Users Guide

When more than one interface is added to a Layer 2-port channel, Dell Networking OS selects one of the
active interfaces in the port channel to be the primary port. The primary port replies to flooding and sends
protocol data units (PDUs). An asterisk in the show interfaces port-channel brief command
indicates the primary port.
As soon as a physical interface is added to a port channel, the properties of the port channel determine the
properties of the physical interface. The configuration and status of the port channel are also applied to the
physical interfaces within the port channel. For example, if the port channel is in Layer 2 mode, you cannot
add an IP address or a static MAC address to an interface that is part of that port channel. In the following
example, interface TenGigabitEthernet 1/6 is part of port channel 5, which is in Layer 2 mode, and an error
message appeared when an IP address was configured.
Dell(conf-if-portch)#show config
!
interface Port-channel 5
no ip address
switchport
channel-member GigabitEthernet 1/6
Dell(conf-if-portch)#int Gi 1/6
Dell(conf-if)#ip address 10.56.4.4 /24
% Error: Port is part of a LAG Gi 1/6.
Dell(conf-if)#
Reassigning an Interface to a New Port Channel
An interface can be a member of only one port channel. If the interface is a member of a port channel,
remove it from the first port channel and then add it to the second port channel.
Each time you add or remove a channel member from a port channel, Dell Networking OS recalculates the
hash algorithm for the port channel.
To reassign an interface to a new port channel, use the following commands.
1 Remove the interface from the first port channel.
INTERFACE PORT-CHANNEL mode
no channel-member interface
2 Change to the second port channel INTERFACE mode.
INTERFACE PORT-CHANNEL mode
interface port-channel id number
3 Add the interface to the second port channel.
INTERFACE PORT-CHANNEL mode
channel-member interface
Example of Moving an Interface to a New Port Channel
The following example shows moving an interface from port channel 4 to port channel 3.
Dell(conf-if-po-4)#show config
!
interface Port-channel 4
no ip address
channel-member GigabitEthernet 1/8
no shutdown
Interfaces 392