Chapter 12 Configuring EtherChannels
EtherChannel Feature Configuration Guidelines and Restrictions
Understanding Port Channel Interfaces
Each EtherChannel has a numbered port channel interface. With Release 12.2(18)SXE and later releases, you can configure a maximum of 128
The configuration that you apply to the port channel interface affects all LAN ports assigned to the port channel interface.
After you configure an EtherChannel, the configuration that you apply to the port channel interface affects the EtherChannel; the configuration that you apply to the LAN ports affects only the LAN port where you apply the configuration. To change the parameters of all ports in an EtherChannel, apply the configuration commands to the port channel interface, for example, Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) commands or commands to configure a Layer 2 EtherChannel as a trunk.
Understanding Load Balancing
An EtherChannel balances the traffic load across the links in an EtherChannel by reducing part of the binary pattern formed from the addresses in the frame to a numerical value that selects one of the links in the channel.
EtherChannel load balancing can use MAC addresses or IP addresses. EtherChannel load balancing can also use Layer 4 port numbers. EtherChannel load balancing can use either source or destination or both source and destination addresses or ports. The selected mode applies to all EtherChannels configured on the router. EtherChannel load balancing can use MPLS Layer 2 information.
Use the option that provides the balance criteria with the greatest variety in your configuration. For example, if the traffic on an EtherChannel is going only to a single MAC address and you use the destination MAC address as the basis of EtherChannel load balancing, the EtherChannel always chooses the same link in the EtherChannel; using source addresses or IP addresses might result in better load balancing.
EtherChannel Feature Configuration Guidelines and Restrictions
When EtherChannel interfaces are configured improperly, they are disabled automatically to avoid network loops and other problems. To avoid configuration problems, observe these guidelines and restrictions:
•The commands in this chapter can be used on all LAN ports in Cisco 7600 series routers, including the ports on the supervisor engine and a redundant supervisor engine.
•Release 12.2(17b)SXA and later releases provide support for more than 1 Gbps of traffic per EtherChannel on the
•With Release 12.2(17a)SX and Release 12.2(17a)SX1, the
•The
Cisco 7600 Series Router Cisco IOS Software Configuration Guide, Release 12.2SX
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