Cisco Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module for HP p-Class BladeSystem Software Configuration Guide

CHAPTER

28-1

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Configuring EtherChannels and Layer 2 Trunk

Failover

This chapter describes how to configure EtherChannels on Layer 2 ports on the switch. EtherChannel

provides fault-tolerant high-speed links between switches, routers, and servers. You can use it to

increase the bandwidth between the wiring closets and the data center, and you can deploy it anywhere

in the network where bottlenecks are likely to occur. EtherChannel provides automatic recovery for the

loss of a link by redistributing the load across the remaining links. If a link fails, EtherChannel redirects

traffic from the failed link to the remaining links in the channel without intervention.

Note For complete syntax and usage information for the commands used in this chapter, see the command

reference for this release.

This chapter consists of these sections:

• Understanding EtherChannels, page 28-1

• Configuring EtherChannels, page 28-8

• Displaying EtherChannel, PAgP, and LACP Status, page 28-17

• Understanding Layer 2 Trunk Failover, page 28-17

Understanding EtherChannels

These sections describe how EtherChannels work:

• EtherChannel Overview, page 28-2

• Port-Channel Interfaces, page 28-3

• Port Aggregation Protocol, page 28-4

• Link Aggregation Control Protocol, page 28-5

• EtherChannel On Mode, page 28-6

• Load Balancing and Forwarding Methods, page 28-6