How to create EtherChannel or Link Aggregation in aix?
Two Ethernet
adapters to be aggregated together to form a single Ethernet device.
For example, ent0 and ent1 can be aggregated
into an EtherChannel adapter called ent3. And interface en3 would then be
configured with an IP address.
1. Ground work:
lsdev -Cc adapter -->
To check the adapter details
lsdev -Cc adapter|grep -i etherchannel
--> To check already the server has any existing etherchannel
2. Implementation
(In the below example, the physical interfaces ent1 & ent2 are
configured for etherchannel)
#smitty etherchannel
EtherChannel / Link Aggregation Adapters ent1 +
Enable Alternate Address no +
Alternate Address [] +
Enable Gigabit Ethernet Jumbo Frames no +
Mode
standard +
Hash Mode default +
Backup Adapter ent2 +
Internet Address to Ping []
Number of Retries [] +#
Retry Timeout (sec) [] +#
Now the
etherchannel ent3 has been created. then
put IP address to the etherchannel ent3
#smit -->
Communications Applications and Services > TCP/IP > Minimum Configuration
& Startup
Now select
the ent3 as a network interface and also provide mandatory info like hostname, netmask and then start
now.
3. Validation
lsdev –Cc
adapter|grep –i etherchannel --> To
confirm ent3 is a etherchannel
entstat -d
enX |grep Active --> To check the
primary adapter is active
lsdev -Cc adapter --> To check the adapter details
4. Roll back
lsdev –Cc
adapter|grep –i etherchannel --> To
check the etherchannel
#smitty
etherchannel -> Remove An EtherChannel / Link Aggregation’
Reconfigure
IP on the adapters
5. Downtime
NO downtime required for this task
Note:
If one
adapter fails, network traffic is automatically sent on the next available adapter
without disruption to existing user connections. The adapter is automatically failed
back to service on the EtherChannel or Link Aggregation when it recovers.
