R3166-R3206-HP High-End Firewalls High Availability Configuration Guide-6PW101

Ethernet Link Aggregation Configuration

This chapter includes these sections:

• Overview

• Ethernet Link Aggregation Configuration Task List

• Configuring an Aggregation Group

• Configuring an Aggregate Interface

• Configuring Load Sharing for Link Aggregation Groups

• Displaying and Maintaining Ethernet Link Aggregation

• Ethernet Link Aggregation Configuration Examples

NOTE:

Only the Firewall A-F5000 supports link aggregation, and only supports static mode.

Overview

Ethernet link aggregation, most often simply called link aggregation, aggregates multiple physical

Ethernet links into one logical link to increase link bandwidth beyond the limits of any one single link. This

logical link is called an aggregate link. It allows for link redundancy because the member physical links

can dynamically back up one another, and thus improves the link reliability.

As shown in Figure 41, F

irewall A and Firewall B are connected with three physical Ethernet links. These

physical Ethernet links are aggregated into an aggregate link, Link aggregation 1. The bandwidth of this

aggregate link can be as high as the total bandwidth of these three physical Ethernet links. At the same

time, the three Ethernet links back up each other, and the link reliability is improved.

Figure 41 Diagram for Ethernet link aggregation

Basic Concepts

Aggregation group, member port, aggregate interface

Link aggregation is implemented through link aggregation groups. An aggregation group is a group of

Ethernet interfaces aggregated together, which are called member ports of the aggregation group. For

each aggregation group, a logical interface, called an aggregate interface is created. To an upper layer

entity that uses the link aggregation service, a link aggregation group looks like a single logical link and

data traffic is transmitted through the aggregate interface.

There are two types of aggregate interfaces: bridge-aggregation (BAGG) interfaces, which are Layer 2

aggregate interfaces, and route-aggregation (RAGG) interfaces, which are Layer 3 aggregate interfaces.

When an aggregate interface is created, an aggregation group of the same type and numbered the