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Configuring Dynamic Link Aggregation Dynamic Link Aggregation Overview
OmniSwitch 6600 Family Network Configuration Guide April 2006 page 13-7
Dynamic Link Aggregation Overview
Link aggregation allows you to combine 2, 4, or 8 physical connections on a single switch or 2, 4, 8, or 16
links in a stack into large virtual connections known as link aggregation groups. You can create up to 4
link aggregation (both dynamic and static) groups on a single OmniSwitch 6624, 6600-U24, 6600-P24, or
6602-24 switch; up to 8 link aggregation groups on a single 6648 or 6602-48 switch; and up to 30 link
aggregation groups per stack.
You can create Virtual LANs (VLANs), configure Quality of Service (QoS) conditions, 802.1Q framing,
and other networking features on link aggregation groups because switch software treats these virtual links
just like physical links. (See “Relationship to Other Features” on page 13-9 for more information on how
link aggregation interacts with other software features.)
Alcatel’s link aggregation software allows you to configure the following two different types of link
aggregation groups:
• Static link aggregate groups
• Dynamic link aggregate groups
This chapter describes dynamic link aggregation. For information on static link aggregation, please refer
to Chapter 12, “Configuring Static Link Aggregation.”
Dynamic Link Aggregation Operation
Dynamic aggregate groups are virtual links between two nodes consisting of 2, 4, or 8 10 Mbps, 100
Mbps, or 1 Gbps fixed physical links on a single switch or 2, 4, 8, 16 10 Mbps, 100 Mbps, or 1 Gbps fixed
physical links on a stack. Dynamic aggregate groups use the standard IEEE 802.3ad Link Aggregation
Control Protocol (LACP) to dynamically establish the best possible configuration for the group. This task
is accomplished by special Link Aggregation Control Protocol Data Unit (LACPDU) frames that are sent
and received by switches on both sides of the link to monitor and maintain the dynamic aggregate group.
The figure on the following page shows a dynamic aggregate group that has been configured between
Switch A and Switch B. The dynamic aggregate group links four ports on Switch A to four ports on
Switch B.