Information About Etherchannels - Cisco N5010P-N2K-BE Software Configuration Manual

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Configuring EtherChannels
This chapter describes how to configure EtherChannels and to apply and configure the Link Aggregation
Control Protocol (LACP) for more efficient use of EtherChannels in Cisco NX-OS.
This chapter includes the following sections:
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Information About EtherChannels

An EtherChannel bundles up to eight individual interfaces into a group to provide increased bandwidth
and redundancy. Port channeling also load balances traffic across these physical interfaces. The
EtherChannel stays operational as long as at least one physical interface within the EtherChannel is
operational.
You create an EtherChannel by bundling compatible interfaces. You can configure and run either static
EtherChannels or EtherChannels running the Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP). (See
"Understanding LACP" section on page 11-4
Any configuration changes that you apply to the EtherChannel are applied to each member interface of
that EtherChannel. For example, if you configure Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) parameters on the
EtherChannel, the Cisco NX-OS applies those parameters to each interface in the EtherChannel.
You can use static EtherChannels, with no associated protocol, for a simplified configuration. For more
efficient use of the EtherChannel, you can use the Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP), which is
defined in IEEE 802.3ad. When you use LACP, the link passes protocol packets.
This section includes the following topics:
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OL-16597-01
Information About EtherChannels, page 11-1
Configuring EtherChannels, page 11-7
Verifying Port-Channel Configuration, page 11-12
Understanding EtherChannels, page 11-2
Compatibility Requirements, page 11-2
Load Balancing Using EtherChannels, page 11-3
Understanding LACP, page 11-4
C H A P T E R
for information on LACP.)
Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switch CLI Software Configuration Guide
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