Brocade FastIron Ethernet Switch Platform and Layer 2 Switching Configuration Guide - Manual (Page 132)

Overview of link aggregation
This chapter describes how to configure Link Aggregation Groups (LAG). Beginning with FastIron
08.0.00a, you can use a single interface to configure any of the following LAG types:
Static LAGs - These LAGs are manually-configured aggregate links containing multiple ports.
Dynamic LAGs - This LAG type uses the Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP), to maintain
aggregate links over multiple port. LACP PDUs are exchanged between ports on each device to
determine if the connection is still active. The LAG then shuts down ports whose connection is no
longer active.
NOTE
The LAG functionality was referred to as Trunk Groups in previous releases.
Keep Alive LAGs - In a Keep Alive LAG a single connection between a single port on 2 Brocade
devices is established. In a keep alive LAG, LACP PDUs are exchanged between the 2 ports to
determine if the connection between the devices is still active. If it is determined that the connection is
no longer active, the ports are blocked.
NOTE
The Keep Alive LAG functionality was referred to as Single Link LACP in previous releases.
The new LAG configuration procedures supersede the previous configurations procedures for LAGs
and Dynamic Link Aggregation. When a Brocade device is upgraded to 08.0.00a any configurations
for LAGs or Dynamic Link Aggregation defined in releases prior to 08.0.00a will be converted to a
08.0.00a (and later) compatible LAG configuration. Details about how this conversion is performed are
described in
Migrating from a previous release to 08.0.00a LAG or LACP configuration on page 136.
LAG formation rules
LAG formation rules
• A port can be member of a only a single LAG which can be static, dynamic, or keep-alive LAG.
• Flexible LAG membership: Any number or combination of ports between 1 and 8 within the device
can be used to configure a LAG. FSX third generation modules in an all third generation system can
have 1 to 12 ports. The maximum number of LAG ports is checked when adding ports to a LAG.
Ports in a LAG could be on different linecard modules in a chassis or could be on different units in a
stack.
• All ports configured in a LAG must be of equal bandwidth. For example all 10 G ports.
• All ports configured in a LAG must be configured with the same port attributes.
• LAG formation rules are checked when a static or dynamic LAG is deployed.
• A LAG must have its primary port selected before it can be deployed.
• All ports configured in a LAG must be configured in the same VLAN.
• Layer 2 requirements:
The LAG is rejected if the LAG ports:
• Do not have the same untagged VLAN component.
• Do not share the same VLAN membership or do not share the same uplink VLAN membership
• Do not share the same protocol-VLAN configuration
• Are configured as mainly primary and secondary interfaces
Overview of link aggregation
132 FastIron Ethernet Switch Platform and Layer 2 Switching Configuration Guide
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