configure 2nd NIC, if first one fails, then auto switch to 2nd

[Basheer_2]

Hello Friends
HP-UX 11i
L2000
No MC/Service Guard

Current system has 1 NIC 10/100 - lan0 - configured and working fine.

Added 2nd NIC 10/100/1000 - lan1

want to make 10/100/1000 as the main NIC and if it fails, automatically switch to 10/100 NIC

1) Is this possible - without MC/SG
2) how can I do this.
How to configure 2 NIC cards with 1 Address for redundancy

lanscan shows

Hardware Station Crd Hdw Net-Interface NM MAC HP-DLPI DLPI
Path Address In# State NamePPA ID Type Support Mjr#
0/0/0/0 0x001083FAF59E 0 UP lan0 snap0 1 ETHER Yes 119
0/1/0/0 0x00306E0F7AD5 1 UP lan1 snap1 2 ETHER Yes 119


Thanks
Basheer

[melvyn burnard]

You could look at AP (Auto Port Aggregation) software.
Take a look here:
http://docs.hp.com/en/netcom.html#Auto%20Port%20Aggregation%20%28APA%29

[Kent Ostby]

Basheer --

I don't believe this will work without either Serviceguard or a similar clustering product.

[Bill Hassell]

There is no automatic way to do this without AutoPort Aggregation (APA). Switching LANs is a rather severe series of tasks given the kinds of activities that may depend on the network. Also, defining what is a failure is quite difficult...it may be loss of the connection (switch failure or someone disables the switch port, LAN cable unplugged or broken), or it could be that the LAN card stops functioning but this may not be easy to determine without diagnostics. You'll need to purchase the APA product and then look at redundant switches that support a common IP address protocol (for just such a situation)

[Mauro Gatti]

If you have will... you could make a script that use linkloop to check NIC connectivity and, if it fails, to configure other nic.
Keep in mind if you have to access to your IP via router it could be problems given by router arp caching.

[jamesps]

Is the APA software free or is there a trial for it?

Thanks,
james

[Patrick Wallek]

No, APA is *NOT* free and there is not trial version that I know of.

[Basheer_2]

Ok thanks for all.

without APA, no Fault-tolerance and NO load-balancing.
we are not BUY-ing it now.

Then
1) How do I make Gbit card active
2) Disable the working 10/100

Thanks
Basheer

[Mel Burslan · Accepted solution]

assuming lan0 is working and lan1 is your non-working gbit lan

(while you are on the system console)

# ifconfig lan0

you will get something like this:

lan0: flags=843
inet 14.2.69.21 netmask fffffc00 broadcast 14.2.71.255

then

# ifconfig lan0 down


after that

# ifconfig lan1 inet 14.2.69.21 netmask 0xfffffc00 up

this way above is how to make this happen on the fly.

to permanently do the change

edit /etc/rc.config.d/netconf

find the block definition of lan0 (6-7 lines)

change lan0 to lan1

# /sbin/init.d/net stop
# /sbin/init.d/net start

Hope this helps

[Basheer_2]

Thanks Merslan

one more Q

1) I think this can NOT be done on-line when users are connected

am I right

Thanks

[Mel Burslan]

Unfortunately not.

when you do either

ifconfig lan0 down

or

/sbin/init.d/net stop

everyone connected to that IP address will get disconnected.

[Bill Hassell]

As mentioned, you will lose *every* connection (including the one you are using to turn off the old card and turn on the new card). So this will only work if you are using the REAL console serial port or GSP LAN connection. Without special purpose software, you'll have to live with the loss of all connections until someone can connect to the console and re-plumb the network pipes.

[Basheer_2]

Bill,
Thanks a lot

You mentioned a very important step that this is done using console only.

I was planning to do from home ( now I can NOT do this) I have to be in front of console

[Devender Khatana]

Hi,

If your system do have a MP/GSP card and you can log onto console using that then it can be done remotely as well.

Your remote connection will not be disabled after bringing lan0 down as you are connected through MP/GSP card and not lan0.

HTH,
Devender