Cisco Catalyst Center Upgrade Guide

PDF

Set up NIC bonding

Updated: March 17, 2026

Want to summarize with AI?

Log in

Overview

Explains how to configure NIC bonding for Catalyst Center upgrades, detailing supported appliance types, necessary switch settings, and linking to specific enablement procedures.

Catalyst Center 2.3.7.11 provides network interface controller (NIC) bonding support. To enable and use this functionality on your appliance:

  1. Confirm that you have one of these Catalyst Center appliances:

    Table 1. Catalyst Center appliances that support NIC bonding
    Machine profile Machine profile alias Cisco part number Number of cores

    medium

    medium

    Second-generation:

    • DN2-HW-APL

    • DN2-HW-APL-U (promotional)

    44

    Third-generation:

    • DN3-HW-APL

    • DN3-HW-APL-U (promotional)

    32

    t2_large

    large

    Second-generation:

    • DN2-HW-APL-L

    • DN2-HW-APL-L-U (promotional)

    56

    Third-generation:

    • DN3-HW-APL-L

    • DN3-HW-APL-L-U (promotional)

    t2_2xlarge

    extra large

    Second-generation:

    • DN2-HW-APL-XL

    • DN2-HW-APL-XL-U (promotional)

    112

    Third-generation:

    • DN3-HW-APL-XL

    • DN3-HW-APL-XL-U (promotional)

    80

  2. Complete these tasks on the switch that you will connect to your appliance:

    • Ensure that it supports dynamic interface aggregation.

    • Enable Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) on the switch, then specify these settings:

      • LACP mode: active: This places the switch port connected to your appliance into an active negotiating state, in which the port initiates negotiations with remote ports by sending LACP packets.

      • LACP rate: fast: This changes the rate at which the LACP control packets are sent to an LACP-supported interface. Instead of the default every 30 seconds, control packets are sent once every second.

  3. Complete the procedure for your appliance:

Enable NIC bonding on a medium or large appliance

If you are upgrading a medium or large appliance to Catalyst Center 2.3.7.11, you have two NIC bonding options:

  • If you have decided to enable NIC bonding on your appliance, complete the steps described in Enable NIC bonding now. This option reduces downtime.

  • If you are undecided about enabling NIC bonding, complete Step 1 in Enable NIC bonding later. To enable NIC bonding at some point in the future, complete the rest of this procedure, starting with Step 2.

Enable NIC bonding now

Procedure

1.

Upgrade to the Cisco IMC firmware version for your Catalyst Center release. In the Cisco Catalyst Center Appliance Installation Guide that's specific to your appliance, refer to "Update the Cisco IMC firmware."
2.

Enable the NIC on which the secondary instance of your appliance's interfaces will reside. For second-generation appliances, this is the Intel X710-DA4 NIC. For third-generation appliances, this is the Intel E810XXVDA4.

In the Cisco Catalyst Center Appliance Installation Guide, refer to "Enable NIC on an upgraded appliance."
3.

Upgrade your Catalyst Center release to 2.3.7.11.
4.

Enable the interfaces that reside on your appliance's secondary NIC for configuration and use.

In the Cisco Catalyst Center Appliance Installation Guide, refer to "Reconfigure the appliance using the configuration wizard."

Note these points:

  • When completing the wizard, the only information you need to enter is the maglev user's Linux password in the User Account Settings screen. Select Next to skip through the various wizard screens.

    After you complete the wizard, Catalyst Center bonds the primary and secondary instances of your appliance's interfaces.

  • By default, Catalyst Center sets your appliance's interfaces to Active-Backup mode after you enable NIC bonding. You can choose to set LACP mode for the Enterprise and Intracluster interfaces instead. Note that the Internet and Management interfaces do not support this mode.

    For a description of the Active-Backup and LACP modes, refer to "NIC bonding overview" in the Cisco Catalyst Center Appliance Installation Guide.

Enable NIC bonding later

Procedure

1.

Upgrade your Catalyst Center release to 2.3.7.11.
2.

Upgrade to the Cisco IMC firmware version for your Catalyst Center release. In the Cisco Catalyst Center Appliance Installation Guide, refer to "Update the Cisco IMC firmware."
3.

Enable the NIC on which the secondary instance of your appliance's interfaces will reside. For second-generation appliances, this is the Intel X710-DA4 NIC. For third-generation appliances, this is the Intel E810XXVDA4.

In the Cisco Catalyst Center Appliance Installation Guide, refer to "Enable NIC on an upgraded appliance."
4.

Complete the steps that are described in "Power-cycle the appliance" in the Cisco Catalyst Center Appliance Installation Guide.
5.

Enable the interfaces that reside on your appliance's secondary NIC for configuration and use.

In the Cisco Catalyst Center Appliance Installation Guide, refer to "Reconfigure the appliance using the configuration wizard."

Note these points:

  • When completing the wizard, the only information you need to enter is the maglev user's Linux password in the User Account Settings screen. Select Next to skip through the various wizard screens.

    After you complete the wizard, Catalyst Center bonds the primary and secondary instances of your appliance's interfaces.

  • By default, Catalyst Center sets your appliance's interfaces to Active-Backup mode after you enable NIC bonding. You can choose to set LACP mode for the Enterprise and Intracluster interfaces instead. Note that the Internet and Management interfaces do not support this mode.

    For a description of the Active-Backup and LACP modes, refer to "NIC bonding overview" in the Cisco Catalyst Center Appliance Installation Guide.

Enable NIC bonding on an extra large appliance

Procedure

1.

Upgrade your Catalyst Center release to 2.3.7.11.
2.

Upgrade to the Cisco IMC firmware version for your Catalyst Center release. In the Cisco Catalyst Center Appliance Installation Guide, refer to "Update the Cisco IMC firmware."
3.

Enable the NIC on which the secondary instance of your appliance's interfaces will reside. For second-generation appliances, this is the Intel X710-DA4 NIC. For third-generation appliances, this is the Intel E810XXVDA4.

In the Cisco Catalyst Center Appliance Installation Guide, refer to "Enable NIC on an upgraded appliance."
4.

Complete the steps that are described in "Power-cycle the appliance" in the Cisco Catalyst Center Appliance Installation Guide.
5.

Enable the interfaces that reside on your appliance's secondary NIC for configuration and use.

In the Cisco Catalyst Center Appliance Installation Guide, refer to "Reconfigure the appliance using the configuration wizard."

Note these points:

  • When completing the wizard, the only information you need to enter is the maglev user's Linux password in the User Account Settings screen. Select Next to skip through the various wizard screens.

    After you complete the wizard, Catalyst Center bonds the primary and secondary instances of your appliance's interfaces.

  • By default, Catalyst Center sets your appliance's interfaces to Active-Backup mode after you enable NIC bonding. You can choose to set LACP mode for the Enterprise and Intracluster interfaces instead. Note that the Internet and Management interfaces do not support this mode.

    For a description of the Active-Backup and LACP modes, refer to "NIC bonding overview" in the Cisco Catalyst Center Appliance Installation Guide.