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4 Broadcom Gigabit Ethernet Teaming Services 135
E
• Configuration Recommendations
Static trunking supports connecting the teamed ports to switches if they are on the same broadcast
domain and support generic trunking. It does not support connecting to a router or Layer 3
switches since the ports must be on the same subnet.
Dynamic Trunking (IEEE 802.3ad Link Aggregation)
This mode supports link aggregation through static and dynamic configuration via the Link
Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP). With this mode, all adapters in the team are configured to
receive packets for the same MAC address. The MAC address of the first adapter in the team is used
and cannot be substituted for a different MAC address. The BASP driver determines the load-
balancing scheme for outbound packets, using Layer 4 protocols previously discussed, whereas the
team's link partner determines the load-balancing scheme for inbound packets. Because the load
balancing is implemented on Layer 2, all higher protocols such as IP, IPX, and NetBEUI are
supported. The attached switch must support the 802.3ad Link Aggregation standard for this mode of
operation. The switch manages the inbound traffic to the adapter while the BASP manages the
outbound traffic. Both the BASP and the switch continually monitor their ports for link loss. In the
event of link loss on any port, traffic is automatically diverted to other ports in the team.
• Network Communications
The following are the key attributes of Dynamic Trunking:
- Failover mechanism - Link loss detection
- Load Balancing Algorithm - Outbound traffic is balanced through a Broadcom proprietary
mechanism based on L4 flows. Inbound traffic is balanced according to a switch specific
mechanism.
- Outbound Load Balancing using MAC Address - No
- Outbound Load Balancing using IP Address - Yes
- Multivendor Teaming - Supported (must include at least one Broadcom Ethernet adapter as a
team member)
• Applications
Dynamic trunking works with switches that support IEEE 802.3ad Link Aggregation dynamic
mode using LACP. Inbound load balancing is switch dependent. In general, the switch traffic is
load balanced based on L2 addresses. In this case, all network protocols such as IP, IPX, and
NetBEUI are load balanced. Therefore, this is the recommended teaming mode when the switch
supports LACP, except when switch fault tolerance is required. SLB is the only teaming mode that
supports switch fault tolerance.
• Configuration Recommendations
Dynamic trunking supports connecting the teamed ports to switches as long as they are on the
same broadcast domain and supports IEEE 802.3ad LACP trunking. It does not support connecting
to a router or Layer 3 switches since the ports must be on the same subnet.