Technical data

BLADE OS 5.1 Application Guide
66
 Chapter 4: Ports and Trunking BMD00136, November 2009
Each packet’s particular MAC or IP address information results in selecting one line in the trunk
group for data transmission. The more data streams feeding the trunk lines, the more evenly traffic
distribution becomes.
Built-In Fault Tolerance
Since each trunk group is comprised of multiple physical links, the trunk group is inherently fault
tolerant. As long as one connection between the switches is available, the trunk remains active.
Statistical load balancing is maintained whenever a port in a trunk group is lost or returned to
service.
Before You Configure Static Trunks
When you create and enable a static trunk, the trunk members (switch ports) take on certain settings
necessary for correct operation of the trunking feature.
Before you configure your trunk, you must consider these settings, along with specific
configuration rules, as follows:
1. Read the configuration rules provided in the section, “Static Trunk Group Configuration Rules” on
page 67.
2. Determine which switch ports (up to eight) are to become trunk members (the specific ports making
up the trunk).
Ensure that the chosen switch ports are set to enabled. Trunk member ports must have the same
VLAN and Spanning Tree configuration.
3. Consider how the existing Spanning Tree will react to the new trunk configuration. See Chapter 5,
“Spanning Tree Group” for Spanning Tree Group configuration guidelines.
4. Consider how existing VLANs will be affected by the addition of a trunk.