LAN Switching - Configuring EtherChannels [Support]

Table Of Contents

Configuring EtherChannels

Understanding EtherChannels

EtherChannel Feature Overview

Understanding EtherChannel Configuration

EtherChannel Configuration Overview

Understanding Manual EtherChannel Configuration

Understanding PAgP EtherChannel Configuration

Understanding IEEE 802.3ad LACP EtherChannel Configuration

Understanding LACP 1:1 Redundancy

Understanding Port Channel Interfaces

Understanding Load Balancing

EtherChannel Feature Configuration Guidelines and Restrictions

Configuring EtherChannels

Configuring Port Channel Logical Interfaces for Layer 3 EtherChannels

Configuring Channel Groups

Configuring the LACP System Priority and System ID

Configuring EtherChannel Load Balancing

Configuring EtherChannel Hash-Distribution Algorithm

Configuring the Hash-Distribution Algorithm Globally

Configuring the Hash-Distribution Algorithm for a Port Channel

Configuring the EtherChannel Min-Links Feature

Configuring LACP 1:1 Redundancy

Configuring EtherChannels

This chapter describes how to configure EtherChannels on Layer 2 or Layer 3 LAN ports in Cisco IOS Software Release 12.2SX.

Note For complete syntax and usage information for the commands used in this chapter, see the Cisco IOS Software Releases 12.2SX Command References at this URL:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/ios/mcl/122sx_mcl.html

This chapter consists of these sections:

•Understanding EtherChannels

•EtherChannel Feature Configuration Guidelines and Restrictions

•Configuring EtherChannels

Understanding EtherChannels

These sections describe how EtherChannels work:

•EtherChannel Feature Overview

•Understanding EtherChannel Configuration

•Understanding Port Channel Interfaces

•Understanding LACP 1:1 Redundancy

•Understanding Load Balancing

EtherChannel Feature Overview

An EtherChannel bundles individual Ethernet links into a single logical link that provides the aggregate bandwidth of up to eight physical links.

Cisco IOS Software Release 12.2SX supports a maximum of 128 EtherChannels. You can form an EtherChannel with up to eight compatibly configured LAN ports on any switching module. All LAN ports in each EtherChannel must be the same speed and must all be configured as either Layer 2 or Layer 3 LAN ports.

Note The network device to which a switch is connected may impose its own limits on the number of ports in an EtherChannel.

If a segment within an EtherChannel fails, traffic previously carried over the failed link switches to the remaining segments within the EtherChannel. When a failure occurs, the EtherChannel feature sends a trap that identifies the switch, the EtherChannel, and the failed link. Inbound broadcast and multicast packets on one segment in an EtherChannel are blocked from returning on any other segment of the EtherChannel.

Understanding EtherChannel Configuration

These sections describe how EtherChannels are configured:

•EtherChannel Configuration Overview

•Understanding Manual EtherChannel Configuration

•Understanding PAgP EtherChannel Configuration

•Understanding IEEE 802.3ad LACP EtherChannel Configuration

EtherChannel Configuration Overview

You can configure EtherChannels manually or you can use the Port Aggregation Control Protocol (PAgP) or the Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) to form EtherChannels. The EtherChannel protocols allow ports with similar characteristics to form an EtherChannel through dynamic negotiation with connected network devices. PAgP is a Cisco-proprietary protocol and LACP is defined in IEEE 802.3ad.

PAgP and LACP do not interoperate with each other. Ports configured to use PAgP cannot form EtherChannels with ports configured to use LACP. Ports configured to use LACP cannot form EtherChannels with ports configured to use PAgP. Neither interoperates with ports configured manually.

Table 15-1 lists the user-configurable EtherChannel modes.

Table 15-1 EtherChannel Modes

Mode

Description

on

Mode that forces the LAN port to channel unconditionally. In the on mode, a usable EtherChannel exists only when a LAN port group in the on mode is connected to another LAN port group in the on mode. Because ports configured in the on mode do not negotiate, there is no negotiation traffic between the ports. You cannot configure the on mode with an EtherChannel protocol. If one end uses the on mode, the other end must also.

auto

PAgP mode that places a LAN port into a passive negotiating state, in which the port responds to PAgP packets it receives but does not initiate PAgP negotiation. (Default)

desirable

PAgP mode that places a LAN port into an active negotiating state, in which the port initiates negotiations with other LAN ports by sending PAgP packets.

passive

LACP mode that places a port into a passive negotiating state, in which the port responds to LACP packets it receives but does not initiate LACP negotiation. (Default)

active

LACP mode that places a port into an active negotiating state, in which the port initiates negotiations with other ports by sending LACP packets.

Understanding Manual EtherChannel Configuration

Manually configured EtherChannel ports do not exchange EtherChannel protocol packets. A manually configured EtherChannel forms only when you configure all ports in the EtherChannel compatibly.

Understanding PAgP EtherChannel Configuration

PAgP supports the automatic creation of EtherChannels by exchanging PAgP packets between LAN ports. PAgP packets are exchanged only between ports in auto and desirable modes.

The protocol learns the capabilities of LAN port groups dynamically and informs the other LAN ports. Once PAgP identifies correctly matched Ethernet links, it facilitates grouping the links into an EtherChannel. The EtherChannel is then added to the spanning tree as a single bridge port.

Both the auto and desirable modes allow PAgP to negotiate between LAN ports to determine if they can form an EtherChannel, based on criteria such as port speed and trunking state. Layer 2 EtherChannels also use VLAN numbers.

LAN ports can form an EtherChannel when they are in different PAgP modes if the modes are compatible. For example:

•A LAN port in desirable mode can form an EtherChannel successfully with another LAN port that is in desirable mode.

•A LAN port in desirable mode can form an EtherChannel with another LAN port in auto mode.

•A LAN port in auto mode cannot form an EtherChannel with another LAN port that is also in auto mode, because neither port will initiate negotiation.

Understanding IEEE 802.3ad LACP EtherChannel Configuration

LACP supports the automatic creation of EtherChannels by exchanging LACP packets between LAN ports. LACP packets are exchanged only between ports in passive and active modes.

The protocol learns the capabilities of LAN port groups dynamically and informs the other LAN ports. Once LACP identifies correctly matched Ethernet links, it facilitates grouping the links into an EtherChannel. The EtherChannel is then added to the spanning tree as a single bridge port.

Both the passive and active modes allow LACP to negotiate between LAN ports to determine if they can form an EtherChannel, based on criteria such as port speed and trunking state. Layer 2 EtherChannels also use VLAN numbers.

LAN ports can form an EtherChannel when they are in different LACP modes as long as the modes are compatible. For example:

•A LAN port in active mode can form an EtherChannel successfully with another LAN port that is in active mode.

•A LAN port in active mode can form an EtherChannel with another LAN port in passive mode.

•A LAN port in passive mode cannot form an EtherChannel with another LAN port that is also in passive mode, because neither port will initiate negotiation.

LACP uses the following parameters:

•LACP system priority—You must configure an LACP system priority on each switch running LACP. The system priority can be configured automatically or through the CLI (see the "Configuring the LACP System Priority and System ID" section). LACP uses the system priority with the switch MAC address to form the system ID and also during negotiation with other systems.

Note The LACP system ID is the combination of the LACP system priority value and the MAC address of the switch.

•LACP port priority—You must configure an LACP port priority on each port configured to use LACP. The port priority can be configured automatically or through the CLI (see the "Configuring Channel Groups" section). LACP uses the port priority with the port number to form the port identifier. LACP uses the port priority to decide which ports should be put in standby mode when there is a hardware limitation that prevents all compatible ports from aggregating.

•LACP administrative key—LACP automatically configures an administrative key value equal to the channel group identification number on each port configured to use LACP. The administrative key defines the ability of a port to aggregate with other ports. A port's ability to aggregate with other ports is determined by these factors:

–Port physical characteristics, such as data rate, duplex capability, and point-to-point or shared medium

–Configuration restrictions that you establish

On ports configured to use LACP, LACP tries to configure the maximum number of compatible ports in an EtherChannel, up to the maximum allowed by the hardware (eight ports). If LACP cannot aggregate all the ports that are compatible (for example, the remote system might have more restrictive hardware limitations), then all the ports that cannot be actively included in the channel are put in hot standby state and are used only if one of the channeled ports fails. You can configure an additional 8 standby ports (total of 16 ports associated with the EtherChannel).

Understanding LACP 1:1 Redundancy

With Release 12.2(33)SXH and later releases, the LACP 1:1 redundancy feature provides an EtherChannel configuration with one active link and fast switchover to a hot standby link.

To use LACP 1:1 redundancy, you configure an LACP EtherChannel with two ports (one active and one standby). If the active link goes down, the EtherChannel stays up and the system performs fast switchover to the hot standby link. When the failed link becomes operational again, the EtherChannel performs another fast switchover to revert to the original active link.

For the LACP 1:1 redundancy feature to work correctly, especially the fast switchover capability, the feature needs to be enabled at both ends of the link.

Understanding Port Channel Interfaces

Each EtherChannel has a numbered port channel interface. You can configure a maximum of 128 port-channel interfaces, numbered from 1 to 256. The configuration that you apply to the port channel interface affects all LAN ports assigned to the port channel interface.

After you configure an EtherChannel, the configuration that you apply to the port channel interface affects the EtherChannel; the configuration that you apply to the LAN ports affects only the LAN port where you apply the configuration. To change the parameters of all ports in an EtherChannel, apply the configuration commands to the port channel interface, for example, Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) commands or commands to configure a Layer 2 EtherChannel as a trunk.

Understanding Load Balancing

An EtherChannel balances the traffic load across the links in an EtherChannel by reducing part of the binary pattern formed from the addresses in the frame to a numerical value that selects one of the links in the channel.

EtherChannel load balancing can use MAC addresses or IP addresses. EtherChannel load balancing can also use Layer 4 port numbers. EtherChannel load balancing can use either source or destination or both source and destination addresses or ports. The selected mode applies to all EtherChannels configured on the switch. EtherChannel load balancing can use MPLS Layer 2 information.

Use the option that provides the balance criteria with the greatest variety in your configuration. For example, if the traffic on an EtherChannel is going only to a single MAC address and you use the destination MAC address as the basis of EtherChannel load balancing, the EtherChannel always chooses the same link in the EtherChannel; using source addresses or IP addresses might result in better load balancing.

EtherChannel Feature Configuration Guidelines and Restrictions

When EtherChannel interfaces are configured improperly, they are disabled automatically to avoid network loops and other problems. To avoid configuration problems, observe these guidelines and restrictions:

•The commands in this chapter can be used on all Layer 2 Ethernet ports, including the ports on the supervisor engine and a redundant supervisor engine.

•The WS-X6148-GE-TX and WS-X6148V-GE-TX switching modules do not support more than 1 Gbps of traffic per EtherChannel.

•When you add a member port that does not support ISL trunking to an EtherChannel, Cisco IOS software automatically adds a switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q command to the port-channel interface to prevent configuration of the EtherChannel as an ISL trunk. The switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q command is inactive when the EtherChannel is not a trunk.

•All Layer 2 Ethernet ports on all modules, including those on a redundant supervisor engine, support EtherChannels (maximum of eight LAN ports) with no requirement that the LAN ports be physically contiguous or on the same module.

•Configure all LAN ports in an EtherChannel to use the same EtherChannel protocol; you cannot run two EtherChannel protocols in one EtherChannel.

•Configure all LAN ports in an EtherChannel to operate at the same speed and in the same duplex mode.

•LACP does not support half-duplex. Half-duplex ports in an LACP EtherChannel are put in the suspended state.

•Enable all LAN ports in an EtherChannel. If you shut down a LAN port in an EtherChannel, it is treated as a link failure and its traffic is transferred to one of the remaining ports in the EtherChannel.

•An EtherChannel will not form if one of the LAN ports is a Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN) destination port.

•For Layer 3 EtherChannels, assign Layer 3 addresses to the port channel logical interface, not to the LAN ports in the channel.

•For Layer 2 EtherChannels:

–Assign all LAN ports in the EtherChannel to the same VLAN or configure them as trunks.

–If you configure an EtherChannel from trunking LAN ports, verify that the trunking mode is the same on all the trunks. LAN ports in an EtherChannel with different trunk modes can operate unpredictably.

–An EtherChannel supports the same allowed range of VLANs on all the LAN ports in a trunking Layer 2 EtherChannel. If the allowed range of VLANs is not the same, the LAN ports do not form an EtherChannel.

–LAN ports with different STP port path costs can form an EtherChannel as long they are compatibly configured with each other. If you set different STP port path costs, the LAN ports are not incompatible for the formation of an EtherChannel.

–An EtherChannel will not form if protocol filtering is set differently on the LAN ports.

•After you configure an EtherChannel, the configuration that you apply to the port channel interface affects the EtherChannel. The configuration that you apply to the LAN ports affects only the LAN port where you apply the configuration.

•When QoS is enabled, enter the no mls qos channel-consistency port-channel interface command to support EtherChannels that have ports with and without strict-priority queues.

Caution Serious traffic problems can result from mixing manual mode with PAgP or LACP modes, or with a port with no EtherChannel configured. For example, if a port configured in on mode is connected to another port configured in desirable mode, or to a port not configured for EtherChannel, a bridge loop is created and a broadcast storm can occur. If one end uses the on mode, the other end must also.

Configuring EtherChannels

These sections describe how to configure EtherChannels:

•Configuring Port Channel Logical Interfaces for Layer 3 EtherChannels

•Configuring Channel Groups

•Configuring EtherChannel Load Balancing

•Configuring EtherChannel Hash-Distribution Algorithm

•Configuring the EtherChannel Min-Links Feature

•Configuring LACP 1:1 Redundancy

Note Make sure that the LAN ports are configured correctly (see the "EtherChannel Feature Configuration Guidelines and Restrictions" section).

Configuring Port Channel Logical Interfaces for Layer 3 EtherChannels

Note•When configuring Layer 2 EtherChannels, you cannot put Layer 2 LAN ports into manually created port channel logical interfaces. If you are configuring a Layer 2 EtherChannel, do not perform the procedures in this section (see the "Configuring Channel Groups" section).

•When configuring Layer 3 EtherChannels, you must manually create the port channel logical interface as described in this section, and then put the Layer 3 LAN ports into the channel group (see the "Configuring Channel Groups" section).

•To move an IP address from a Layer 3 LAN port to an EtherChannel, you must delete the IP address from the Layer 3 LAN port before configuring it on the port channel logical interface.

To create a port channel interface for a Layer 3 EtherChannel, perform this task:

Command

Purpose

Step 1

Router(config)# interface port-channel group_number

Creates the port channel interface.

Router(config)# no interface port-channel group_number

Deletes the port channel interface.

Step 2

Router(config-if)# ip address ip_address mask

Assigns an IP address and subnet mask to the EtherChannel.

Step 3

Router(config-if)# end

Exits configuration mode.

Step 4

Router# show running-config interface port-channel group_number

Verifies the configuration.

The group_number can be 1 through 256, up to a maximum of 128 port-channel interfaces. This example shows how to create port channel interface 1:
Router# configure terminal 
Router(config)# interface port-channel 1 
Router(config-if)# ip address 172.32.52.10 255.255.255.0 
Router(config-if)# end 
This example shows how to verify the configuration of port channel interface 1:
Router# show running-config interface port-channel 1 
Building configuration...
Current configuration:
!
interface Port-channel1
 ip address 172.32.52.10 255.255.255.0
 no ip directed-broadcast
end
Router#
Configuring Channel Groups

Note•When configuring Layer 3 EtherChannels, you must manually create the port channel logical interface first (see the "Configuring Port Channel Logical Interfaces for Layer 3 EtherChannels" section), and then put the Layer 3 LAN ports into the channel group as described in this section.

•When configuring Layer 2 EtherChannels, configure the LAN ports with the channel-group command as described in this section, which automatically creates the port channel logical interface. You cannot put Layer 2 LAN ports into a manually created port channel interface.

•For Cisco IOS to create port channel interfaces for Layer 2 EtherChannels, the Layer 2 LAN ports must be connected and functioning.

To configure channel groups, perform this task for each LAN port:

Command

Purpose

Step 1

Router(config)# interface type¹ slot/port

Selects a LAN port to configure.

Step 2

Router(config-if)# no ip address

Ensures that there is no IP address assigned to the LAN port.

Step 3

Router(config-if)# channel-protocol (lacp | pagp}

(Optional) On the selected LAN port, restricts the channel-group command to the EtherChannel protocol configured with the channel-protocol command.

Router(config-if)# no channel-protocol

Removes the restriction.

Step 4

Router(config-if)# channel-group group_number mode {active | auto | desirable | on | passive}

Configures the LAN port in a port channel and specifies the mode (see Table 15-1). PAgP supports only the auto and desirable modes. LACP supports only the active and passive modes.

Router(config-if)# no channel-group

Removes the LAN port from the channel group.

Step 5

Router(config-if)# lacp port-priority priority_value

(Optional for LACP) Valid values are 1 through 65535. Higher numbers have lower priority. The default is 32768.

Router(config-if)# no lacp port-priority

Reverts to the default.

Step 6

Router(config-if)# end

Exits configuration mode.

Step 7

Router# show running-config interface type1 slot/port
Router# show interfaces type1 slot/port etherchannel

Verifies the configuration.

¹type = fastethernet, gigabitethernet, or tengigabitethernet

This example shows how to configure Fast Ethernet ports 5/6 and 5/7 into port channel 2 with PAgP mode desirable:
Router# configure terminal 
Router(config)# interface range fastethernet 5/6 -7 
Router(config-if)# channel-group 2 mode desirable 
Router(config-if)# end 
Note See the "Configuring a Range of Interfaces" section on page 8-4 for information about the range keyword.

This example shows how to verify the configuration of port channel interface 2:
Router# show running-config interface port-channel 2 
Building configuration...
Current configuration:
!
interface Port-channel2
 no ip address
 switchport
 switchport access vlan 10
 switchport mode access
end
Router# 
This example shows how to verify the configuration of Fast Ethernet port 5/6:
Router# show running-config interface fastethernet 5/6 
Building configuration...
Current configuration:
!
interface FastEthernet5/6
 no ip address
 switchport
 switchport access vlan 10
 switchport mode access
 channel-group 2 mode desirable
end
Router# show interfaces fastethernet 5/6 etherchannel 
Port state    = Down Not-in-Bndl 
Channel group = 12          Mode = Desirable-Sl     Gcchange = 0
Port-channel  = null        GC   = 0x00000000          Pseudo port-channel = Po1
2
Port index    = 0           Load = 0x00        Protocol =   PAgP
Flags:  S - Device is sending Slow hello.  C - Device is in Consistent state.
        A - Device is in Auto mode.        P - Device learns on physical port.
        d - PAgP is down.
Timers: H - Hello timer is running.        Q - Quit timer is running.
        S - Switching timer is running.    I - Interface timer is running.
Local information:
                                Hello    Partner  PAgP     Learning  Group
Port      Flags State   Timers  Interval Count   Priority   Method  Ifindex
Fa5/2     d     U1/S1           1s       0        128        Any      0
Age of the port in the current state: 04d:18h:57m:19s
This example shows how to verify the configuration of port channel interface 2 after the LAN ports have been configured:
Router# show etherchannel 12 port-channel 
                Port-channels in the group: 
                ----------------------
Port-channel: Po12
------------
Age of the Port-channel   = 04d:18h:58m:50s
Logical slot/port   = 14/1          Number of ports = 0
GC                  = 0x00000000      HotStandBy port = null
Port state          = Port-channel Ag-Not-Inuse 
Protocol            =   PAgP
Router# 
Configuring the LACP System Priority and System ID

The LACP system ID is the combination of the LACP system priority value and the MAC address of the switch.

To configure the LACP system priority and system ID, perform this task:

Command

Purpose

Step 1

Router(config)# lacp system-priority priority_value

(Optional for LACP) Valid values are 1 through 65535. Higher numbers have lower priority. The default is 32768.

Router(config)# no lacp system-priority

Reverts to the default.

Step 2

Router(config)# end

Exits configuration mode.

Step 3

Router# show lacp sys-id

Verifies the configuration.

This example shows how to configure the LACP system priority:
Router# configure terminal 
Router(config)# lacp system-priority 23456
Router(config)# end 
Router(config)# 
This example shows how to verify the configuration:
Router# show lacp sys-id 
23456,0050.3e8d.6400
Router# 
The system priority is displayed first, followed by the MAC address of the switch.

Configuring EtherChannel Load Balancing

To configure EtherChannel load balancing, perform this task:

Command

Purpose

Step 1

Router(config)# port-channel per-module load-balance

(Optional) Enables the ability to specify the load-balancing method on a per-module basis.

Step 2

Router(config)# port-channel load-balance {src-mac | dst-mac | src-dst-mac | src-ip | dst-ip | src-dst-ip | src-port | dst-port | src-dst-port} [module slot]

Configures the EtherChannel load-balancing method. The method is globally applied to all port channels. Optionally, you can configure the load-balancing method for a specific module.

Router(config)# no port-channel load-balance

Reverts to default EtherChannel load balancing.

Step 3

Router(config)# end

Exits configuration mode.

Step 4

Router# show etherchannel load-balance

Verifies the configuration.

The load-balancing method keywords indicate the following information:

•dst-ip—Destination IP addresses

•dst-mac—Destination MAC addresses

•dst-port—Destination Layer 4 port

•mpls—Load balancing for MPLS packets

•src-dst-ip—Source and destination IP addresses

•src-dst-mac—Source and destination MAC addresses

•src-dst-port—Source and destination Layer 4 port

•src-ip—Source IP addresses

•src-mac—Source MAC addresses

•src-port—Source Layer 4 port

The optional module keyword allows you to specify the load-balancing method for a specific module. This capability is supported only on DFC-equipped switching modules. You must enable per-module load balancing globally before configuring the feature on a module.

This example shows how to configure EtherChannel to use source and destination IP addresses:
Router# configure terminal 
Router(config)# port-channel load-balance src-dst-ip 
Router(config)# end 
Router(config)# 
This example shows how to verify the configuration:
Router# show etherchannel load-balance 
Source XOR Destination IP address
Router# 
Configuring EtherChannel Hash-Distribution Algorithm

Releases earlier than 12.2(33)SXH support a load-distribution algorithm called the fixed algorithm. When you add a port to the EtherChannel or delete a port from the EtherChannel, the switch updates the port ASIC for each port in the EtherChannel, which causes a short outage on each port.

Release 12.2(33)SXH and later releases support an additional algorithm called the adaptive algorithm. The adaptive algorithm does not need to update the port ASIC for existing member ports.

The fixed algorithm is the default algorithm. You can configure a global value for the adaptive algorithm. You can also specify the algorithm for individual port channels.

When you change the algorithm, the change is applied at the next member link event (link down, link up, addition, deletion, no shutdown, and shutdown). When you enter the command to change the algorithm, the command console issues a warning that the command does not take effect until the next member link event.

Note Some external devices require the fixed algorithm. For example, the service control engine (SCE) requires incoming and outgoing packets to use the same port.

Configuring the Hash-Distribution Algorithm Globally

To configure the load-sharing algorithm globally, perform this task:

Command

Purpose

Step 1

Router(config)# port-channel hash-distribution {adaptive | fixed}

Sets the hash distribution algorithm to adaptive or fixed.

Router(config)# {no | default} port-channel hash-distribution

Resets the hash distribution algorithm to the default (fixed).

Step 2

Router(config)# end

Exits configuration mode.

This example shows how to globally set the hash distribution to adaptive:
Router(config)# port-channel hash-distribution adaptive
Configuring the Hash-Distribution Algorithm for a Port Channel

To configure the hash-distribution algorithm for a specific port channel, perform this task:

Command

Purpose

Step 1

Router(config)# interface port-channel channel-num

Enters interface configuration mode for the port channel.

Step 2

Router(config-if)# port-channel port hash-distribution {adaptive | fixed}

Sets the hash distribution algorithm for this interface

Router(config-if)# {no | default} port-channel port hash-distribution

Resets the hash distribution algorithm for this interface to the default (fixed).

Step 3

Router(config-if)# end

Exits interface configuration mode.

This example shows how to set the hash distribution algorithm to adaptive on port channel 10:
Router (config)# interface port-channel 10
Router (config-if)# port-channel port hash-distribution adaptive
Configuring the EtherChannel Min-Links Feature

The EtherChannel min-links feature is supported on LACP EtherChannels. This feature allows you to configure the minimum number of member ports that must be in the link-up state and bundled in the EtherChannel for the port channel interface to transition to the link-up state. You can use the EtherChannel min-links feature to prevent low-bandwidth LACP EtherChannels from becoming active. This feature also causes LACP EtherChannels to become inactive if they have too few active member ports to supply your required minimum bandwidth.

To configure the EtherChannel min-links feature, perform this task:

Command

Purpose

Step 1

Router(config)# interface port-channel group_number

Selects an LACP port channel interface.

Step 2

Router(config-if)# port-channel min-links number

Configures the minimum number of member ports that must be in the link-up state and bundled in the EtherChannel for the port channel interface to transition to the link-up state.

Router(config-if)# no port-channel min-links

Reverts to the default number of active member ports (one).

Step 3

Router(config-if)# end

Exits configuration mode.

Step 4

Router# show running-config interface port-channel group_number
Router# show interfaces type¹ slot/port etherchannel

Verifies the configuration.

¹type = fastethernet, gigabitethernet, or tengigabitethernet

Note Although the EtherChannel min-links feature works correctly when configured only on one end of an EtherChannel, for best results, configure the same number of minimum links on both ends of the EtherChannel.

This example shows how to configure port channel interface 1 to be inactive if fewer than two member ports are active in the EtherChannel:
Router# configure terminal 
Router(config)# interface port-channel 1 
Router(config-if)# port-channel min-links 2 
Router(config-if)# end 
Configuring LACP 1:1 Redundancy

For the LACP 1:1 redundancy feature, the LACP EtherChannel must contain exactly two links, of which only one is active.

Link 1 must have a higher port priority than link 2 and the LACP max-bundle must be set to 1. This configuration results in link 1 being active and link 2 being in hot standby state. LACP min-links is set to 1, so that the LACP EtherChannel transitions to the link-up state with one active link.

To configure the LACP 1:1 redundancy feature, perform this task:

Command

Purpose

Step 1

Router(config)# interface port-channel group_number

Selects an LACP port channel interface.

Step 1

Router(config-if)# lacp fast-switchover

Enables the fast switchover feature for this EtherChannel.

Step 2

Router(config-if)# lacp max-bundle 1

Sets the maximum number of active member ports to be one.

Step 3

Router(config-if)# port-channel min-links 1

Sets the minimum number of active member ports to be one.

Step 4

Router(config-if)# end

Exits configuration mode.

Step 5

Router# show running-config interface port-channel group_number
Router# show interfaces type¹ slot/port etherchannel

Verifies the configuration.

¹type = fastethernet, gigabitethernet, or tengigabitethernet

Note For the LACP 1:1 redundancy feature to work correctly, especially the fast switchover capability, the feature needs to be enabled at both ends of the EtherChannel.

This example shows how to configure an LACP EtherChannel with 1:1 redundancy. Fast Ethernet 5/6 is the active link, as it is configured with a higher port priority:
Router# configure terminal 
Router# lacp system-priority 33000
Router(config)# interface range fastethernet 5/6 -7 
Router(config-if)# channel-protocol lacp
Router(config-if)# channel-group 1 mode active 
Router(config)# interface fastethernet 5/6 
Router(config-if)# lacp port-priority 33000
Router(config)# interface port-channel 1 
Router(config-if)# lacp fast-switchover 
Router(config-if)# lacp max-bundle 1 
Router(config-if)# port-channel min-links 1 
Router(config-if)# end 