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A5120 Stack + LACP

 
GilPhilbert
Advisor

A5120 Stack + LACP

Hi,

 

I'm trying to create what I think is a fairly simple set up. I've got a pair of A5120 switches (the non-10GbE ones) so I'm trying to create a stack across them. However, I'd like to have multiple 1GbE connections between the switches for bandwidth.

 

If I create the stack between the switches (using port 23/24) it works fine, but when I add the ports to an LACP group the stack dies. If I create the LACP group first, LACP works fine but the stack just won't create. Any ideas? I'm running out of ideas!

 

LACP Configuration

interface bridge-aggregation 1
link-aggregation mode dynamic
quit
interface GigabitEthernet 1/0/23
port link-aggregation group 1
quit
interface GigabitEthernet 1/0/24
port link-aggregation group 1
quit
interface bridge-aggregation 1
port link-type trunk
port trunk permit vlan all
quit

 

Stack configuration (Switch 1)

stack ip-pool 192.168.100.1 255.255.255.0
stack stack-port 1 port GigabitEthernet 1/0/23
stack role master

Stack (Switch 2)

stack stack-port 1 port GigabitEthernet 1/0/23

 Thanks

6 REPLIES 6
Fredrik Lönnman
Honored Contributor

Re: A5120 Stack + LACP

are you able to do "stack stack-port 1 port bridge-aggregation1"? If not, it might not be supported. You dont tell if its 5120EI or SI you're using, but the 5120SI can be IRF-lite stacked via 1G.

---
CCIE Service Provider
MASE Network Infrastructure [2011]
H3CSE
CCNP R&S

hansvb
Frequent Advisor

Re: A5120 Stack + LACP

Hi,

 

for the stacking to work you have to use the IRF-lite on the A5120SI,A5120EI version requires 10GbE

You don't need LACP on an IRF config, select interface on each member to be IRF port and configure these.

 

Best regards,

hans

AppXprt
Occasional Visitor

Re: A5120 Stack + LACP

I don't believe this is entirely true as you were able to cascade stack on the A5120 EI over Gigabit Ethernet as the original author mentioned and I have confirmed prior to the 2222 Firmware.

There is more to these units than meets the eye or in the documentation.

AppXprt
Occasional Visitor

Re: A5120 Stack + LACP

Hmmm, seeing here in the actual switch help:

[HP]stack stack-port 1 ?
port Port can be used for stack-port or aggregated with other ports as stack-port

They have it disabled and completely broken in the latest firmware release for NO REASON!

This is absolutely ridiculous because this is a standard feature in nearly ALL enterprise switches and I can tell you it was probably enabled, before HPE got ahold of these units. Their fix will likely be to alter the description of the above help prompt to remove the aggregated stacking language to match their firmware limitations that have been artifically imposed on these units.

AppXprt
Occasional Visitor

Re: A5120 Stack + LACP

Also, this is inaccurate, because the firmware for these switches have been distorted and mangled beyond belief:
https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docId=mmr_kc-0120644

Enabling NDP and NTDP does NOTHING to fix these issues, because the "HPE Engineers" have destroyed these firmwares to the point they're unusable by removing standard enterprise features.

I for one will NEVER buy another HPE product for as long as I live and will advise EVERY client against it and refuse your clients, because at this point its obvious HPE is not to be trusted in the slightest.

[HP]stack stack-port 1 ?
port Port can be used for stack-port or aggregated with other ports as
stack-port

[HP]stack stack-port 1 port ?

GigabitEthernet GigabitEthernet interface

 

So it says Aggregated ports can be used for stack, but only provides GigabitEthernet as stacking options which actually don't work anymore on the latest firmware!

This does nothing to resolve the issues as it was suggested:

[stack_0.253]ndp enable
[stack_0.253]ntdp enable
[stack_0.253]

Other Switch:
<HP>
#May 3 11:29:58:167 2000 HP SHELL/4/LOGIN:
Trap 1.3.6.1.4.1.25506.2.2.1.1.3.0.1: login from Console
%May 3 11:29:58:299 2000 HP SHELL/5/SHELL_LOGIN: Console logged in from aux0.
<HP>

parnassus
Honored Contributor

Re: A5120 Stack + LACP

Hi @AppXprt, please stop ranting on a 7 years old thread.

I strongly suggest you to open a new dedicated thread and then explain what is your scenario, what are your switches, their topology, what is your exact purpose (Stack for management vs IRF, It looks it's "Stack for management" purposes) and involved software levels and so on.

The only thing I'm thinking of is that "aggregated stack ports" could be eventually built as a "group of stack ports" with the command (Example with 2 stack ports, 1/0/1 and 1/0/2):

stack stack-port 2 port gigabitethernet 1/0/1 gigabitethernet 1/0/2

 

but I'm pretty much dubious about that...the above grouping (1/0/1 and 1/0/2 grouped as "stack ports"), IMHO, can't be considered as a Link Aggregation (say LACP or Static, doesn't matter) and it's not supported if both links are setup between the very same switch pair...INDEED this sentence is quite clear about it:

"Link aggregation is not supported on stack ports. Every two stack member can have only one physical stack link between them."

References here (Page 185, sheet 193 of 202).

The example on the guide explain why it will not work.

If you don't trust what documentation states you can try to do is:

  1. Switch A configure two ports as stack ports with the command above.
  2. Switch B configure two ports as stack ports with the command above.
  3. Connect first stack port of Switch A with first stack port of Switch B (this will be the first physical link between them).
  4. Display stack port status (display stack members) to ensure both switches joined the stack for management correctly.
  5. Connect second stack port of Switch A with second stack port of Switch B.
  6. Display stack port status (display stack members) to understand if the above second physical connection (SW A 1/0/2 to SW B 1/0/2) is breaking the previous working stack configuration.

Probably CLI help doesn't reflect correctly what are possible scenarios.


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