Link Aggregation Group Configuration - Dell Force10 C150 Manual

Deploying the Dell Force10 MXL into a Cisco Nexus Network Environment

Link Aggregation Group Configuration

As network switches interconnect more servers and other end nodes, a single active link between
devices—especially between switches—often does not provide enough throughput or enough link
resiliency for the applications running on the network. A common solution for this is to use link
aggregation. A set of equal speed links connected between two devices can be configured to behave as
a single connection by spreading traffic out over the participating links and keeping the aggregate
connection active as long as there is at least one active member link for the group. This is called a LAG
(Link Aggregation Group).
LAGs, while sometimes used between a server and a switch, are more often used between two switches
as they are in the example network presented in this document. The MXL can support up to 16 links in
a single LAG. The steps to configure one of the LAGs in the example network are shown below.
Configure the Link Aggregation Port Channel
MXL1#configure
MXL1(conf)#interface port-channel 20
MXL1(conf-if-po-20)#switchport
MXL1(conf-if-po-20)#exit
MXL1(conf)#exit
MXL1#
Configure the Link Aggregation Member Interfaces
MXL1#configure
MXL1(conf)#interface range tengigabitethernet 0/33 - 36
MXL1(conf-if-range-te-0/33-36)#port-channel-protocol lacp
MXL1(conf-if-range-te-0/33-36-lacp)#port-channel 20 mode active
MXL1(conf-if-range-te-0/33-36-lacp)#exit
MXL1(conf-if-range-te-0/33-36)#no shutdown
MXL1(conf-if-range-te-0/33-36)#exit
MXL1(conf)#exit
MXL1#
!
Note – observations have shown that the default hashing method on the Cisco Nexus may need to be
changed in order to perform in the expected manner. In some instances the testing performed was able
to show a marked bandwidth increase in a 4–port LAG by setting the
source-dest-port" global setting on a Cisco Nexus switch.
ethernet
20
"port-channel load-balance