Right clicking a folder and selecting properties is usually how you would see how large a folder is. Which is great, but if your folder size is HUGE (i.e. many terabytes) then this takes ages!
Solution
If you use PowerShell you can get the figure considerably quicker! Below I want to ge the size of E:\Shared;
This is a subject that every time I need to create an Ether-Channel I end up checking beforehand, so it’s about time I wrote it up. We are combining two different things, an Ether-channel, (an aggregation of links) and a Trunk (the ability to carry many VLANS). If you are NOT from a Cisco background then you might want to read though the following post first to avoid confusion about the world ‘Trunk‘.
I will combine the TWO links between the switches to act at one link (Ether-Channel). An Ether-Channel can have up to eight links.
Note: I’m only concentrating on the Ether-Channel setup so VLANs/VTP and Routing are not covered.
Solution
You can use two types of Ether-Channels PAgP (Port Aggregation Protocol), but WHY when it only works on Cisco switches. LACP (Link Aggregation control Protocol) which is supported by just about everything else, so let’s stick with that! By default a ‘Trunk’ will pass ALL VLANS, you might not want that, I’ll cover filtering VLANs a bit further down.
WARNING: If you simply connect two switches with two cables you will create a LOOP, if you have STP enabled the network will recover and block one of the links, but your colleagues will shake their heads and pull a ‘frowny face’. For that reason ‘SHUT THE PORTS DOWN BEFORE YOU CABLE / CONFIGURE THEM“.
Starting on Switch1 make sure there’s is no existing Ether-Channels configured;
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SW-1#show etherchannel
Channel-group listing:
----------------------
Group: 1
----------
Group state = L2
Ports: 2 Maxports = 4
Port-channels: 1 Max Port-channels = 4
Protocol: LACP
Minimum Links: 0
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Above there is already an Ether-Channel (port-channel) on the switch (group 1) so you would have to use group 2. For arguments sake we will say I don’t have one, so I can use group 1.
Note: ‘show etherchannel summary’ is also a handy command to remember!
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First shut down the uplinks, Note the syntax for the 'range interfaces', may differ from device to device,
so use the TAB key.
SW-1#configure terminal
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
SW-1(config)#interface range ethernet 0/1 - 2
SW-1(config-if-range)#shutdown
Add the ports to channel group 1, Note 'Active' denotes use LACP, (Passive also works, but one (or both) ends
should be active.)
SW-1(config-if-range)#channel-group 1 mode active
Creating a port-channel interface Port-channel 1
Create a 'trunk' with 802.1q encapsulation.
SW-1(config-if-range)#switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q
SW-1(config-if-range)#switchport mode trunk
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Then configure the other end the same, (assuming the port numbers are the same!) As mentioned above you can use LACP mode ‘passive‘ but I tend to set both ends active.
Once you have both ends configured and the cables in place, enable the interfaces with a ‘no shutdown‘ command, on both ends!
[box]
SW-1(config)#interface range ethernet 0/1 - 2
SW-1(config-if-range)#no shutdown
[/box]
Filtering VLANs on an Ether-Channel Trunk
Any further port-channel changes need to be done on the port-channel interface, so if you want to filter what’s allowed you simply use the following syntax;
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SW-1#configure terminal
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
SW-1(config)#interface Port-channel1
SW-1(config-if)#switchport trunk allowed vlan 1,10,100,200
[/box]
Note: When adding any future VLANS check the syntax, if you simply add a new one it will overwrite all the others, and things will break!
Do all Ether-Channels need to be Trunks? No! Not at all, they can be access ports (as long as they are all in the same VLAN), and they can also be routed uplinks, with an IP address at both ends, (specified in the port-channel interface).
Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links
One great new feature of Server is bult in network ‘Teaming’. To do this normally takes some third party software, either form the server vendor (HP Teaming) or from the NIC manufacturer.
It utilises a new Windows feature called LBFO, this lets you both aggregate links, and have links available in the event of failover.
Note: NIC Teaming only supports up to 32 network cards.
Solution
1. Launch Server manager > All Servers > Select the server you ant to create a team on > Right Click > Configure NIC Teaming.
2. Select the NICs you want to add to the team > Right Click > Add to New Team.
3. Give the Team a name > OK.
Note: By default ‘Switch independent’ will be selected, this is probably what you want (see below) > OK.
Windows Server 2012 NIC Teaming Modes
Static Teaming: Requires configuration on the switch, which must be configured for IEEE 803.3ad (draft v1).
Switch Independent: Generally requires no switch configuration and can be connected to multiple switches.
LACP: Requires configuration on the switch, which must be configured for IEEE 802.1ax, and support LACP. Note: On a Cisco Catalyst this would be a port-channel, on an HP Networking switch this would be called an LACP trunk.
4. Now if you look under ‘Network Connections’ you will see a new one with the name you created.
5. Configure this new Teamed NIC, and simply treat it as a single network card.
Configure Teaming via PowerShell
To do the same as we did above use the following command;
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New-NetLbfoTeam -Name TEAM -TeamMembers NIC1,NIC2,NIC3,NIC4 -TeamingMode SwitchIndependent
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I was lending a hand this week, while my colleague swapped out a lot of switches. I don’t usually deploy a large number of HP switches, so I was surprised when we installed a chassis switch and after patching the fiber links, the Cisco Catalyst switches all got upset and we lost three out of four ping packets.
I (wrongly) assumed that STP would be enabled, so I wandered back and pulled the second fiber link. I knew from conversations I’d had before, that HP call having multiple uplinks between the same switch, to increase throughput “Trunking”. (Note: For people like me, who think that switch trunks are links for carrying multiple VLAN traffic. In “HP Land” trunking means aggregating switch uplinks).
Solution
Note: Up to four uplinks can be aggregated into one trunk.
Option 1 Configure a Trunk via Telnet/Console Cable
1. Connect to the switch either by Telnet or via the console cable > Log in > type menu {Enter} > The Switch menu will load > Select “2. Switch Configuration…”.
2. Port/Trunk Settings.
3. Press {Enter} > Edit >Scroll to the first port you want to add to the trunk > Use the arrow keys to navigate to the “Group” column > Press {Space} > Select the first unused trunk > Arrow to the “Type” column > Change to “Trunk” > Press Enter > Save.
4. Repeat to add the additional “Links”, then configure the mirror image on the switch at the other end.
Option 2 Configure a Trunk via the Web / GUI Console
1. Log into the wen console > Interface >Port Info/Config > Select the first link you want to trunk > Change.
2. Set the Trunk Type to “Trunk” > Change the Trunk Group to the next available trunk > Save.
3. Repeat to add the additional “Links”, then configure the mirror image on the switch at the other end.
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When I first started in IT, I went and did my Cisco CCNA. So I learned that to connect Cisco switches and pass VLAN traffic between them, I needed to create a ‘Trunk’ to pass the VLAN traffic. Fast forward a few years, and I now work for an HP reseller. Very early on I came to realise that what HP called a ‘trunk’ was very different from what I had been taught. Below is an article I did a while ago about setting up HP Trunks.
I was in some HP/Wireless training last week and once again I was struggling with their terminology, so today I lined up a bunch of switches on the test bench and worked out the differences.
Scenario 1 Configuring Cisco Catalyst Switches with VLANs.
In ‘Ciscoland’ All ports are either in access mode or trunk mode, the access mode allows the port to communicate with the VLAN. The trunk mode carries the VLAN traffic to another switch (or device). So to replicate the diagram above, this is what you would need to do. (Note: For older switches like the 3550XL the VLAN commands are a little different see here)
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Switch01>
Switch01>enable
Password: xxxxxxxx
Switch01#configure terminal
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
Switch01(config)#vlan 10
Switch01(config-vlan)#name Admin
Switch01(config-vlan)#exit
Switch01(config)#vlan 20
Switch01(config-vlan)#name Data
Switch01(config-vlan)#exit
Switch01(config)#int f0/2
Switch01(config-if)#switchport mode access
Switch01(config-if)#switchport access vlan 10
Switch01(config-if)#exit
Switch01(config)#inf f0/16
Switch01(config-if)#switchport mode access
Switch01(config-if)#switchport access vlan 20
Switch01(config-if)#exit
Switch01(config)#int f0/23
Switch01(config-if)#switchport mode trunk
Switch02(config-if)#switchport trunk allowed vlan 1,10,20
Switch01(config-if)#exit
Switch01(config)#exit
Switch01#write mem
Building configuration...
[OK]
Switch01#
Switch02>
Switch02>enable
Password: xxxxxxx
Switch02#configure terminal
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
Switch02(config)#vlan 10
Switch02(config-vlan)#name Admin
Switch02(config-vlan)#exit
Switch02(config)#vlan 20
Switch02(config-vlan)#name Data
Switch02(config-vlan)#exit
Switch02(config)#int f0/2
Switch02(config-if)#switchport mode access
Switch02(config-if)#switchport access vlan 10
Switch02(config-if)#exit
Switch02(config)#inf f0/15
Switch02(config-if)#switchport mode access
Switch02(config-if)#switchport access vlan 20
Switch02(config-if)#exit
Switch02(config)#int f0/1
Switch02(config-if)#switchport mode trunk
Switch02(config-if)#switchport trunk allowed vlan 1,10,20
Switch02(config-if)#exit
Switch02(config)#exit
Switch02#write mem
Building configuration...
[OK]
Switch02#[/box]
Scenario 2 Configuring HP Switches with VLANs.
With HP switches the terminology is different, here switch ports are either tagged members or untagged members of a VLAN.
What’s the difference between tagged and untagged? If a port is a tagged member it passes the VLAN information with the traffic it sends. If it is untagged it sends the VLAN traffic without adding in the VLAN tag. So you would only make a port a tagged member if the device that is plugged into it is VLAN aware, i.e. another switch, router, or machine with a VLAN aware NIC. (Note: The VLAN tag is the ID that gets inserted into the head of a network packet). So to do exactly the same as we did in scenario 1, but with HP switches, you would do the following:
BE AWARE: Any single port can only be untagged on one VLAN. Out of the box all ports are untagged on VLAN 1 (or the default VLAN), so if you untag a port into VLAN 20 (for example) it will automatically remove the ‘vlan 1 untagged’ property for that port.
Scenario 3 Setting up HP Switches with Trunked VLANs
Remember with HP a Trunk is adding together lots of links, (if you’re a Cisco head think of port-channeling). So here we create a trunk, then use that trunk to pass tagged VLAN traffic across the switches.
Scenario 4 Setup VLANs via HP Trunks and Cisco Port Channels
Now we have gone full circle, we know what all the differences are, the final part is to get them to talk to each other. So I’ll set up a two cable HP Trunk, and connect it to Cisco LACP port channel, and then finally add in the VLAN traffic.
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Switch01> enable
Password:xxxxx
Switch01# configure terminal
Switch01(config)# vlan 10 name Admin
Switch01(config)# vlan 20 name Data
Switch01(config)# vlan 10
Switch01(vlan-10)# untagged 6
Switch01(vlan-10)# exit
Switch01(config)# vlan 20
Switch01(vlan-20)# untagged 16
Switch01(vlan-20)# exit
Switch01(config)# trunk 21,23 Trk1 LACP
Switch01(config)# vlan 10
Switch01(vlan-10)# tagged Trk1
Switch01(vlan-10)# exit
Switch01(config)# vlan 20
Switch01(vlan-20)# tagged Trk1
Switch01(vlan-20)# exit
Switch01(config)# write mem
Switch01(config)#
Switch02>
Switch02>enable
Password: xxxxxxx
Switch02#configure terminal
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
Switch02(config)#vlan 10
Switch02(config-vlan)#name Admin
Switch02(config-vlan)#exit
Switch02(config)#vlan 20
Switch02(config-vlan)#name Data
Switch02(config-vlan)#exit
Switch02(config)#int f0/2
Switch02(config-if)#switchport mode access
Switch02(config-if)#switchport access vlan 10
Switch02(config-if)#exit
Switch02(config)# interface range fa0/23 - 24
Switch02(config-if-range)# spanning-tree portfast trunk
%Warning: portfast should only be enabled on ports connected to a single
host. Connecting hubs, concentrators, switches, bridges, etc... to this
interface when portfast is enabled, can cause temporary bridging loops.
Use with CAUTION
Switch02(config-if-range)# channel-protocol lacp
Switch02(config-if-range)# channel-group 1 mode active
Creating a port-channel interface Port-channel 1
Switch02(config-if-range)# interface port-channel 1
Switch02(config-if)# switchport mode trunk
Switch02(config-if-range)#switchport trunk allowed vlan 1,10,20
Switch02(config-if)#exit
Switch02(config)#exit
Switch02#write mem
Building configuration...
[OK]
Switch02#
[/box]
Setting up VLANs on older Cisco Switches
Here’s an example using the older vlan database commands.
[box]
Switch01>
Switch01>enable
Password:
Switch01#
Switch01#vlan database
Switch01(vlan)#vlan 10 name Admin
VLAN 10 modified:
Name: Admin
Switch01(vlan)#vlan 20 name Data
VLAN 20 modified:
Name: Data
Switch01(vlan)#exit
APPLY completed.
Exiting....
Switch01#configure terminal
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
Switch01(config)#int f0/2
Switch01(config-if)#switchport mode access
Switch01(config-if)#switchport access vlan 10
Switch01(config-if)#exit
Switch01(config)#int f0/16
Switch01(config-if)#switchport mode access
Switch01(config-if)#switchport access vlan 20
Switch01(config-if)#exit
Switch01(config)#int f0/23
Switch01(config-if)#switchport mode trunk
Switch01(config-if)#switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q
Switch02(config-if-range)#switchport trunk allowed vlan 1,10,20
Switch01(config-if)#exit
Switch01(config)#exit
Switch01#write mem
Building configuration...
Switch01#[/box]
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