Trunk link to server from HP 9300

[Jonathan Axford]

Hi Guys,

I am having a few problems setting up trunked links to a couple of servers. I have an HP 9308 running 07.8.00a and we are using Dell Poweredge servers running Windows 2003 enterprise.

The servers are setup with 2 internal network cards and these connections are 'bridged' from within windows. (NOT using any 3rd party Software)

How should i configure the switch in order to make this function correctly? Do i need to set up a 'Server' trunk? Or Not? I am unsure how Windows itself configures the trunk....

Any help much appreciated,

Cheers

[Sergej Gurenko]

ASAIK windows 2003 network bridge is not a high performance feature. (http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsServer/en/Library/8c6c4acb-49db-4d8a-844f-1fe31c4b2ded1033.mspx)
This will probably ensure some redundancy (via blocking one link by spanning tree) You do not need to configure anything other than STP on the switch side.

I recommend you to use advanced vendor drivers (and vendor NIC config tool) to get a maximum benefits.

[Matt Hobbs]

I wrote same thing up!

Oh well here it is again:

Hi Jonathon,

The bridging feature in 2003 enterprise is primarily used to join two different types of networks together. If you bridge 2 NICs together and connect them to the same switch, the bridging feature within 2003 uses spanning-tree and will block the redundant link.

http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsServer/f/?en/Library/115693ea-af30-4a12-b8ed-65694d4e4da21033.mspx

What you need to do is find whatever teaming software it is for your NICs, PROSet for Intel or BASP for Broadcom NICs... check on the Dell site for whatever model server you have.

Once installed I would create an 802.3ad (LACP) team on the NICs, and then follow the 802.3ad section of the 9300 manual from page 7-27 onwards - ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/networking/software/9300m-Install-Jun2005-59906028-Chap07.pdf

Hope this helps,

Matt

[Jonathan Axford]

Hi Guys,

I have been looking into it a bit further and it appears that we do use Intel PROSET to create an adapter team on some of the servers.

I am getting them all changed to be like this and not use the Bridging feature. (I had a feeling this wasn't the best way of doing it...)

I have set one of the teams up in 802.3ad dynamic mode and used the following commands on the HP switch :

link-aggr active
link-aggr conf type server
link-aggr conf key 10000

I have used these commands on both of the interfaces that are plugged into the server.

Is this the correct way of doing things?

[Matt Hobbs]

I've never tried it myself but that command should be okay.

I would probably go with the LACP passive method:

ProCurveRS(config)# interface ethernet 1/5 to 1/8
ProCurveRS(config-mif-1/5-1/8)# link-aggregate passive

This is the default of how the rest of the ProCurve family operates (2600/2800/5300).

So straight out of the box, all I've ever had to do when using those switches is just configure the server end for 802.3ad (which goes into lacp active) and the switch will automatically create the trunk group.

[Sergej Gurenko]

Please hold on.
There is several Teaming methods. Some of the methods do not require ANY switch configuration. I recommend you to use these methods (e.g. ALB). Just read whole help for Intel NIC config tool on teaming. Everything explained in details.

Adaptive Load Balancing (ALB)
Offers increased network bandwidth by allowing transmission over 2-8 ports to multiple destination addresses, and also incorporates Adapter Fault Tolerance. Only the primary receives incoming traffic. Only the primary transmits broadcasts/multicasts and non routed protocols. The ANS software load balances transmissions, based on Destination Address, and can be used with any switch. Simultaneous transmission only occurs at multiple addresses Implemented in Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows* Server 2003, and Windows NT 4; NetWare 4.11 and above; UnixWare 7.x with ddi8; and Linux. This mode can be connected to any switch.

More info:
http://www.intel.com/support/network/sb/cs-009747.htm