Understanding Load Balancing - Cisco AP775A - Nexus Converged Network Switch 5010 Configuration Manual

Understanding Load Balancing

• A SAN port channel enables several physical links to be combined into one aggregated logical link.
• An industry standard E port can link to other vendor switches and is referred to as inter-switch link
• VSAN trunking enables a link transmitting frames in the EISL format to carry traffic for multiple VSAN
Figure 53: VSAN Trunking Only
You can create a SAN port channel with members that are E ports, as shown on the left side of the figure below.
In this configuration, the port channel implements a logical ISL (carrying traffic for one VSAN).
You can create a SAN port channel with members that are TE-ports, as shown on the right side of the
figure below. In this configuration, the port channel implements a logical EISL (carrying traffic for multiple
VSANs).
Figure 54: Port Channels and VSAN Trunking
Related Topics
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Understanding Load Balancing
Load-balancing functionality can be provided using the following methods:
• Flow based—All frames between source and destination follow the same links for a given flow. That
• Exchange based—The first frame in an exchange is assigned to a link, and then subsequent frames in
Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switch CLI Software Configuration Guide
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(ISL), as shown on the left side of the figure below.
. When trunking is operational on an E port, that E port becomes a TE port. EISLs connects only between
Cisco switches, as shown on the right side of the figure below.
Configuring VSAN Trunking, page 507
is, whichever link is selected for the first exchange of the flow is used for all subsequent exchanges.
the exchange follow the same link. However, subsequent exchanges can use a different link. This method
provides finer granularity for load balancing while preserving the order of frames for each exchange.
Configuring SAN Port Channels
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