Link Aggregation; Network Requirements - Enterasys Matrix 7GR4202-30 Hardware Installation Manual

Before installing the module, review the requirements and specifications referred to in this chapter
concerning the following:
For information about...

Link Aggregation

Module Placement in a Matrix E7 Chassis
10BASE-T Network
100BASE-TX Network
1000BASE-T Network
1000BASE-SX/LX Network
XENPAK 10-Gigabit Ethernet
The network installation must meet the requirements to ensure satisfactory performance of this
equipment. Failure to do so will produce poor network performance.
Link Aggregation
Link Aggregation is a method of grouping multiple physical ports on a network device into one
logical link according to the IEEE 802.3ad‐2002 standard. Because Link Aggregation is standards
based, it allows for automatic configuration with manual overrides (if applicable), and can operate
on 10 Mbps, 100 Mbps, or 1000 Mbps Ethernet full duplex ports. Thus the network administrator
can combine a group of five 100 Mbps ports into a logical link (trunk) that functions as a single 500
Mbps port. As long as the DFE modules agree on which ports are in the trunk, there are no
problems with looping, and the Spanning Tree can treat this trunk as a single port.
In normal usage (and typical implementations) there is no need to enable/disable ports for Link
Aggregation. The default values will result in the maximum number of aggregations possible. If
the switch is placed in a configuration with its peers not running the protocol, no aggregations
will be formed and the DFE modules will function normally (that is, Spanning Tree will block
redundant paths).
For details about the commands involved with configuring the Link Aggregation function, refer to
the Enterasys Matrix DFE‐Diamond/Platinum Series Configuration Guide.
Note: The Enterasys Matrix DFE-Diamond/Platinum Series Configuration Guide and the Cabling
Guide referred to in the following sections can be found on the Enterasys Networks World Wide
Web site: http://www.enterasys.com/support/manuals/
Refer to "Related Documents"

Network Requirements

in About This Guide.
Matrix DFE-Diamond Series Installation Guide 2-1
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