
 Comparison of Interface Modes

PAgP LACP

Auto: This PAgP mode places an Passive: This LACP mode places a port in a
interface in a passive negotiating state in passive negotiating state. In this state, the port
which the interface responds to the responds to the LACP packets that it receives but
PAgP packets that it receives but does does not initiate LACP packet negotiation (default).
not initiate PAgP negotiation.

Desirable: This PAgP mode places an Active: This LACP mode places a port in an active
interface in an active negotiating state in negotiating state. In this state, the port initiates
which the interface initiates negotiations negotiations with other ports by sending LACP
with other interfaces by sending PAgP packets.
packets. Interfaces configured in the “on”
mode do not exchange PAgP packets.
The default mode for PAgP is auto
mode.

On: This mode forces the interface to On: This mode forces the interface to channel
channel without PAgP or LACP. without PAgP or LACP.
 LACP Parameters

These parameters are used in configuring LACP.

n System priority: Each switch running LACP must have a system priority. The
system priority can be specified automatically or through the command-line interface (CLI).
The switch uses the MAC address and the system priority to form the system ID.

n Port priority: Each port in the switch must have a port priority. The port priority can
be specified automatically or through the CLI. The port priority and the port number form
the port identifier. The switch uses the port priority to decide which ports to put in standby
mode when a hardware limitation prevents all compatible ports from aggregating.

n Administrative key: Each port in the switch must have an administrative key value,
which can be specified automatically or through the CLI. The administrative key defines
the ability of a port to aggregate with other ports, determined by the following:

— The port physical characteristics, such as data rate, duplex capability, and
point-to-point or shared medium

— The configuration constraints that you establish

Command Description

Switch(config)# Creates a port-channel interface and

interface port-channel port-channel-number moves to port-channel configuration
mode, allowing the configuration of port-
channel interface
Switch(config-if)# Moves to configure physical ports into
interface media-type slot/port EtherChannel bundles

Switch(config-if)# Associates an interface with a specific

channel-group number mode mode_type port-channel group and specifies if
negotiation is to occur
Switch(config)# Instructs the switch how to load balance
Port-channel load-balance load-balance-type traffic over the individual links in the
EtherChannel bundle
Switch# Shows the running configuration for a
Show running-config interface port-channel specific port-channel interface
channel_number
Switch# Shows the running configuration for a
show running-config interface type mod/port specific physical interface

Switch# Displays information on a physical

show interfaces type mod/port etherchannel interface that is specific to its role in an
EtherChannel bundle
Switch# Displays information on the current state
show etherchannel num port-channel of the port-channel interface

Switch# Displays a one-line summary per

show etherchannel num summary channel-group
 Configure a Layer 2 EtherChannel Bundle

Step Action Notes

1. Switch(config)# Specifies the interfaces that will

interface range fastethernet comprise the EtherChannel group
[interface_range]

2. Switch(config-if-range)# channel- Specifies the channeling protocol to

protocol {pagp | lacp} be used

3. Switch(config-if-range)# Creates the port-channel interface,

channel-group 2 mode desirable if necessary, and assigns the
specified interfaces to it
Step Action Notes

1. Create the port-channel interface. Creates a virtual Layer 2 interface

Switch(config)#
interface port-channel 1

2. Switch(config-if)# Changes interface to Layer 3 to enable the

no switchport use of the IP address command.

3. Assign an IP address to the port-channel Assigns an IP address to the port-channel

interface, as this will be a Layer 3 interface. interface.
Switch(config-if)#
ip address 172.32.52.10 255.255.255.0

4. Navigate to the interface that is to be This example shows navigation to a range of

associated with the EtherChannel bundle. interfaces with the port-channel. Individual
Switch(config)# interfaces can be used as well.
interface range fastethernet 5/4 - 5

5. Prepare interface. The independent Layer 2 and Layer 3

Switch(config-if-range)# functionality of the port must be removed so
no switchport the port can function as part of a group.
Switch(config-if-range)# Optionally, can specify the channel protocol.
channel-protocol pagp

6. Associate physical interfaces with the port- Assigns all of the physical interfaces in the
channel. range to the EtherChannel group.
Switch(config-if-range)#
channel-group 1 mode desirable
 Verifying EtherChannel

Switch#show running-config interface port-channel num

• Displays port-channel information

Switch#show running-config interface interface x/y

• Displays interface information

Switch#show run interface port-channel 1 Switch#show run interface gig 0/9

Building configuration... Building configuration...

Current configuration : 66 bytes Current configuration : 127 bytes

! !
interface Port-channel1 interface GigabitEthernet 0/9
switchport mode dynamic desirable switchport mode dynamic desirable
end channel-group 2 mode desirable
channel-protocol pagp
end

© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. BCMSN v3.0—3-7