Administering Link Aggregations

This section covers different procedures for configuring and administering link aggregations. Note that some steps in the procedures are common between configuring trunk aggregations and DLMP aggregations. Steps that are unique to either type are pointed out.

How to Create a Link Aggregation
How to Switch Between Link Aggregation Types
How to Modify a Trunk Aggregation
How to Add a Link to an Aggregation
How to Remove a Link From an Aggregation
How to Delete a Link Aggregation

How to Create a Link Aggregation

Before You Begin

Note - Link aggregation only works on full-duplex, point-to-point links that operate at identical speeds. Make sure that the interfaces in your aggregation conform to this requirement.

If you are using a switch in your aggregation topology and you are creating a trunk aggregation, make sure that you have done the following on the switch:

Configured the ports to be used as an aggregation
If the switch supports LACP, configured LACP in either active mode or passive mode

These prerequisites do not apply to DLMP aggregations.

Become an administrator.
For more information, see How to Use Your Assigned Administrative Rights in Oracle Solaris 11.1 Administration: Security Services.
To determine which datalinks to aggregate, display datalink information.
```
# dladm show-link
```
Make sure that the datalink which you are configuring into an aggregation is not opened by any application.
For example, if an IP interface is created over the datalink, remove the IP interface first.
1. To determine whether a link is being used by any application, examine the output of the ipadm show-if command.
```
# ipadm show-if
IFNAME       CLASS        STATE     ACTIVE     OVER
lo0          loopback     ok        yes        --
net0         ip           ok        no         --
```
  The output indicates that an IP interface exists over the datalink net0.
2. To remove the IP interface, type the following command:
```
# ipadm delete-ip interface
```
  where interface specifies the IP interface over the link.
Create a link aggregation by issuing one of the following commands:
- To create a trunk aggregation, issue the following command:
```
# dladm create-aggr [-f] [-P policy]  [-L lacpmode] \
 [-T time] [-u address] -l link1 -l link2 [...] aggr
```
  -f
  
  Forces the creation of the aggregation. Use this option when you are attempting to aggregate devices that do not support link state notification.
  
  -P policy
  
  Specifies the load balancing policy for the aggregation.
  
  -L lacpmode
  
  Specifies the mode of LACP if it is used, which can be off, active, or passive. See Aggregation LACP Mode and Switches.
  
  -T time
  
  Specifies the time for the LACP.
  
  -u address
  
  Specifies fixed unicast address for the aggregation.
  
  -l linkn
  
  Specifies the datalinks that you want to aggregate.
  
  aggr
  
  Specifies the name of the aggregation, which can be any customized name. For rules for assigning names, see Rules for Valid Link Names in Introduction to Oracle Solaris 11 Networking.
- To create a DLMP aggregation, issue the following command:
```
# dladm create-aggr -m haonly -l link1 -l link2 [...] aggr
```
  -l linkn
  
  Specifies the datalinks that you want to aggregate.
  
  aggr
  
  Specifies the name of the aggregation.
(Optional) Check the status of the aggregation you just created.
```
# dladm show-aggr
```
The aggregation's state should be UP.
Perform further configuration of the aggregation, such as creating IP interfaces, VNICs, and so on.

Example 2-1 Creating a Trunk Aggregation

This example shows the commands how to create a link aggregation with two underlying datalinks, net0 and net1. The aggregation is also configured to transmit LACP packets. The example begins with the removal of existing IP interfaces over the underlying datalinks.

# ipadm show-if
IFNAME       CLASS        STATE     ACTIVE     OVER
lo0          loopback     ok        yes        --
net0         ip           ok        no         --
net1         ip           ok        no         --

# ipadm delete-ip net0
# ipadm delete-ip net1
# dladm create-aggr -L active -l net0 -l net1 aggr0

# dladm show-aggr
LINK    MODE      POLICY   ADDRPOLICY     LACPACTIVITY   LACPTIMER
aggr0   standard  L4       auto           on             short

Example 2-2 Creating a DLMP Aggregation

This example shows how to create a DLMP aggregation. The aggregation has three underlying datalinks.

# dladm create-aggr -m haonly -l net0 -l net1 -l net2 aggr0
# dladm show-link
LINK      CLASS     MTU     STATE   BRIDGE     OVER
net0      phys      1500    up      --         ----
net1      phys      1500    up      --         ----
net2      phys      1500    up      --         ----
aggr0     aggr      1500    up      --         net0, net1, net2

# dladm show-aggr
LINK    MODE       POLICY  ADDRPOLICY      LACPACTIVITY   LACPTIMER
aggr0   haonly     --      ----            ---            ----

How to Switch Between Link Aggregation Types

To switch aggregation types between a trunk aggregation and a DLMP aggregation, you use the dladm modify-aggr command to modify the aggregation's mode. Note that switching the type of an aggregation changes the entire configuration. Thus, this procedure affects the aggregation in a more comprehensive way than simply modifying other link aggregation properties.

Become an administrator.
For more information, see How to Use Your Assigned Administrative Rights in Oracle Solaris 11.1 Administration: Security Services.
Determine the current type of link aggregation.
```
# dladm show-aggr
```
The output's MODE field indicates the current type of the aggregation. The value of MODE is either standard if for a trunk aggregation, or haonly for a DLMP aggregation.
Switch the aggregation to a DLMP aggregation.
```
# dladm modify-aggr -m mode aggr
```
where mode is standard if you are switching to a trunk aggregation, or haonly if you are switching to a DLMP aggregation.
Perform adjustments to the switch according to the requirements of the new type of link aggregation.
(Optional) Display the link aggregation configuration.
```
# dladm show-aggr
```

Example 2-3 Switching From a Trunk Aggregation to a DLMP Aggregation

This example shows how to change an aggregation from a trunk aggregation to a DLMP aggregation.

# dladm show-aggr
LINK    MODE       POLICY  ADDRPOLICY      LACPACTIVITY   LACPTIMER
aggr0   standard   L2      auto            active         short

# dladm modify-aggr -m haonly aggr0
# dladm show-aggr
LINK    MODE       POLICY  ADDRPOLICY      LACPACTIVITY   LACPTIMER
aggr0   haonly     --      ----            -----          ----

Next, on the switch side, the previous switch configuration that previously applied to a trunk aggregation would be removed.

How to Modify a Trunk Aggregation

This procedure shows how to modify selected attributes of a trunk aggregation only. These attributes are not supported in DLMP aggregations.

Become an administrator.
For more information, see How to Use Your Assigned Administrative Rights in Oracle Solaris 11.1 Administration: Security Services.
Modify the policy of the aggregation.
```
# dladm modify-aggr -P policy aggr
```
policy

Represents one or more of the policies L2, L3, and L4, as explained in Policies and Load Balancing.

aggr

Specifies the aggregation whose policy you want to modify.
Modify the LACP mode of the aggregation.
```
# dladm modify-aggr -L lacpmode -T time aggr
```
-L lacpmode

Indicates the LACP mode in which the aggregation is to run. The values are active, passive, and off.

-T time

Indicates the LACP timer value, either short or long.

aggr

Specifies the aggregation whose policy you want to modify.

Example 2-4 Modifying a Trunk Aggregation

This example shows how to modify the policy of link aggregation aggr0 to L2 and then turn on active LACP mode.

# dladm modify-aggr -P L2 aggr0
# dladm modify-aggr -L active -T short aggr0
# dladm show-aggr
LINK    MODE       POLICY  ADDRPOLICY      LACPACTIVITY   LACPTIMER
aggr0   standard   L2      auto            active         short

How to Add a Link to an Aggregation

Become an administrator.
For more information, see How to Use Your Assigned Administrative Rights in Oracle Solaris 11.1 Administration: Security Services.
Ensure that the link you want to add has no IP interface that is plumbed over the link.
```
# ipadm delete-ip interface
```
where interface is the IP interface configured over the datalink.
Add the link to the aggregation.
```
# dladm add-aggr -l link [-l link] [...] aggr
```
where link represents a datalink that you are adding to the aggregation and aggr is the name of the aggregation.
(For trunk aggregations only) If the link aggregation does not have LACP configured, then reconfigure the switch to accommodate the additional datalinks.
Refer to the switch documentation to perform any reconfiguration tasks on the switch.

Example 2-5 Adding a Link to an Aggregation

This example shows how to add a link to the aggregation aggr0.

# dladm show-link
LINK     CLASS     MTU     STATE     BRODGE   OVER
net0     phys      1500    up        --       ----
net1     phys      1500    up        --       ----
aggr0    aggr      1500    up        --       net0, net1
net3     phys      1500    up        --       ----

# ipadm delete-ip net3
# dladm add-aggr -l net3 aggr0
# dladm show-link
LINK     CLASS     MTU     STATE     BRIDGE   OVER
net0     phys      1500    up        --       ----
net1     phys      1500    up        --       ----
aggr0    aggr      1500    up        --       net0, net1, net3
net3     phys      1500    up        --       ----

How to Remove a Link From an Aggregation

Become an administrator.
For more information, see How to Use Your Assigned Administrative Rights in Oracle Solaris 11.1 Administration: Security Services.
Remove a link from an aggregation.
```
# dladm remove-aggr -l link aggr
```

Example 2-6 Removing a Link From an Aggregation

This example shows how to remove a link from the aggregation aggr0.

dladm show-link
LINK     CLASS     MTU     STATE     OVER
net0     phys      1500    up        --       ----
net1     phys      1500    up        --       ----
aggr0    aggr      1500    up        --       net0, net1, net3
net3     phys      1500    up        --       ----

# dladm remove-aggr -l net3 aggr0
# dladm show-link
LINK     CLASS     MTU     STATE     BRIDGE   OVER
net0     phys      1500    up        --       ----
net1     phys      1500    up        --       ----
aggr0    aggr      1500    up        --       net0, net1
net3     phys      1500    unknown   --       ----

How to Delete a Link Aggregation

Become an administrator.
For more information, see How to Use Your Assigned Administrative Rights in Oracle Solaris 11.1 Administration: Security Services.
Delete the IP interface that is configured over the link aggregation.
```
# ipadm delete-ip IP-aggr
```
where IP-aggr is the IP interface over the link aggregation.
Delete the link aggregation.
```
# dladm delete-aggr aggr
```

Example 2-7 Deleting a Link Aggregation

This example shows how to delete the aggregation aggr0. The deletion is persistent.

# ipadm delete-ip aggr0
# dladm delete-aggr aggr0

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