ESXi-IRF IP Hash on dedicated VLAN

[robyaps]

We have configured on an IRF fabric a VLAN for ESXi VMs of specific network.

We want to make Link Aggregation in ESXi (teaming with "Route based on IP Hash") and IRF with 2 IRF ports and 2 vmnic ports.

The VLAN is an isolated VLAN, created only for these physically separate VM transmission, so the traffic is untagged (no trunk or hybrid needed to pass other VLAN, all traffic must be ingres tagged 200 and egres untagged so that it remains in that VLAN internally to the switch, no routing needed fo that VLAN).

The ports used and therefore also the Bridge-Aggregation interface are all configured within the specified VLAN (200).

According to the HP document (pages 15 to 20)

http://h20195.www2.hp.com/v2/GetPDF.aspx%2F4AA4-4192ENW.pdf

we must configure IRF Bridge-Aggregation in trunk mode, the document say that for HP switches, the trunk is the only mode supported for ESXi IP Hash.

My doubt is that trunk mode for HP switches is different than trunk mode for IRF (Comeware).

We tried this:

system-view

interface bridge-aggregation 21

description aggr iface esxi11 dmz

quit

interface GigabitEthernet 1/0/39

port link-aggregation group 21

interface GigabitEthernet 2/0/39

port link-aggregation group 21

interface Bridge-Aggregation 21

port link-type trunk

port trunk pvid vlan 200

undo port trunk permit vlan 1

undo shutdown

quit

The commands to verify the Link Aggregation on IRF,  give me any outcome that seems ok, but with the command:

display link -aggregation summary

I do not see the connection to the peer (Partner ID = none) .

How can I be sure that the Link Aggregation Static is properly established and well funtioning between and point (ESXi - IRF) ?

Aggregation Interface Type:

BAGG -- Bridge-Aggregation, RAGG -- Route-Aggregation

Aggregation Mode: S -- Static, D -- Dynamic

Loadsharing Type: Shar -- Loadsharing, NonS -- Non-Loadsharing

Actor System ID: 0x8000, cc3e-5f40-b089

AGG         AGG       Partner ID               Select Unselect   Share

Interface   Mode                               Ports  Ports      Type

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BAGG21      S         none                     2      0          Shar

BAGG31      S         none                     2      0          Shar

BAGG101     D         0xffff, 2c44-fd84-8494   4      0          Shar

BAGG102     D         0xffff, 2c44-fd84-6540   4      0          Shar

BAGG103     D         0xffff, 2c44-fd84-9e1c   4      0          Shar

BAGG104     D         0xffff, 2c44-fd84-8648   4      0          Shar

Thank you in advance

[manuel.bitzi]

Hi robyaps

You can't.

As "Static" means in static link-aggregation that the links are configured fix. The state is only determed by the physical interface state UP/DOWN => selected/unselected. No control packets are transmitted between the partners.

You have to configure dynamic link aggregation (aka aktive LACP) to check the partner state. ESX supports LACP since version 5.1.

br

Manuel

[robyaps]

OK. LACP is not suported for vSS in ESXi also on 5.5 so we used static link 802.3ad.

So we can only check if this work (connection are stable) and using esxtop to see if all links in the link aggregation are used ?

There are other monitoring commands on IRF or ESXi to know if static link aggregation is working well ?

Thank you.

[manuel.bitzi]

LACP = 802.3ad

Use dynamic link aggregation on the switch and all works fine.

br

Manuel

[robyaps]

802.3ad now IEEE 802.1AX-2008, mean Link Aggregation, not LACP.

Link Aggregation can be 802.3ad Static and 802.3ad Dynamic (LACP). Also if vSphere support LACP only on Virtual Distributed Switch

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1001938

probably wil work also on Virtual Standard Switch, but is not supported. So if we will have performance or connectivity trouble, Cannot we ask VMWare support...

You try to configure LACP on Virtual Standard Switch ?