topic Re: APA configuration server to switch connection in Operating System - HP-UX

APA configuration server to switch connection

Olga_1 — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 16:47:07 GMT

Hello,

We will be configuring APA on out 11.23 HP itanium server.
Since we have a server to switch connection we have picked FEC_AUTO mode.

As per HP: switches' trunking mode should be configured to match the mode being used on the server: Cisco Fast EtherChannel (FEC_AUTO).

We could setup FastEtherChannel on a switch, but Cisco Fast EtherChannel can only aggregate ethernet ports within the same switch.
this would mean that both your HP server network adapters have to connect to the same core switch. This means single point of failure.

Is there any solution for this?
Can we have NIC cards connected to 2 different switches and set up APA?

Sorry for the long message.

Thank you.

Re: APA configuration server to switch connection

Steven E. Protter — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 17:24:30 GMT

Shalom,

My understanding was that you are better off using one switch with the same router firmware and ios on it.

Yes the switch is a single point of failure but this decreases the likelyhood of APA being disrupted and dropping your system of the network altogether.

Todays switchs are pretty reliable from the power supply and cooling stand point. Normally the only moving part is the fan.

SEP

Re: APA configuration server to switch connection

rick jones — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 21:15:40 GMT

Unless your switch(es) don't support the de jure IEEE standard LACP (802.3ad IIRC) you should in my opinion stay away from the proprietary modes and stick with the de jure standard ones.

WRT multiple switches, what you want I believe is called "meshing" in LACP speak. Last I checked, APA would allow an aggregate to span switches, but it would be active/standby - ports to one switch would be active, ports to the other would be standby. I don't recall when/if they said that APA would add support for full meshing - ie active/active across both switches.

Of course the switches themselves must support it.

I would suggest delving into the APA manuals online at http://docs.hp.com/

Re: APA configuration server to switch connection

Olga_1 — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 09:43:12 GMT

Thank you, Rick and Steven.

I have another question:
If we have 3 NIC cards, can set up, so NIC#1 and NIC#2 will be connected to the same switch #1 and configured for APA load balancing with FEC_AUTO mode (lan0+lan1=lan900)-primary
and NIC#3 will be connected to switch #2 and will be configured as HOT-stanby for lan900?

Thank you.

Re: APA configuration server to switch connection

Olga_1 — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 11:58:22 GMT

Thank you, I found a solution:
LAN Monitor