Configure Link Aggregation Control Protocol
Learn about Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) on standalone devices. Also, learn how to configure LACP and LAG on standalone devices.
LACP on Standalone Devices
Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) provides a standardized means for exchanging information between partner systems on a link. Within LACP, the local end of a child link is known as the actor and the remote end of the link is known as the partner.
Use Feature Explorer to confirm platform and release support.
LACP is enabled on an aex by setting the mode to either passive or active. To initiate the transmission of LACP data units (PDUs) and response link aggregation control PDUs, you must enable LACP at both the local and remote ends of the links.
Active mode—If either the actor or partner is active, the links exchange link aggregation control PDUs. The actor sends link aggregation control PDUs to its protocol partner that convey what the actor knows about its own state and that of the partner’s state.
Passive mode—If the actor and partner are both in passive mode, the links do not exchange link aggregation control PDUs. As a result, the aggregated Ethernet links do not come up. In passive transmission mode, links send out link aggregation control PDUs only when the links receive the PDUs from the remote end of the same link.
By default, the actor and partner transmit link aggregation control PDUs every second. You can configure different periodic rates on active and passive interfaces. When you configure the actor and partner interfaces at different rates, the transmitter (actor) honors the receiver’s (partner's) rate.
You configure the interval at which the interfaces on the remote
side of the link transmit link aggregation control PDUs by configuring
the periodic statement on the interfaces on the local side.
It is the configuration on the local side that specifies the behavior
of the remote side. That is, the remote side transmits link aggregation
control PDUs at the specified interval. The interval can be fast (every second) or slow (every 30 seconds).
LACP for LAG
LACP provides additional functionality for LAGs. LACP is supported on L2 transparent mode in addition to existing support on L3 mode. For information about link aggregation for other SRX Series Firewalls, see the Ethernet Switching User Guide.
LACP provides a standardized means for exchanging information between partner (remote or far-end of the link) systems on a link. This exchange allows their link aggregation control instances to reach agreement on the identity of the LAG to which the link belongs, and then to move the link to that LAG. This exchange also enables the transmission and reception processes for the link to function in an orderly manner.
For example, when LACP is not enabled, a local LAG might attempt to transmit packets to a remote individual interface, which causes the communication to fail. An individual interface is a non-aggregatable interface. When LACP is enabled, a local LAG cannot transmit packets unless a LAG with LACP is also configured on the remote end of the link.
You configure an aggregated Ethernet virtual link by specifying the link number as a physical device. Then you associate a set of ports that have the same speed and are in full-duplex mode. The physical ports can be 100-megabit Ethernet, 1-Gigabit Ethernet, and 10-Gigabit Ethernet.
LACP is supported in standalone deployments, where aex are supported, and in chassis cluster deployments, where aex and redundant Ethernet interfaces are supported simultaneously.
Example: Configure Link Aggregation Control Protocol
This example shows how to configure Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP).
Requirements
This example uses an SRX device.
Before you begin:
Determine which interfaces to use and verify that they are in switch mode. See Understanding VLANs.
Overview
In this example, for aex, you configure the LACP. LACP is one method of bundling several physical interfaces to form one logical interface.
Configuration
Procedure
CLI Quick Configuration
To quickly configure, copy the following commands and paste into a text file. Remove any line
breaks, and change any details necessary to match your network
configuration. Copy and paste the commands into the CLI at the
[edit] hierarchy level, and then enter
commit from configuration mode.
set interfaces ge-0/0/6 ether-options 802.3ad ae0 set interfaces ge-0/0/7 ether-options 802.3ad ae0 set interfaces ae0 vlan-tagging set interfaces ae0 aggregated-ether-options lacp active periodic fast set interfaces ae0 unit 0 family ethernet-switching interface-mode trunk set vlan vlan1000 vlan-id 1000 set interfaces ae0 unit 0 family ethernet-switching vlan members vlan1000
Step-by-Step Procedure
The following example requires you to navigate various levels in the configuration hierarchy. For instructions on how to do that, see in the CLI User Guide.
To configure LACP:
Configure the interfaces for ae0.
[edit ] user@host# set interfaces ge-0/0/6 ether-options 802.3ad ae0 user@host# set interfaces ge-0/0/7 ether-options 802.3ad ae0
Configure ae0 interface for vlan tagging.
[edit ] user@host# set interfaces ae0 vlan-tagging
Configure LACP for ae0 and configure periodic transmission of LACP packets.
[edit ] user@host# set interfaces ae0 aggregated-ether-options lacp active periodic fast
Configure ae0 as a trunk port.
[edit ] user@host# set interfaces ae0 unit 0 family ethernet-switching interface-mode trunk
Configure the VLAN.
[edit ] user@host# set vlan vlan1000 vlan-id 1000
Add the ae0 interface to the VLAN.
[edit ] user@host# set interfaces ae0 unit 0 family ethernet-switching vlan members vlan1000
If you are done configuring the device, commit the configuration.
[edit ] user@host# commit
Results
From configuration mode, confirm your configuration
by entering the show interfaces command. If the output
does not display the intended configuration, repeat the configuration
instructions in this example to correct it.
[edit]
user@host# show interfaces
ge-0/0/6 {
ether-options {
802.3ad ae0;
}
}
ge-0/0/7 {
ether-options {
802.3ad ae0;
}
}
ae0 {
vlan- tagging;
aggregated-ether-options {
lacp {
active;
periodic fast;
}
}
unit 0 {
family ethernet-switching {
interface-mode trunk;
vlan {
members vlan1000;
}
}
}
}
Verification
Verifying LACP Statistics
Purpose
Display LACP statistics for aggregated Ethernet interfaces.
Action
From operational mode, enter the show lacp statistics
interfaces ae0 command.
user@host> show lacp statistics interfaces ae0
Aggregated interface: ae0
LACP Statistics: LACP Rx LACP Tx Unknown Rx Illegal Rx
ge-0/0/6 1352 2035 0 0
ge-0/0/7 1352 2056 0 0
Meaning
The output shows LACP statistics for each physical interface associated with the aex, such as the following:
The LACP received counter that increments for each normal hello packet received
The number of LACP transmit packet errors logged
The number of unrecognized packet errors logged
The number of invalid packets received
Use the following command to clear the statistics and see only new changes:
user@host# clear lacp statistics interfaces ae0
Verifying LACP aex
Purpose
Display LACP status information for aex.
Action
From operational mode, enter the show lacp interfaces
ae0 command.
user@host> show lacp interfaces ae0
Aggregated interface: ae0
LACP state: Role Exp Def Dist Col Syn Aggr Timeout Activity
ge-0/0/6 Actor No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Fast Active
ge-0/0/6 Partner No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Fast Passive
ge-0/0/7 Actor No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Fast Active
ge-0/0/7 Partner No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Fast Passive
LACP protocol: Receive State Transmit State Mux State
ge-0/0/6 Current Fast periodic Collecting distributing
ge-0/0/7 Current Fast periodic Collecting distributing
Meaning
The output shows aex information, including the following information:
The LACP state—Indicates whether the link in the bundle is an actor.
The LACP mode—Indicates whether both ends of the aex are enabled (active or passive)—at least one end of the bundle must be active.
The periodic link aggregation control PDU transmit rate.
The LACP protocol state—Indicates the link is up if it is collecting and distributing packets.
Verify LACP on Standalone Devices
Verify LACP Statistics
Purpose
Display LACP statistics for aggregated Ethernet interfaces (aex).
Action
From operational mode, enter the show lacp statistics
interfaces ae0 command.
user@host> show lacp statistics interfaces ae0
Aggregated interface: ae0
LACP Statistics: LACP Rx LACP Tx Unknown Rx Illegal Rx
ge-2/0/0 1352 2035 0 0
ge-2/0/1 1352 2056 0 0
ge-2/2/0 1352 2045 0 0
ge-2/2/1 1352 2043 0 0
The output shows LACP statistics for each physical interface associated with the aex, such as the following:
The LACP-received counter that increments for each normal hello
The numbers of LACP transmit packet errors logged
The number of unrecognized packet errors logged
The number of invalid packets received
Use the following command to clear the statistics and see only new changes:
user@host# clear lacp statistics interfaces ae0
Verify LACP Aggregated Ethernet Interfaces
Purpose
Display LACP status information for aggregated Ethernet interfaces.
Action
From operational mode, enter the show lacp interfaces
ae0 command.
user@host> show lacp interfaces ae0
Aggregated interface: ae0
LACP state: Role Exp Def Dist Col Syn Aggr Timeout Activity
ge-2/0/0 Actor No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Fast Active
ge-2/0/0 Partner No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Fast Active
ge-2/0/1 Actor No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Fast Active
ge-2/0/1 Partner No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Fast Active
ge-2/2/0 Actor No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Fast Active
ge-2/2/0 Partner No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Fast Active
ge-2/2/1 Actor No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Fast Active
ge-2/2/1 Partner No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Fast Active
LACP protocol: Receive State Transmit State Mux State
ge-2/0/0 Current Fast periodic Collecting distributing
ge-2/0/1 Current Fast periodic Collecting distributing
ge-2/2/0 Current Fast periodic Collecting distributing
ge-2/2/1 Current Fast periodic Collecting distributing
The output shows aggregated Ethernet interface information, including the following information:
The LACP state—Indicates whether the link in the bundle is an actor (local or near-end of the link) or a partner (remote or far-end of the link).
The LACP mode—Indicates whether both ends of the aggregated Ethernet interface are enabled (active or passive)—at least one end of the bundle must be active.
The periodic link aggregation control PDU transmit rate.
The LACP protocol state—Indicates the link is up ifit is collecting and distributing packets.