Configuring a Link Aggregation Group

With link aggregation, members in a link aggregation group (LAG) share the output and input load, to increase bandwidth. Meanwhile, the members in the same LAG are of mutual backup. This improves the connection reliability.

Prerequisites

It applies to the LEM18, 11LEX4, 11LEM24, L4G and TBE board.

Context

Manual aggregation and static aggregation

Manual aggregation: You can manually create an LAG, and add or delete member ports. The link aggregation control protocol (LACP) does not run. The port has two states: UP and DOWN.
Static aggregation: You can manually create an LAG, and add or delete member ports. The LACP runs. The port has three states: Selected, Unselected, and Standby.

Load sharing and non-load sharing

Load sharing: Each member link of the LAG has traffic at the same time and shares loads together. The load sharing increases the bandwidth of the links. When the LAG members change, or some links fail, the system automatically reallocates the traffic.
Non-load sharing: Only one member link of the LAG has traffic, and other links are standby. This provides a hot backup mechanism. When the active link fails, the system selects one link from the standby links and activates it to suppress the link failure.

Precaution

NOTICE:

When you create a link aggregation group, all ports of this group must not be within any other group and the selected port must not be configured with any service.

When you create a static aggregation group of two NEs, services are interrupted. The interruption duration depends on the time interval of creating the static aggregation group on the two NEs.

When you create a load-sharing manual aggregation group, the services might be interrupted. When you create a non-load-sharing manual aggregation group, if the master Port is the FE port and the standby port is the GE port, the services are bound to be interrupted.

NOTE:

Setting the parameters of a port affect the service of the board. Before setting the parameters of a port, configure State of the port as OOS at the Ethernet Interface. After setting the parameters, restore State of the port to IS.

Procedure

Select the desired Ethernet board on the NE Explorer, and choose Configuration > Ethernet Interface Management > Ethernet Link Aggregation Management. Click the Link Aggregation Group Management tab.
Click New, and the Create Link Aggregation Group dialog box is displayed. Set the parameters refer to Table 1.
Click OK, and the created link aggregation group is displayed on the interface.
Optional: Click the Link Aggregation Parameters tab, and set the value of System Priority and the value of Port Priority of each port.
NOTE:
The port ID consists of Port and Port Priority. The smallest port ID in the LAG has the priority to aggregate link first.

The system ID consists of System Priority and System MAC Address. When the system negotiates with the remote system, the system with the smallest ID has the priority to choose the port. In this example, the system refers to the TBE board, and the system MAC address refers to the TBE board MAC address. The factory-set MAC address is globally unique and cannot be modified.

Parameters

Table 1 lists the parameters involved in configuring link aggregation.

**Table 1** Parameters of a link aggregation group
Field	Value	Description
LAG Name	For example: group1	Displays the LAG name.
LAG Type	Static, Manual Default: Static	Manual allows you to manually create an LAG with no LACP protocol. The LAG has fixed group members. This mode facilitates management but is less proper or effective in controlling link aggregation. Static allows you to manually create an LAG with the LACP protocol. You can verify the working status (selected or standby) of ports in the LAG. If the value is selected, the port can forward services. If standby, the port cannot forward services. This mode facilitates management and use, and is more proper and effective in controlling link aggregation.
Load Sharing	Sharing, Non-Sharing Default: Sharing	Displays the load sharing type of the link aggregation group.
Master Port	For TBE board: PORT4 to PORT11 VCTRUNK1 to VCTRUNK16 For L4G board: PORT3 to PORT8 VCTRUNK1 to VCTRUNK4 For 11LEX4 board: PORT5 to PORT8 VCTRUNK1 to VCTRUNK4 For 11LEM24 board: PORT5 to PORT28 VCTRUNK1 to VCTRUNK4	Defines a master Port within the aggregation group. The difference between the master Port and a normal port is that the master Port represents a logical port if several independent physical ports form a logical port after they are aggregated.
Available Standby Ports	If Master Port is the PORT port, the available standby ports are the PORT ports other than this PORT port. If Master Port is the VCTRUNK port, the available standby ports are the VCTRUNK ports other than this VCTRUNK port.	Displays the ports that can be aggregated with the current Master Port into a link aggregation group.
Selected Standby Ports	-	Displays the ports that are aggregated with the current Master Port into a link aggregation group.

TL1 Command

Issue the following TL1 commands to fulfill the task.

ENT-LAG

ED-LAGSYS