Using LACP for 3 lines between 5412zl and 3500yl switches

[James81]

Hi all,

I'm currently trying to configure a 3 x 1Gbe fibre link aggregation between an 8pt SFP module in our 5412zl and a 3500yl switch.

I have the 3 links in the last three ports on the SFP module (6/7/8) and in the last three dual personality ports in the 3500yl (22/23/24).   Via the GUI on both switches, I've created a trunk and made the relevant ports members, as well as tagging the relevant VLANs required.

Connecting everything up, traffic flows as expected so it works... however I can't get it to light up all three ports at once.  Plugging / unplugging the various patch leads and transceivers doesn't seem to produce any results I can understand... I'll either end up with one active link or two, never all three.

Here are the relevant config lines from each switch.  I haven't set any LACP active/passive settings and am wondering if that is my downfall at the moment...

5412zl:

trunk L6-L8 trk117 lacp
interface L6
   name "BS-117-01"
   exit
interface L7
   name "BS-117-02"
   exit
interface L8
   name "BS-117-03"
   exit
spanning-tree Trk117 priority 4

3500yl:

trunk 22-24 Trk1 LACP
spanning-tree Trk1 priority 4

Any thoughts / feedback would be appreciated.

Cheers,

James

[parnassus]

What is the output of show trunk, show lacp and show vlan CLI commands executed on both Switches?

Which Firmware versions your two Switches are running on? what exact procedure did you follow to create the Port Trunking between the two?

[James81]

Thanks for the reply parnassus.  Here are the details you're after:

---

HP 5412zl - fw ver K.16.02.0012
------------------------
show trunk

Load Balancing Method: L3-based (default)
Port | Name Type | Group Type
------ + -------------------------------- ---------- + ------ --------
F22 | Fibre to MJH - MP 1000SX | Trk1 LACP
F24 | Fibre to MJH - MP 1000SX | Trk1 LACP
L6 | BS-117-01 1000SX | Trk117 LACP
L7 | BS-117-02 1000SX | Trk117 LACP
L8 | BS-117-03 1000SX | Trk117 LACP

show lacp

LACP Trunk Port LACP Admin Oper
Port Enabled Group Status Partner Status Key Key
----- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------ ------
F22 Active Trk1 Up Yes Success 0 290
F24 Active Trk1 Up Yes Success 0 290
L6 Active Trk117 Down No Success 0 406
L7 Active Trk117 Up Yes Success 0 406
L8 Active Trk117 Up Yes Success 0 406

show vlan
Status and Counters - VLAN Information

Maximum VLANs to support : 256
Primary VLAN : MANAGEMENT
Management VLAN :

VLAN ID Name | Status Voice Jumbo
------- -------------------------------- + ---------- ----- -----
1 MANAGEMENT | Port-based No No
2 CORPORATE | Port-based No No
3 GATEWAY | Port-based No No
11 DMZ | Port-based No No
15 Voice | Port-based Yes No
17 BS - LL | Port-based No No
20 SERVERS | Port-based No No
21 TEST Environment | Port-based No No
40 BS_HILAC | Port-based No No
95 BS-MJH-MP Fibre | Port-based No No
100 BS - Storage Network | Port-based No Yes
119 Wireless | Port-based No No
120 BROWNST | Port-based No No

---

HP 3500yl - fw ver K.15.02.0005
------------------------
show trunk

Load Balancing

Port | Name Type | Group Type
---- + -------------------------------- --------- + ------ --------
22 | 1000SX | Trk1 LACP
23 | 1000SX | Trk1 LACP
24 | 1000SX | Trk1 LACP

show lacp

PORT LACP TRUNK PORT LACP LACP
NUMB ENABLED GROUP STATUS PARTNER STATUS
---- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------
22 Active Trk1 Down No Success
23 Active Trk1 Up Yes Success
24 Active Trk1 Up Yes Success

show vlan
VLAN ID Name | Status Voice Jumbo
------- -------------------------------- + ---------- ----- -----
1 MANAGEMENT | Port-based No No
15 Voice | Port-based Yes No
17 LL_BS | Port-based No No
117 LL_LAN | Port-based No No
119 Wireless | Port-based No No

---

Steps taken to set up trunk/LACP:

• Plugged in transceivers on 5412, used GUI to add the ports to Trk117 (Interface menu - Port Info/Config - selected port - Change on Port Properties - changed Trunk Type to LACP and Trunk Group to Trk117).
• Configured VLANs on Trk117 as required
• Connected patch leads on 5412 
• Plugged in transceivers on 3500, used GUI to add ports to Trk1 as there was no option for Trk117.  Same method as above. 
• Configured VLANs on Trk1 as required
• Connected patch leads and tested link.  Connectivity worked straight away, but there was always 1 port not lit up and showing as 'Down' on the switch.  Swapped patch leads / transceivers / other to see if it was a physical failure, but nothing consistently tested as not working.

After doing some further digging on my own, I did find an old HP document  that mentions using specific starting ports.  I also wonder if I should be using a group of 4 ports, even if I'm only using 3.  

My current list of things to try next is:

1. Update firmware on the 3500yl to 16.02.0017
2. Triple check all transceivers and cables for fault
3. Create a 4 port trunk on both ends, leaving a spare port, and see what happens

The biggest issue is that it's a live link between buildings so my maintenance window is limited... I was hoping to get some useful feedback to help me minimise downtime in testing / making changes, but worst comes to worst I can just break it all and try what I need to.

[Vince-Whirlwind]

You need to isolate why the F23-L6 link isn't coming up.

1. swap transceiver from F22 to F23. Any change? Revert.
2. swap patch lead from F22 to F23 (only the switch end - don't swap the patch panel end). Any change? Revert.

[parnassus]

1. It's a good idea (on the HP ProCurve 3500yl the K.15.02 software version is more or less 7 years old, isn't it?).
2. Good way to test too (show tech transceivers CLI command should help in that too).
3. It shouldn't be *so* relevant (a three member ports' Port Trunking Group should be OK too).

[James81]

Thanks Vince.  The F22/F24 links are actually part of another trunk, which works fine.  It's the 5412zl-L6 <-> 3500yl-22 which is part of the three link trunk which is currently down.

If I swap and change transceivers / cables, I'll end up with one or two active links.  When I initially tested, I couldn't find any one point of failure - I could make any single line work by unplugging the other two.  I was doing it solo though and it was late at night, so I may have missed something...   As I suggested, I will go through and triple check all physical devices to make sure they all work.

[James81]

Parnassus - pretty much mirroring my thoughts there too.  The firmware is ancient so it was first on my list.  The transceivers all detect and work individually, so I didn't see too much of an issue there.   The 3vs4 port trunk was just a thought...

I've scheduled a maintenance window for next week, so I'll jump in then and try all the above and see what happens.  Either way, I'll update the thread once I find out.

[parnassus]

What is a little bit strange, specifically referring to the 5412zl (no data to infer about 3500yl from what you posted), is that both LACP Admin/Operational keys associated with Port Trunking Group Trk117 - L6-L8 member ports - differ (Admin Key = 0 versus Operational Key = 406) instead being the same (if you performed a Dynamic LACP configuration they should be the same)...

      LACP    Trunk   Port            LACP    Admin  Oper
Port  Enabled Group   Status  Partner Status  Key    Key       
----- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------ ------
F22   Active  Trk1    Up      Yes     Success 0      290
F24   Active  Trk1    Up      Yes     Success 0      290
L6    Active  Trk117  Down    No      Success 0      406
L7    Active  Trk117  Up      Yes     Success 0      406
L8    Active  Trk117  Up      Yes     Success 0      406

Probably if I were you I'll try those two CLI commands:

int L6-L8 lacp active
int L6-L8 lacp key 406

to let (a) the LACP to be active and (b) the Admin and Operational LACP keys to match.

[James81]

I'll add that to my list of things to do as well.  Do I need to set the 3500yl end to be passive, or will active on the 5412 be enough?

[Vince-Whirlwind]

Why not get rid of LACP and just configure these as "trunk"? LACP is pointless - if the link isn't up, then the "trunk" at the other end won't try to use it.

I had a pair of 5412s with dozens of 5406s uplinked off them and when I upgraded to the earliest version of K.16 I never had any trouble with my link aggregation.

Mind you, all my link aggregations were either 2 or 4 members, from memory.