Intel ZT 8101 10/100 User Manual page 34

Switch Management and Operating Concepts
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Layer 2 MAC Destination Address (DA)
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Layer 2 MAC Source Address and Destination Address (XOR of SA and DA)
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Layer 3 IP Source Address (SIP)
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Layer 3 IP Destination Address (DIP)
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Layer 3 IP Source Address and IP Destination Address (XOR of SIP and DIP)
Remember the following guidelines when creating a link aggregation group:
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The ports used in a group must all be of the same media type.
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The ports used for each group must all be on the same switch.
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The ports in a group must be contiguous.
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Ports can only be assigned to one link aggregation group.
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Use the same link aggregation mode (Trunk or LACP) on both ends of the link.
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None of the ports in a group can be configured as a mirror source port or a mirror target port.
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All of the ports in a group must be treated as a whole when added to, or deleted from, a VLAN.
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STP (Spanning Tree Protocol) will use the port parameters of the master port in the calculation
of port cost and in determining the state of the link aggregation group. The following formula
is used to calculate the path cost:
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group path cost = (path cost of master port) minus (number of ports in the group)
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STP treats all ports in a link aggregation group as a single port and will block the entire group
if it is a redundant link.
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Data transmitted to a specific host (destination address) will always be transmitted over the
same port in the group. This allows packets in a data stream to arrive in the same order they
were sent.
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The configuration of the lowest numbered port in the group becomes the configuration for all
of the ports in the aggregation group. This port is called the master port of the group, and all
configuration options-including the VLAN configuration-that are applied to the master port
are applied to the entire link aggregation group.
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Load sharing is automatically applied to the links in the link aggregation group, and a link
failure within the group causes the network traffic to be directed to the remaining links in the
group. The default load sharing algorithm is based on the source IP address, but options to use
the destination IP address, source MAC address, destination MAC address, or a combination
of them is selectable.
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Switches or servers that use a load-balancing scheme that sends the packets of a host-to-host
data stream over multiple ports cannot use this scheme in creating a link aggregation
connection with the ZT 8101 switch.
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The link aggregation group(s) should be configured prior to connecting any cable between the
switches to avoid creating a data loop. Before removing a link aggregation group, you should
disconnect all link aggregation cables or disable the all ports in the link aggregation group to
avoid creating a data loop.
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When using a load sharing algorithm based on layer 3 IP addresses, dynamic rebalancing of a
reestablished failed link in the link aggregation group will not occur. The load sharing
algorithm will be applied to any new IP addresses learned after the link is reestablished, but
the exiting learned IP addresses will not be rebalanced over the entire link aggregation group.
34 Intel® NetStructure™ ZT 8101 10/100 Ethernet Switch User's Manual