10-2
Ethernet Card Software Feature and Configuration Guide, R7.2
January 2009
Chapter 10 Configuring Link Aggregation
Configuring EtherChannel
Each ML100T-12 supports up to six FECs and one POS channel. Each ML100X-8 support s up to four
FECs and one POS channel. A maximum of four Fast Ethernet ports can bundle into one Fast Ethernet
Channel (FEC) and provide bandwidth scalability up to 400-Mbps full-duplex Fast Ethernet.
Each ML1000-2 supports up to two port channels, including the PO S channel. A maximum of two
Gigabit Ethernet ports can bundle into one Gigabit Ethernet Cha nnel (FEC) and provide 2-Gbps
full-duplex aggregate capacity on the ML1000-2.
Caution The EtherChannel interface is the Layer 2/Layer 3 interface. Do not enable La yer 3 addresses on the
physical interfaces. Do not assign bridge groups on the physical interfaces because doing so creates
loops.
Caution Before a physical interface is removed from an EtherChannel (port channel) interface, the physical
interface must be disabled. To disable a physical interface, use the shutdown command in interface
configuration mode.
Note Link aggregation across multiple ML-Series cards is not supported.
Note Policing is not supported on port channel interfaces.
Note The ML-Series does not support the routing of Subnetwork Access Protocol (SNAP) or Inter-Switch
Link (ISL) encapsulated frames.
Configuring EtherChannel
You can configure an FEC or a GEC by creating an EtherChannel interface (port channel) and assigning
a network IP address. All interfaces that are members o f a FEC or a GEC should have the same link
parameters, such as duplex and speed.
To create an EtherChannel interface, perform the following procedure, beginning in global configuration
mode:
Command Purpose
Step 1 Router(config)# interface port-channel
channel-number
Creates the EtherChannel interface. You can
configure up to 6 FECs on the ML100T-12, 4
FECs on the ML100X-8, and 1 GEC on the
ML1000-2.
Step 2 Router(config-if)# ip address
ip-address
subnet-mask
Assigns an IP address and subnet mask to the
EtherChannel interface (required only for Layer 3
EtherChannel).
Step 3 Router(config-if)# end Exits to privileged EXEC mode.
Step 4 Router# copy running-config startup-config (Optional) Saves configuration changes to
NVRAM.