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!
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SW-1(config)#interface range ethernet 0/1 - 2
SW-1(config-if-range)#no shutdown
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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
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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).
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I was recently involved in deploying an HPe Synergy 12000 Frame. And the network connections from it were ‘a little unusual’ so I thought I’d document that here, to save anyone else the problems I had.
I was connecting to an HP/Aruba 5412 switch so my cables were all HP/Aruba (to be on the safe side).
What you can see (above) is the MPIO Cable (K2Q46A P/N 800867-001) fixed onto the left (and above boxed,) there is a QSFP (P/N 817040-B21.) Note: this can be used either as 4 x 10Gbe or 4 x 8GbFC). On the right you can see the cable ends in 4x Standard LC fibre connectors, so you will also need 4x 10GB SR SFP+ Modules (Aruba P/N J1950D) – shown bottom right.
So what does it do? (Apart from cost a fortune!) Well the QSFP connects at 40Gb and splits the traffic down into 4 x 10Gb
Cabling and Configuring MPIO QSFP
Connecting up is pretty straight forward, REMEMBER when you connect the 40GB QSFP to the Synergy it will light purple if its connected, and flash purple when it sees activity.
Connecting to the switch is also easy enough, (WARNING: All the ports need to be Trunked (HP) or Ether Channelled (Cisco,)) with LACP enabled. You don’t need to worry about configuring LACP on the Synergy, that’s handled automatically by the ‘Uplink set’.
So the back of the ‘Frame’ has two interconnect links (If you are from a switch background think of these like stacking cables). And two MPIO uplink cables.
HPe/Aruba Switch Config For MPIO
As previously stated, the switch I’m using is an Aruba 5412, with two 8 Port 1Gb/10Gb modules (J9993-A). Here’s the relevant switch config;
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Firstly give the interfaces a sensible name;
!
interface A2
name "Trunk Link to Synergy VC1 Port Q1"
exit
interface A3
name "Trunk Link to Synergy VC1 Port Q1"
exit
interface A4
name "Trunk Link to Synergy VC1 Port Q1"
exit
interface A5
name "Trunk Link to Synergy VC1 Port Q1"
exit
!
interface B2
name "Trunk Link to Synergy VC2 Port Q1"
exit
interface B3
name "Trunk Link to Synergy VC2 Port Q1"
exit
interface B4
name "Trunk Link to Synergy VC2 Port Q1"
exit
interface B5
name "Trunk Link to Synergy VC2 Port Q1"
exit
!
Show any 'already configured' Trunk links with a 'show trunk' commandIn my case two existed, (Trk1 and Trk2). So I used Trk3;
!
trunk A2-A5,B2-B5 Trk3 LACP
!
Now UNTAG vlan 1 (assuming that's your default VLAN) And TAG and VLANS that need to be used in the Synergy Deployment. (Note on an HP switch simply add
the Trk3 to the existing settings like so;
!
vlan1
untagged A6-A8,B6-B8,E1-E24,F1-F24,G3-G12,H3-H12,Trk1-Trk3
!
vlan 100
tagged Trk1-Trk3
exit
vlan 101
tagged Trk1-Trk3
exit
vlan 102
tagged Trk1-Trk3
exit
vlan 103
tagged Trk1-Trk3
exit
etc.
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Cisco Switch Config For MPIO
If you have a Cisco Switch then instead of ‘Trunking’ you will be ‘Ether Channelling’ for a more detailed explanation see the following post
The process is, you add Networks, then collect Networks together in Network Sets, Then you create Logical Interconnect Groups. Part of creating a Logical Interconnect Groups, involves creating an Uplink Set, which consists of both your Networks, and the The Uplink ports.
Note: A Network Set is used by a Server Profile, (or a Server Profile Template).
Create Networks
One View > Networking > Networks > Create Network
Create Network Sets
One View > Networking > Networks Sets > Create Network Set > Give it a name > Add Networks > Create.
Create Logical Interconnect Group
One View > Networking > Logical Interconnect Group > Create Logical Interconnect Group > Give it a name > Select the correct Interconnect Bay Set (see diagram above) > Select Interconnects > Add Uplink Set.
Give the set a name > Select the Type > Add in the Networks > Add in the Uplinks > Create.
Note: You only need to add in ALL the LOGICAL interfaces i.e. Q1:1, Q1:2,Q1:3,Q1:4 for EACH Interconnect module. .
After a few minutes if you look under One View > Networking > Logical Interconnects > You will see one listed that has the name of your Logical Interconnect group (with a divide symbol on the end!) Make sure ALL the logical uplinks are connected. (If not you will see LACP errors on the switch).
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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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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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