Teaming NIC

[Wanda_5]

hi. i am implementing redundancy on our network and i was wondering if there is a software for Unix for teaming NICs? Found a few for windows (NICExpress.. etc..) but not for unix.. can you suggest anything? hope you can help..

Thanks!

[Mei Jiao · Accepted solution]

Hi I'm not sure if this is the one, but you may check it out:

"HP Auto Port Aggregation" (or HP APA)
http://www.software.hp.com/portal/swdepot/displayProductInfo.do?productNumber=J4240AA

[Krishnan Viswanathan]

APA allows you to aggregate or trunk several LAN interfaces of the same type to a "big" pipe. It also allows for NIC failover.

If you are using M/C Serviceguard at your site, you can also consider using it, but that is little expensive

[Shaikh Imran]

Hi,

Yes APA software will do for you but it's a priced product.

Also i think you must have the cards capable for that software e.g. 4 port pci cards or 2 port pci cards etc..,

Regards,

[Wanda_5]

thanks.. APA uses a single IP for the aggregated ports, right? if i connect the aggregated ports to two separate switches for redundancy purposes, this will create loops. would you advice to enable STP or are there any better ways to implement this?

[rick jones]

It is not necessary to use dual or four-port NICs with APA, although one can certainly use them. APA will work just fine with single-port NICs. The only restriction is that the NICs in an aggregate must all be of the same type - ie all 100BT or all Gigabit.

As for connecting to two switches at once, that is handled by the aggregation protocols (eg LACP). Also, IIRC (perhaps this has changed) when connecting to separate switches, the mode will be active-standby - links to one switch will be active, links to the other switch will be standby.

Probably more about that in the APA manuals online at docs.hp.com.

[Wanda_5]

Thank you all! this will definitely help me.