User Guide

Wi-Fi Array
184 Configuring the Wi-Fi Array
a. Active Backup (gig1/gig2 failover to each other)—This mode
provides fault tolerance and is the default mode. Gigabit 1 acts as the
primary link. Gigabit2 is the backup link and is passive. Gigabit2
assumes the IP properties of Gigabit1. If Gigabit 1 fails the Array
automatically fails over to Gigabit2. When a failover occurs in this
mode, Gigabit2 issues gratuitous ARPs to allow it to substitute for
Gigabit1 at Layer 3 as well as Layer 2. See Figure 108 (a).
b. Aggregate Traffic from gig1 & gig2 using 802.3ad—The Array sends
network traffic across both gigabit ports to increase link speed to the
network. Both ports act as a single logical interface (trunk), using a
load balancing algorithm to balance traffic across the ports.
The destination IP address of a packet is used to determine its
outgoing adapter. For non-IP traffic (such as ARP), the last byte of the
destination MAC address is used to do the calculation. The network
switch must also support 802.3ad. If a port fails, the trunk degrades
gracefully—the other port still transmits. See Figure 108 (b).
Figure 108. Port Modes (a-b)
Gig1 Gig2
Primary Link
Secondary Link :
carries all traffic
if primary fails
Switch
Gig1 Gig2
Switch
Links split traffic based on
destination address , using
802.3ad link aggregation
Destinations
(a) Active backup (b) Aggregate using 802.3ad