Configuring Network Adapters for Redundancy
Audience: System Administrators
Date: October 15, 2001You can protect against network adapter failure using AIX's Etherchannel support.Etherchannel allows you to create a "logical" ethernet adapter out of 2 physical adapters.If the primary network adapter fails, AIX seemlessly moves network traffic to thesurviving adapter using the same IP address.The Etherchannel function is available in AIX 4.3.3+. Documentation is scarce, so here'sa quick "how to". In this example, we assume we have two physical adapters (ent1 andent2) that we want to group as a logical interface:
smit => devices => communications => etherchannel =>"Add an Etherchannel"
(fastpath "smit etherchannel")
Add An EtherchannelType or select values in entry fields.Press Enter AFTER making all desired changes.[Entry Fields]Etherchannel Adapters ent1 ent2Enable ALTERNATE ETHERCHANNEL address noALTERNATE ETHERCHANNEL address []Mode netif_backupInternet Address to Ping []Number of Retries []Retry Timeout (sec) []
This will create a "logical" interface using the next available adapter name ("ent3"). Fromhere, configure an IP address on the logical interface ent3.
Comments:
ALTERNATE ETHERCHANNEL = yes
allows you to specify a "MAC" address. (Notnecessary)
Mode = round-robin
provides higher aggregate bandwidth by distributing outgoing packets over multiple network adapters. However "round-robin" does not distributeincoming packets, nor does it provide adapter failover. Use "netif_backup" if you wantfailover.
Internet Address to Ping:
IP address for "keep alive". Optional as most failures detectedat link layer Bruce Spencer, baspence@us.ibm.com
EtherChannel Readme File
Etherchannel
Introduction
Etherchannel is an aggregation technology that allows you to produce a singlelarge pipe by combining the bandwidth of multiple ethernet adapters. Theaggregated pipe appears to be single ethernet interface to the upper layers (IP,etc.). Each of the ethernet adapters will share a single MAC address. There is asingle ethernet interface associated with the aggregated pipe, which has a singleIP address as well.
Hardware
The ethernet adapters inside which are members of the etherchannel can be anysupported ethernet adapter. The ethernet adapters must be connected to a switchwhich supports Etherchannel.
Configuration
In AIX 4.3.3, a single etherchannel can combine either two or four ethernetadapters in the channel.You can configure multiple etherchannels on a single system. Be aware that eachetherchannel constitutes an additional ethernet interface. The "no" option, ifsize (default8), needs to be increased to include not only the ethernet interfaces for each adapter, butalso any etherchannels that are configured. See the "no" command documentation inregards to modifying ifsize.The adapters in an etherchannel need to be configured to the same speed (10 or 100Mbps) and mode (half or full duplex).I.Configuring Etherchannel Etherchannel is configured through smit. I will use the following setup to showhow etherchannel is configured: there will be 2 ethernet adapters, ent0 and ent1,in the etherchannel and there is no etherchannel alternate address specifed. Thereare 5 ethernet adapters to choose from.Execute:
# smitty etherchannel
which produces a screen that looks like:
EtherchannelMove cursor to desired item and press Enter.
List All EtherchannelsAdd An EtherchannelChange / Show Characteristics of an EtherchannelRemove An Etherchannel
Then choose "Add An Etherchannel" selection:
EtherchannelMove cursor to desired item and press Enter.List All EtherchannelsAdd An EtherchannelChange / Show Characteristics of an EtherchannelDelete An Etherchannel--------------------------------------------------------------------------| Available Network Adapters || || Move cursor to desired item and press F7. || ONE OR MORE items can be selected. || Press Enter AFTER making all selections. || || > ent0 || > ent1 || ent2 || ent3 || ent4 || || F1=Help F2=Refresh F3=Cancel || F7=Select F8=Image F10=Exit |F1| Enter=Do /=Find n=Find Next |F9 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
As instructed, select one more more of the listed adapters.
NOTE
The "Available Network Adapters" displays all of the ethernetadapters. If one selects an ethernet adapter that is already beingused (i.e. has an interface defined), then one will get an error similar to:
Method error (/usr/lib/methods/cfgech):0514-001 System error:Method error (/usr/lib/methods/chgent):0514-062 Cannot perform the requested functionbecause thespecified device is busy. Add an EtherchannelType or select values in entry fields.Press Enter AFTER making all desired changes.[Entry Fields]Etherchannel Adapters ent0 ent1 +Enable ALTERNATE ETHERCHANNEL address no +ALTERNATE ETHERCHANNEL address [] +Mode standard +
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Ether Channel
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