User`s guide

Matrix DFE Series and N-SA User’s Guide 4-1
4
Configuring Link Aggregation
Thischapterprovidesinformationaboutthefollowinglinkaggregationconfigurationprocedures
ontheMatrixDFESeriesorN‐SAdevice.
Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) Overview
Usingmultiplelinkssimultaneouslytoincreasebandwidthisadesirableswitchfeature,which
canbeaccomplishedifbothsidesagreeonasetofportsthatarebeingusedasaLinkAggregation
Group(LAG).OnceaLAGisformedfromselectedports,problemswithloopingcanbeavoided
sincethe
SpanningTreecantreatthisLAGasasingleport.
TheLinkAggregationControlProtocol(LACP)logicallygroupsinterfacestogethertocreatea
greaterbandwidthuplink,orlinkaggregation,accordingtotheIEEE802.3adstandard.This
standardallowstheswitchtodeterminewhichportsareinLAGsandconfigurethem
dynamically.
SincetheprotocolisbasedontheIEEE802.3adspecification,anyswitchfromany
vendorthatsupportsthisstandardcanaggregatelinksautomatically.
802.3adLACPaggregationscanalsoberuntoend‐users(forexample,aserver)ortoarouter.
For information about... Refer to page...
Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) Overview 4-1
Configuring LAG Aggregator Keys and Priority 4-4
Configuring Underlying Physical Ports 4-5
Enabling LACP Flow Regeneration 4-7
Caution: Link aggregation configuration should only be performed by personnel who are
knowledgeable about Spanning Tree and Link Aggregation, and fully understand the ramifications
of modifications beyond device defaults. Otherwise, the proper operation of the network could be at
risk.
Note: Earlier (proprietary) implementations of port aggregation referred to groups of aggregated
ports as “trunks.”