No More than one Uplink per Vnet?

[Nima Gh.]

When I try to put more than one uplink in a Flex-10 Network, other Uplink(s) become standby! I want to have more than one uplink input to the same network at a SINGLE Flex-10 Module! How could it be possible? Is there any way?

[David Claypool · Accepted solution]

No, this is by design.

[JKytsi]

You must use LACP on next switch to aggregate more bandwith. so YES you can add more links to same network.

[Steven Clementi]

I vouch... and have done this. It is even in the cookbook.


Assuming you have 2 connections from 1 switch to 1 VC module, you would configure your switch with a port-channel / trunk / and configure it for LACP (Link Aggregation Control Protocol)

You would then do the same with your other module, 2 connections from 1 switch, configure for LACP.

The only way to get both sets of connections to be "active/active" would be to utilize them in separate Network Profiles that you configure in the VCM. If you create a Shared Uplink Set with both sets, 1 set will be active, the other set standby).


Steven

[Nima Gh.]

I want to receive the aggregated traffic from switch in ONE VCNet. then it would be impossible to receive the port-channeled traffic with a pair of uplinks of VC Module! Isn't it?

[Steven Clementi]

If the pair of links are in a port channel and connected to the same VC module... yes.

You can not port channel links to different VC Modules... well, you probably can... but the bandwidth won't ever aggregate since one port will always be standby.

If you connect a pair of links to one VC Module and another pair of links to the other module (total of 4 links)...

...you will have aggregate bandwidth on either VC module, but not across all 4 links.. only 2 links. All 4 links CAN be in the same v-net! (but 2 links will be standby)

Steven

[Nima Gh.]

I changed this settings:
Set VC ethernet settings to: MAC cache failover=5 and VLAN Tunneling. I also marked the vNet Smart Link Option.
@Switch Side: I enabled LLDP and LACP for interfaces and created a port-channel.

It worked! Both Uplinks are Linked/Active now!

But, If I try to connect two NICs of an external server to the uplinks, it fails! Is there any trick to do it without the need for a switch?

[JKytsi]

You can't add two NICs to _same_ vNet. You must create same network with different name for another NIC.

NIC1 vnet_A LACP to switch A
NIC2 vnet_B LACP to switch B(or A)

[Nima Gh.]

What I exactly want is to include a couple of Uplinks into the same VCNet and on the other hand, to put the other end of the cords DIRECTLY to 10G Ethernet Ports of an external server (and not switch). It seems to be impossible to do this unless I try to separate the VCNets or Somehow enable LACP on external server! Unfortunately, the latter one is not possible since I turn off the OS access to the NICs and operate on my own direct card access mode.

[rick jones]

Which actual VC/Flex-10 features are you trying to use that prevent you from simply using a 6120 switch module?

[Nima Gh.]

The Reasons:
1. I need to have at least 5 ports and Prorcurve cannot handle FlexNIC partitioning!
2. I am using both LOMs and Mezzanine Ports. then for each mezzanine port do I need to obtain one or more extra procurve switch?
3. It seems that Flex-10 and Procurve are not stackable! are they?

Any comments?

[JKytsi]

"What I exactly want is to include a couple of Uplinks into the same VCNet and on the other hand"

I have told how to do this

" to put the other end of the cords DIRECTLY to 10G Ethernet Ports of an external server (and not switch). "

This can not be done, VC needs active device eg. switch to be connected.

[The Brit]

Connecting directly from external system to a Flex10 module (i.e. with no intevening switch) would require a cross-over cable if it was possible at all.

I had a situation where an external server was connected directly to a port on a 1/10G VC Ethernet module, however it was connected with a crossover cable (VC module is NOT a switch). And it was connected to a port which was NOT part of an uplink set.

I dont know if there is such a thing as a 10G crossover cable! (maybe that's a stupid statement??)

Dave

[rick jones]

Cross-over cables have not been required for "compliant" Ethernet since the days of 100BT. These days it is all sorted automagically.

As for mixing Flex-10 and 6120, yes, one can have Flex-10 and ProCurve 6120's in the same chassis. Things should still match in the horizontal direction.

[Steven Clementi]

"(VC module is NOT a switch)."

An unconfigured VC module will pass all traffic on it's internal facing ports to any connected external facing ports (and vice versa)... acting like a simple switch (a very simple switch), though there is no other functionality like on a reqular switch.


Steven

[rick jones]

That would be "almost a hub" :)

[Nima Gh.]

I tried! But I cannot stack VC and Pass-thru!

[Nima Gh.]

and Procurve as well!

[rick jones]

"stack vc and pass thru" - what exactly do you mean by that?

Also, to have Flex-10 VC and other 10G Ethernet modules in the same chassis, where the "other" Ethernet modules are connected to Flex-10 capabable mezz cards you should be on the latest VC firmware - IIRC that is 3.10 right now. There was a bug in the older VC Flex-10 firmware where it would reach-out and touch all the Flex-10 capable 10 GbE NICs it saw, whether they were connected to a Flex-10 or not.

[Nima Gh.]

A New Case:

I want to share a 20Gbps traffic between a c3000 chassis and a c7000 chassis!
I need servers at both c3000 and c7000 to be in the same collision domain! Is it true to connect pair of uplinks (both @ same vnet) from c7000 to the pair of uplinks (both @ same vnet) @ c3000, to share this traffic??

[Nima Gh.]

I solved the problem by stacking a couple of c-7000 enclosures and making a greater domain.