The link aggregation control protocol (lacp) can be configured in what three different ways?

Link aggregation control protocol: LACP belongs to the IEEE standard, technically explains as 802.3 ad but newly it was explained as 802.1AX for the purpose of LAN and MAN.  The functioning of Link aggregation protocol is similar to port aggregation protocol along with EthernetChannel because it applies to multiple owner environments and it works on cisco devices as well. One of the benefits in LACP is if the present working active link fails the standby or disaster recovery link will come into action.

We have three modes in Link aggregation control protocol:

  1. On: channel can be created without negotiation which means no LACP packets are transferred between them to create a channel establishment.
  2. Active: Active mode asks the other switch that can you involve in Which means the interface will be in the state of active negotiating (initiates) i.e., sends LACP packets to the interface to establish the channel
  3. Passive: passive mode waits at the end to accepts the packets for channel creation but passive mode never initiates sending packets to other switches.

The on mode is the same for the two protocols because the EthernetChannel configuration can be done statically or unconditionally. So, it can be done without dynamic negotiation

First, we need to configure logical ethernet channel interface:

  • Switch # configure terminal
  • Switch (config) # interface port-channel 5

After that, they need to add the ports and mentioning the LACP modes for them.

Also, read…

  • What is EtherChannel PAgP and LACP Modes
  • Difference between Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) and Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP)

LACP Active mode: This mode makes a port into an active negotiating state that it will make the port into initiating negotiating with other porst as well by sending packets (LACP)

Configuration:

  • Switch # configure terminal
  • Switch (config)# interface FastEthernet 0/1
  • Switch (config)# channel-group 5 mode active
  • If the ports are bundled or need to check then use this command-line interface: Switch# show ethernet channel summary

LACP Passive mode: This port makes it into a passive negotiating state that makes or responds to LACP packets that it receives but does not initiate the negotiation of LACP.

Configuration:

  • Switch # configure terminal
  • Switch (config)# interface FastEthernet 0/1
  • Switch (config)# channel-group 5 mode passive
  • If the ports are bundled or need to check then use this command-line interface: Switch# show ethernet channel summary

LACP On mode: channel can be created without negotiation which means no LACP packets are transferred between them to create a channel establishment

Configuration:

  • Switch # configure terminal
  • Switch (config)# interface FastEthernet 0/1
  • Switch (config)# channel-group 5 modes on
  • If the ports are bundled or need to check then use this command-line interface: Switch# show ethernet channel summary


Link aggregation allows you to combine multiple Ethernet links into a single logical link between two networked devices.

Link aggregation is sometimes called by other names:

  • Ethernet bonding
  • Ethernet teaming
  • Link bonding
  • Link bundling
  • Link teaming
  • Network interface controller (NIC) bonding
  • NIC teaming
  • Port aggregation
  • Port channeling
  • Port trunking

The most common device combinations involve connecting a switch to another switch, a server, a network attached storage (NAS) device, or a multi-port access point.

Network devices and management functions treat the link aggregation group (LAG) of multiple Ethernet connections as a single link. For example, you can include a LAG in a virtual local area network (VLAN). You can also configure more than one LAG on the same switch, or add more than two Ethernet links to the same LAG (the maximum number of links per LAG depends on your device).

Some network devices support Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP), which helps to prevent errors in the link aggregation setup process.

Unmanaged switches do not support link aggregation.

Link aggregation offers the following benefits:

  • Increased reliability and availability. If one of the physical links in the LAG goes down, traffic is dynamically and transparently reassigned to one of the other physical links.
  • Better use of physical resources. Traffic can be load-balanced across the physical links.
  • Increased bandwidth. The aggregated physical links deliver higher bandwidth than each individual link.
  • Cost effectiveness. A physical network upgrade can be expensive, especially if it requires new cable runs. Link aggregation increases bandwidth without requiring new equipment.

What are the different types of LAGs?

The two primary types of LAGs are static (also known as manual) and dynamic. Dynamic LAGs use Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) to negotiate settings between the two connected devices.

Some devices support static LAGs, but do not support dynamic LAGs with LACP. Refer to your product’s user manual to see whether your device supports LACP.

Linux-based devices, such as NETGEAR ReadyNAS storage devices, often offer several additional types of link aggregation that provide increased fault tolerance or load balancing instead of increased bandwidth.

Link Aggregation Control Protocol is an IEEE standard defined in IEEE 802.3ad. LACP lets devices send Link Aggregation Control Protocol Data Units (LACPDUs) to each other to establish a link aggregation connection. You still need to configure the LAG on each device, but LACP helps prevent one of the most common problems that can occur during the process of setting up link aggregation: misconfigured LAG settings. If the devices detect that they cannot establish a link aggregation connection, they do not try to establish it, and the link shows as “down” in the admin interface.

Another useful feature of LACP is that when one member link stops sending LACPDUs (if the cable is unplugged, for example), it is removed from the LAG. This helps to minimize packet loss.

Both devices must support LACP for you to set up a dynamic LAG between those devices. We recommend using LACP instead of a static LAG whenever both devices support LACP.

The following instructions describe in general terms how to set up link aggregation between two devices in your network. For more information about setting up link aggregation on specific NETGEAR devices, see the NETGEAR product support page for your product. To find your product’s support page, visit https://www.netgear.com/support/ and enter your product model number in the search box.

To set up link aggregation between two devices in your network:

  1. Make sure that both devices support link aggregation.
  2. Configure the LAG on each of the two devices.
  3. Make sure that the LAG that you create on each device has the same settings for port speed, duplex mode, flow control, and MTU size (on some devices, this setting might be called jumbo frames).
  4. Make sure that all ports that are members of a LAG have the same virtual local area network (VLAN) memberships.
    If you want to add a LAG to a VLAN, set up the LAG first and then add the LAG to the VLAN; do not add individual ports.

Do not connect the devices to each other using more than one Ethernet cable until after you set up the LAG on each device. If you form multiple connections between the two devices and neither device has loop prevention, you create a network loop. Network loops can slow or stop normal traffic on your network.

  1. Note which ports on each device you add to the LAG, and make sure that you connect the correct ones.
    The LAG issues an alert and rejects the configuration if port members have different settings for port speed, duplex mode, or MTU size, or if you accidentally connect ports that are not members of the LAG.
  2. Use Ethernet or fiber cable to connect the ports that you added to the LAG on each device.
  3. Verify that the port LED for each connected port on each NETGEAR switch is blinking green.
  4. Verify in the admin interface for each device that the link is UP.

Last Updated:03/28/2019 | Article ID: 000051185

What are the different LACP modes?

LACP has two modes, i.e., Active mode (Ports initiate negotiation with other ports by exchanging LACP packets.) and Passive Mode (Ports reply to the received LACP packets but it doesn't initiate LACP.).
LACP, a subcomponent of IEEE 802.3ad, provides additional functionality for link aggregation groups (LAGs). Use the link aggregation feature to aggregate one or more Ethernet interfaces to form a logical point-to-point link, known as a LAG, virtual link, or bundle.

What is LACP config?

LACP is defined in IEEE 802.3ad standard and enables Cisco switches to manage Ethernet channels between switches that conform to the standard. LACP facilitatesthe automaticcreation of EtherChannelsby exchanging LACP packets between Ethernet ports.

What is LACP how it works?

LACP provides a standard negotiation mechanism that a Huawei switch can use to create and enable the aggregated link based on its configuration. After an aggregated link is formed, LACP is responsible for maintaining the link. LACP adjusts the link if an aggregated link's status changes.