Vlan Configuration; Nic Bonding Configuration - Iomega STORCENTER IX12-300R Network Configuration Manual

VLAN CONFIGURATION

VLAN is essentially a Layer 2 (Data Link Layer) construct, while an IP subnet is a Layer 3 (Network Layer)
construct. In an environment employing VLAN, a many-to-many relationship can exist between VLANs and IP
subnets. It is possible to have multiple subnets on one VLAN or have one subnet spread across multiple VLANs.
The protocol most commonly used today in VLAN configuration is IEEE 802.1Q. Other proprietary protocols
exist, such as Cisco's Inter-Switch Link (ISL) and 3Com's Virtual LAN Trunk (VLT). To use VLAN on a network
interface, the network switch port that the interface is physically connected to must be tagged accordingly. This
normally requires the service of a network administrator.
The StorCenter ix12-300r implements IEEE 802.1Q, or VLAN Tagging, to provide the best interoperability. Each of
the four physical interfaces can have up to four VLANs tagged in addition to its existing network configuration.
Therefore, each network interface can have a maximum of five IP addresses associated with it. There are many
benefits of using VLAN in a business environment, these benefits include:
Increased performance: Grouping users performing similar functions or within individual workgroups into
t
logical networks will help reduce network collision over the switched network and also limit the broadcast
traffic. Moreover, the latency added by routers will be reduced since less traffic will need to be routed between
the logical networks.
Improved manageability: VLAN removes dependency on the physical network and topology by creating a logical
t
network to connect physically diverse workgroups within a single broadcast domain. It's easy, flexible, and less
costly to modify a logical network in changing environments. Large networks can be managed centrally
regardless of physical locations of devices.
Network tuning and simplification of configurations: Administrators can fine-tune the network infrastructure at a
t
more granular level without disrupting other logical networks. When network issues arise, administrators can
quickly isolate the problematic network to identify the root cause. Additionally, software configurations can be
standardized and deployed easily across computers and users within the same network.
Enhanced security: Segmenting users into separate VLANs helps restrict user access to sensitive information at
t
the network layer, providing an extra layer of data security. Traffic between VLANs can be easily controlled using
router features such as access lists.

NIC BONDING CONFIGURATION

NIC bonding addresses two problems with Ethernet connections: bandwidth limitations and lack of redundancy.
Ethernet bandwidth requirements do not scale linearly; they have historically increased by an order of magnitude
each generation (10/100/1000/10000 Mbit/sec Ethernets). When the network bandwidth ceiling is reached,
upgrading to the next generation is very expensive. The alternative solution is to combine two or more physical
Ethernet links into one logical link for an aggregated bandwidth. In a typical port-cable-port connection, there are
three single points of failure whether the connection is between computer and switch or between switches. NIC
bonding provides a solution to this problem by eliminating the single points of failure. Failover can happen
automatically in the event of a port or cable failure.
White Paper
IOMEGA STORCENTER IX12-300R ADVANCED NETWORK CONFIGURATION GUIDE
3