I have an AIX server that has 6 gigabit ethernet cards. I would like to have all of these cards sit behind one IP address using etherchannel. Is this do-able. Is there a way to load-balance incoming traffic acrross those 6 ethernet cards behind that one IP address? Thanks.
-
-
Community Tip: Forum Rules (PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ BEFORE POSTING)
Click the link above to access ADSM.ORG Acceptable Use Policy and forum rules which should be observed when using this website. Violators may be banned from this website. This notice will disappear after you have made at least 3 posts.
Etherchannel
- Thread starter influx
- Start date
moon-buddy
ADSM.ORG Moderator
I thought that AIX can support only up to three Etherchannels combined. Check on this.
The answer is yes, you can combine (edit) Ethernet cards to be one (edit) EtherChannel and have it load balanced. The load balancing will have to be defined on the host side.
On the switch side, the ports will be mapped as one with one IP address.
The answer is yes, you can combine (edit) Ethernet cards to be one (edit) EtherChannel and have it load balanced. The load balancing will have to be defined on the host side.
On the switch side, the ports will be mapped as one with one IP address.
Last edited:
Mikey D
ADSM.ORG Member
Found this on the IBM site, looks like this is for 5.3 AIX not sure if it's the same in AIX 5.2. Weren't any special notes though saying otherwise.
You can have up to eight primary Ethernet adapters and only one backup Ethernet adapter per EtherChannel.
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infoc...mn/doc/commadmndita/etherchannel_consider.htm
You can have up to eight primary Ethernet adapters and only one backup Ethernet adapter per EtherChannel.
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infoc...mn/doc/commadmndita/etherchannel_consider.htm
MikeyD,
I saw that. I'm not 100% sure what it means "one backup Ethernet adapter per Etherchannel"? What are they referring to when they state "backup"?
I have 8 NIC's and I want to create one Etherchannel that can write to 4 different TSM servers on the same AIX server. Is this do-able? That first bullet in the doc seems fuzzy to me. Thanks.
I saw that. I'm not 100% sure what it means "one backup Ethernet adapter per Etherchannel"? What are they referring to when they state "backup"?
I have 8 NIC's and I want to create one Etherchannel that can write to 4 different TSM servers on the same AIX server. Is this do-able? That first bullet in the doc seems fuzzy to me. Thanks.
Mikey D
ADSM.ORG Member
I'm pretty sure when they say backup they mean redundant NIC for if one fails.
heada
ADSM.ORG Moderator
There are 2 different types of etherchannel configurations with AIX. One is a ganging setup in which case you take a number of adapters, group them together as one logical adapter and all adapters are in use and loadbalance. The second configuration is a fail-over config. You take multiple adapters (normally 2) and create a new logical adapter. Only one adapter is active and AIX will fail over to the "backup" adapter if the primary fails.
It sounds like you want the ganging option.
-Aaron
It sounds like you want the ganging option.
-Aaron
n9hmg
ADSM.ORG Senior Member
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2006
- Messages
- 594
- Reaction score
- 14
- Points
- 0
- Location
- northern front-range Colorado, USA
bash-3.00$ lsattr -Elent6 -a adapter_names,backup_adapter
adapter_names ent1,ent3 EtherChannel Adapters True
backup_adapter ent2 Adapter used when whole channel fails True
bash-3.00$
All your primary adapters must be on the same switch. Your backup adapter can, and should, be on a different switch. DO coordinate this with your network guys. If you just start trying to do it without proper configuration of the switch, you'll cause an outage.
adapter_names ent1,ent3 EtherChannel Adapters True
backup_adapter ent2 Adapter used when whole channel fails True
bash-3.00$
All your primary adapters must be on the same switch. Your backup adapter can, and should, be on a different switch. DO coordinate this with your network guys. If you just start trying to do it without proper configuration of the switch, you'll cause an outage.
