CH A P T E R 36

Configuring EtherChannels

This chapter describes how to configure EtherChannels on Layer 2 and Layer 3 ports on the Cisco
ME 3800X and ME 3600X switch. EtherChannel provides fault-tolerant high-speed links between
switches, routers, and servers. You can use it to increase the bandwidth between the wiring closets and
the data center, and you can deploy it anywhere in the network where bottlenecks are likely to occur.
EtherChannel provides automatic recovery for the loss of a link by redistributing the load across the
remaining links. If a link fails, EtherChannel redirects traffic from the failed link to the remaining links
in the channel without intervention.

Note Although EtherChannels are not supported on ports configured with service instances, you can configure
a service instance on an EtherChannel port channel.

For complete syntax and usage information for the commands used in this chapter, see the command
reference for this release.
• Understanding EtherChannels, page 36-1
• Configuring EtherChannels, page 36-9
• Displaying EtherChannel, PAgP, and LACP Status, page 36-29

Understanding EtherChannels
• EtherChannel Overview, page 36-2
• Port-Channel Interfaces, page 36-3
• Port Aggregation Protocol, page 36-4
• Link Aggregation Control Protocol, page 36-6
• EtherChannel On Mode, page 36-7
• Load Balancing and Forwarding Methods, page 36-7

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Understanding EtherChannels

EtherChannel Overview
An EtherChannel consists of individual ports bundled into a single logical link as shown in Figure 36-1.

Figure 36-1 Typical EtherChannel Configuration

Catalyst 8500
series switch

Gigabit EtherChannel

1000BASE-X 1000BASE-X

10/100 10/100
Switched Switched
links links 101237

Workstations Workstations

The EtherChannel provides full-duplex bandwidth of up to 800 Mbps between your switch and another
switch or host for Fast EtherChannel on a switch with 24 Fast Ethernet ports. For Gigabit EtherChannel,
you can configure up to 8 Gbps (8 ports of 1 Gbps), depending on the number of supported Gigabit
Ethernet interfaces.
Each EtherChannel can consist of up to eight compatibly configured Ethernet ports. All ports in each
EtherChannel must be configured as either Layer 2 or Layer 3 ports. The number of EtherChannels is
limited to 48. For more information, see the “EtherChannel Configuration Guidelines” section on
page 36-10. The EtherChannel Layer 3 ports are made up of routed ports. Routed ports are physical ports
configured to be in Layer 3 mode by using the no switchport interface configuration command. For
more information, see the Chapter 10, “Configuring Interfaces.”
You can configure an EtherChannel in one of these modes: Port Aggregation Protocol (PAgP), Link
Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP), or On mode. Configure both ends of the EtherChannel in the
same mode:
• When you configure one end of an EtherChannel in either PAgP or LACP mode, the system
negotiates with the other end of the channel to determine which ports should become active.
Incompatible ports are suspended.
• When you configure an EtherChannel in the on mode, no negotiations take place. The switch forces
all compatible ports to become active in the EtherChannel. The other end of the channel (on the other
switch) must also be configured in the on mode; otherwise, packet loss can occur.

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Understanding EtherChannels

The local port is put into an independent state and continues to carry data traffic as would any other
single link. The port configuration does not change, but the port does not participate in the
EtherChannel.
If a link within an EtherChannel fails, traffic previously carried over that failed link changes to the
remaining links within the EtherChannel. A trap is sent for a failure, identifying the switch, the
EtherChannel, and the failed link. Inbound broadcast and multicast packets on one link in an
EtherChannel are blocked from returning on any other link of the EtherChannel.

Port-Channel Interfaces
When you create an EtherChannel, a port-channel logical interface is involved:
• With Layer 2 ports, use the channel-group interface configuration command to dynamically create
the port-channel logical interface.
You also can use the interface port-channel port-channel-number global configuration command
to manually create the port-channel logical interface, but then you must use the channel-group
channel-group-number command to bind the logical interface to a physical port. The
channel-group-number can be the same as the port-channel-number, or you can use a new number.
If you use a new number, the channel-group command dynamically creates a new port channel.
• With Layer 3 ports, you should manually create the logical interface by using the interface
port-channel global configuration command followed by the no switchport interface configuration
command. Then you manually assign an interface to the EtherChannel by using the channel-group
interface configuration command.
For both Layer 2 and Layer 3 ports, the channel-group command binds the physical port and the logical
interface together as shown in Figure 36-2.
Each EtherChannel has a port-channel logical interface numbered from 1 to 48. This port-channel
interface number corresponds to the one specified with the channel-group interface configuration
command.

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Figure 36-2 Relationship of Physical Ports, Logical Port Channels, and Channel Groups

Logical
port-channel

Channel-group
binding

101238
Physical ports

After you configure an EtherChannel, configuration changes applied to the port-channel interface apply
to all the physical ports assigned to the port-channel interface. Configuration changes applied to the
physical port affect only the port to which you apply the configuration. To change the parameters of all
ports in an EtherChannel, apply the configuration commands to the port-channel interface.

Port Aggregation Protocol

The Port Aggregation Protocol (PAgP) is a Cisco-proprietary protocol that can be run only on Cisco
switches and on those switches licensed by vendors to support PAgP. PAgP facilitates the automatic
creation of EtherChannels by exchanging PAgP packets between Ethernet ports.
By using PAgP, the switch learns the identity of partners capable of supporting PAgP and the capabilities
of each port. It then dynamically groups similarly configured ports into a single logical link (channel or
aggregate port). Similarly configured ports are grouped based on hardware, administrative, and port
parameter constraints. For example, PAgP groups the ports with the same speed, duplex mode, native
VLAN, VLAN range, and trunking status and type. After grouping the links into an EtherChannel, PAgP
adds the group to the spanning tree as a single switch port.

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PAgP Modes
Table 36-1 shows the user-configurable EtherChannel PAgP modes for the channel-group interface
configuration command on an port.

Table 36-1 EtherChannel PAgP Modes

Mode Description
auto Places a port into a passive negotiating state in which the port responds to PAgP packets it
receives but does not start PAgP packet negotiation. This setting minimizes the
transmission of PAgP packets.
desirable Places a port into an active negotiating state in which the port starts negotiations with other
ports by sending PAgP packets.

Switch ports exchange PAgP packets only with partner ports configured in the auto or desirable modes.
Ports configured in the on mode do not exchange PAgP packets.
Both the auto and desirable modes enable ports to negotiate with partner ports to form an EtherChannel
based on criteria such as port speed and, for Layer 2 EtherChannels, trunking state and VLAN numbers.
Ports can form an EtherChannel when they are in different PAgP modes as long as the modes are
compatible. For example:
• A port in the desirable mode can form an EtherChannel with another port that is in the desirable or
auto mode.
• A port in the auto mode can form an EtherChannel with another port that is in the desirable mode.
A port in the auto mode cannot form an EtherChannel with another port that is also in the auto mode
because neither port starts PAgP negotiation.
If your switch is connected to a partner that is PAgP-capable, you can configure the switch port for
nonsilent operation by using the non-silent keyword. If you do not specify non-silent with the auto or
desirable mode, silent mode is assumed.
Use the silent mode when the switch is connected to a device that is not PAgP-capable and seldom, if
ever, sends packets. An example of a silent partner is a file server or a packet analyzer that is not
generating traffic. In this case, running PAgP on a physical port connected to a silent partner prevents
that switch port from ever becoming operational. However, the silent setting allows PAgP to operate, to
attach the port to a channel group, and to use the port for transmission.

PAgP Interaction with Other Features

Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) sends and receives packets over the physical ports in the EtherChannel.
Trunk ports send and receive PAgP protocol data units (PDUs) on the lowest numbered VLAN.
In Layer 2 EtherChannels, the first port in the channel that comes up provides its MAC address to the
EtherChannel. If this port is removed from the bundle, one of the remaining ports in the bundle provides
its MAC address to the EtherChannel.
PAgP sends and receives PAgP PDUs only from ports that are up and have PAgP enabled for the auto or
desirable mode.

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Link Aggregation Control Protocol

The LACP is defined in IEEE 802.3ad standard and enables Cisco switches to manage Ethernet channels
between switches that conform to the standard. LACP facilitates the automatic creation of
EtherChannels by exchanging LACP packets between Ethernet ports.
By using LACP, the switch learns the identity of partners capable of supporting LACP and the
capabilities of each port. It then dynamically groups similarly configured ports into a single logical link
(channel or aggregate port). Similarly configured ports are grouped based on hardware, administrative,
and port parameter constraints. For example, LACP groups the ports with the same speed, duplex mode,
native VLAN, VLAN range, and trunking status and type. After grouping the links into an EtherChannel,
LACP adds the group to the spanning tree as a single switch port.

LACP Modes
Table 36-2 shows the user-configurable EtherChannel LACP modes for the channel-group interface
configuration command on a port.

Table 36-2 EtherChannel LACP Modes

Mode Description
active Places a port into an active negotiating state in which the port starts negotiations with other
ports by sending LACP packets.
passive Places a port into a passive negotiating state in which the port responds to LACP packets
that it receives, but does not start LACP packet negotiation. This setting minimizes the
transmission of LACP packets.

Both the active and passive LACP modes enable ports to negotiate with partner ports to an
EtherChannel based on criteria such as port speed and, for Layer 2 EtherChannels, trunking state and
VLAN numbers.
Ports can form an EtherChannel when they are in different LACP modes as long as the modes are
compatible. For example:
• A port in the active mode can form an EtherChannel with another port that is in the active or passive
mode.
• A port in the passive mode cannot form an EtherChannel with another port that is also in the passive
mode because neither port starts LACP negotiation.

LACP Interaction with Other Features

The CDP sends and receives packets over the physical ports in the EtherChannel. Trunk ports send and
receive LACP PDUs on the lowest numbered VLAN.
In Layer 2 EtherChannels, the first port in the channel that comes up provides its MAC address to the
EtherChannel. If this port is removed from the bundle, one of the remaining ports in the bundle provides
its MAC address to the EtherChannel.
LACP sends and receives LACP PDUs only from ports that are up and have LACP enabled for the active
or passive mode.

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EtherChannel On Mode
EtherChannel on mode can be used to manually configure an EtherChannel. The on mode forces a port
to join an EtherChannel without negotiations. It can be useful if the remote device does not support PAgP
or LACP. With the on mode, a usable EtherChannel exists only when both ends of the link are configured
in the on mode.
Ports that are configured in the on mode in the same channel group must have compatible port
characteristics, such as speed and duplex. Ports that are not compatible are suspended, even though they
are configured in the on mode.

Caution You should use care when using the on mode. This is a manual configuration, and ports on both ends of
the EtherChannel must have the same configuration. If the group is misconfigured, packet loss or
spanning-tree loops can occur.

Load Balancing and Forwarding Methods

EtherChannel balances the traffic load across the links in a channel 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, source or destination addresses,
or both source and destination addresses. The selected mode applies to all EtherChannels configured on
the switch. You configure the load balancing and forwarding method by using the port-channel
load-balance global configuration command.
With source-MAC address forwarding, when packets are forwarded to an EtherChannel, they are
distributed across the ports in the channel based on the source-MAC address of the incoming packet.
Therefore, to provide load balancing, packets from different hosts use different ports in the channel, but
packets from the same host use the same port in the channel.
With destination-MAC address forwarding, when packets are forwarded to an EtherChannel, they are
distributed across the ports in the channel based on the destination-host MAC address of the incoming
packet. Therefore, packets to the same destination are forwarded over the same port, and packets to a
different destination are sent on a different port in the channel.
The switch supports load distribution based on the destination host MAC address supports for only four
ports per EtherChannel. When you configure EtherChannel destination-MAC address load balancing,
the traffic is balanced only among four ports in the channel group.If you configure more than four ports
in an EtherChannel with destination host MAC address load distribution, only four of the ports receive
distributed traffic. This limitation does not apply to the other load distribution methods.
With source-and-destination MAC address forwarding, when packets are forwarded to an EtherChannel,
they are distributed across the ports in the channel based on both the source and destination MAC
addresses. This forwarding method, a combination source-MAC and destination-MAC address
forwarding methods of load distribution, can be used if it is not clear whether source-MAC or
destination-MAC address forwarding is better suited on a particular switch. With source-and-destination
MAC-address forwarding, packets sent from host A to host B, host A to host C, and host C to host B
could all use different ports in the channel.
With source-IP-address-based forwarding, when packets are forwarded to an EtherChannel, they are
distributed across the ports in the EtherChannel based on the source-IP address of the incoming packet.
Therefore, to provide load-balancing, packets from different IP addresses use different ports in the
channel, but packets from the same IP address use the same port in the channel.

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With destination-IP-address-based forwarding, when packets are forwarded to an EtherChannel, they are
distributed across the ports in the EtherChannel based on the destination-IP address of the incoming
packet. Therefore, to provide load-balancing, packets from the same IP source address sent to different
IP destination addresses could be sent on different ports in the channel. But packets sent from different
source IP addresses to the same destination IP address are always sent on the same port in the channel.
With source-and-destination IP address-based forwarding, when packets are forwarded to an
EtherChannel, they are distributed across the ports in the EtherChannel based on both the source and
destination IP addresses of the incoming packet. This forwarding method, a combination of source-IP
and destination-IP address-based forwarding, can be used if it is not clear whether source-IP or
destination-IP address-based forwarding is better suited on a particular switch. In this method, packets
sent from the IP address A to IP address B, from IP address A to IP address C, and from IP address C to
IP address B could all use different ports in the channel.
Different load-balancing methods have different advantages, and the choice of a particular
load-balancing method should be based on the position of the switch in the network and the kind of
traffic that needs to be load-distributed. In Figure 36-3, an EtherChannel of four workstations
communicates with a router. Because the router is a single-MAC-address device, source-based
forwarding on the switch EtherChannel ensures that the switch uses all available bandwidth to the router.
The router is configured for destination-based forwarding because the large number of workstations
ensures that the traffic is evenly distributed from the router EtherChannel.
Use the option that provides the greatest variety in your configuration. For example, if the traffic on a
channel is going only to a single MAC address, using the destination-MAC address always chooses the
same link in the channel. Using source addresses or IP addresses might result in better load balancing.

Figure 36-3 Load Distribution and Forwarding Methods

Switch with
source-based
forwarding enabled

EtherChannel

Cisco router
with destination-based
forwarding enabled
101239

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Configuring EtherChannels
• Default EtherChannel Configuration, page 36-9
• EtherChannel Configuration Guidelines, page 36-10
• Configuring Layer 2 EtherChannels, page 36-11 (required)
• Configuring Layer 3 EtherChannels, page 36-13 (required)
• Configuring EtherChannel Load Balancing, page 36-16 (optional)
• Configuring the PAgP Learn Method and Priority, page 36-17 (optional)
• Configuring LACP Hot-Standby Ports, page 36-18 (optional)
• Configuring LACP Maximum Bundles, page 36-20
• Configuring LACP Fast Switchover, page 36-21
• Configuring LACP Fast Rate, page 36-23
• Configuring the EtherChannel Min-Links Feature, page 36-23 (optional)
• EtherChannels and Ethernet Flow Points (EFPs), page 36-28 (optional)

Note Make sure that the ports are correctly configured. For more information, see the “EtherChannel
Configuration Guidelines” section on page 36-10.

Note After you configure an EtherChannel, configuration changes applied to the port-channel interface apply
to all the physical ports assigned to the port-channel interface, and configuration changes applied to the
physical port affect only the port to which you apply the configuration.

Default EtherChannel Configuration

Table 36-3 shows the default EtherChannel configuration.

Table 36-3 Default EtherChannel Configuration

Feature Default Setting

Channel groups None assigned.
Port-channel logical interface None defined.
PAgP mode No default.
PAgP learn method Aggregate-port learning.
PAgP priority 128.
LACP mode No default.
LACP learn method Aggregate-port learning.
LACP port priority 32768.
LACP system priority 32768.

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Table 36-3 Default EtherChannel Configuration (continued)

Feature Default Setting

LACP system ID LACP system priority and the switch MAC address.
Load balancing Load distribution on the switch is based on the
source-MAC address of the incoming packet.

EtherChannel Configuration Guidelines

If improperly configured, some EtherChannel ports are automatically disabled to avoid network loops
and other problems. Follow these guidelines to avoid configuration problems:
• Do not try to configure more than 26 EtherChannels on the switch.
• Configure all ports in an EtherChannel to operate at the same speeds and duplex modes.
• Enable all ports in an EtherChannel. A port in an EtherChannel that is disabled by using the
shutdown interface configuration command is treated as a link failure, and its traffic is transferred
to one of the remaining ports in the EtherChannel. ME 3800X and ME 3600X ports are enabled by
default.
• When a group is first created, all ports follow the parameters set for the first port to be added to the
group. If you change the configuration of one of these parameters, you must also make the changes
to all ports in the group:
– Allowed-VLAN list
– Spanning-tree path cost for each VLAN
– Spanning-tree port priority for each VLAN
– Spanning-tree Port Fast setting
• Do not configure a port to be a member of more than one EtherChannel group.
• Do not configure an EtherChannel in both the PAgP and LACP modes. EtherChannel groups running
PAgP and LACP can coexist on the same switch. Individual EtherChannel groups can run either
PAgP or LACP, but they cannot interoperate.
• For Layer 2 EtherChannels:
– Assign all ports in the EtherChannel to the same VLAN, or configure them as trunks. Ports with
different native VLANs cannot form an EtherChannel.
– You cannot assign a port configured with a service instance to an EtherChannel.
– If you configure an EtherChannel from trunk ports, verify that the trunking mode is the same on
all the trunks. Inconsistent trunk modes on EtherChannel ports can have unexpected results.
– An EtherChannel supports the same allowed range of VLANs on all the ports in a trunking
Layer 2 EtherChannel. If the allowed range of VLANs is not the same, the ports do not form an
EtherChannel even when PAgP is set to the auto or desirable mode.
– Ports with different spanning-tree path costs can form an EtherChannel if they are otherwise
compatibly configured. Setting different spanning-tree path costs does not, by itself, make ports
incompatible for the formation of an EtherChannel.

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• For Layer 3 EtherChannels, assign the Layer 3 address to the port-channel logical interface, not to
the physical ports in the channel.
• For configuring Ethernet Virtual Connections (EVCs), you can add a service instance to an
EtherChannel port channel.

Configuring Layer 2 EtherChannels

You configure Layer 2 EtherChannels by assigning ports to a channel group with the channel-group
interface configuration command. This command automatically creates the port-channel logical
interface.

Note Although you cannot assign a port configured with an EFP service instance to an EtherChannel, you can
configure service instances on EtherChannel port channels.

Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to assign a Layer 2 Ethernet port to a Layer 2
EtherChannel. This procedure is required.

Command Purpose
Step 1 configure terminal Enter global configuration mode.
Step 2 interface interface-id Specify a physical port, and enter interface configuration mode.
For a PAgP EtherChannel, you can configure up to eight ports of
the same type and speed for the same group.
For a LACP EtherChannel, you can configure up to 16 Ethernet
ports of the same type. Up to eight ports can be active, and up to
eight ports can be in standby mode.
Note An EtherChannel port cannot be a port configured with a
service instance.
Step 3 switchport mode {access | trunk}switchport Assign all ports as static-access ports in the same VLAN, or
access vlan vlan-id configure them as trunks.
If you configure the port as a static-access port, assign it to only
one VLAN. The range is 1 to 4094.

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Command Purpose
Step 4 channel-group channel-group-number mode Assign the port to a channel group, and specify the PAgP or the
{auto [non-silent] | desirable [non-silent] | on} | LACP mode.
{active | passive}
For channel-group-number, the range is 1 to 26.
For mode, select one of these keywords:
• auto—Enables PAgP only if a PAgP device is detected. It
places the port into a passive negotiating state, in which the
port responds to PAgP packets it receives but does not start
PAgP packet negotiation.
• desirable—Unconditionally enables PAgP. It places the port
into an active negotiating state, in which the port starts
negotiations with other ports by sending PAgP packets.
• on—Forces the port to channel without PAgP or LACP. With
the on mode, a usable EtherChannel exists only when a port
group in the on mode is connected to another port group in
the on mode.
• non-silent—(Optional) If your switch is connected to a
partner that is PAgP-capable, configure the switch port for
nonsilent operation when the port is in the auto or desirable
mode. If you do not specify non-silent, silent is assumed.
The silent setting is for connections to file servers or packet
analyzers. This setting allows PAgP to operate, to attach the
port to a channel group, and to use the port for transmission.
• active—Enables LACP only if a LACP device is detected. It
places the port into an active negotiating state in which the
port starts negotiations with other ports by sending LACP
packets.
• passive—Enables LACP on the port and places it into a
passive negotiating state in which the port responds to LACP
packets that it receives, but does not start LACP packet
negotiation.
For information on compatible modes for the switch and its
partner, see the “PAgP Modes” section on page 36-5 and the
“LACP Modes” section on page 36-6.
Step 5 end Return to privileged EXEC mode.
Step 6 show running-config Verify your entries.
Step 7 copy running-config startup-config (Optional) Save your entries in the configuration file.

To remove a port from the EtherChannel group, use the no channel-group interface configuration
command.

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This example shows how to configure an EtherChannel. It assigns two ports as static-access ports in
VLAN 10 to channel 5 with the PAgP mode desirable:
Switch# configure terminal
Switch(config)# interface range gigabitethernet0/1 -2
Switch(config-if-range)# switchport mode access
Switch(config-if-range)# switchport access vlan 10
Switch(config-if-range)# channel-group 5 mode desirable non-silent
Switch(config-if-range)# end

This example shows how to configure an EtherChannel. It assigns two ports as static-access ports in
VLAN 10 to channel 5 with the LACP mode active:
Switch# configure terminal
Switch(config)# interface range gigabitethernet0/1 -2
Switch(config-if-range)# switchport mode access
Switch(config-if-range)# switchport access vlan 10
Switch(config-if-range)# channel-group 5 mode active
Switch(config-if-range)# end

Configuring Layer 3 EtherChannels

To configure Layer 3 EtherChannels, you create the port-channel logical interface and then put the
Ethernet ports into the port-channel as described in the next two sections.

Creating Port-Channel Logical Interfaces

When configuring Layer 3 EtherChannels, you should first manually create the port-channel logical
interface by using the interface port-channel global configuration command. Then you put the logical
interface into the channel group by using the channel-group interface configuration command.

Note To move an IP address from a physical port to an EtherChannel, you must delete the IP address from the
physical port before configuring it on the port-channel interface.

Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to create a port-channel interface for a Layer 3
EtherChannel. This procedure is required.

Command Purpose
Step 1 configure terminal Enter global configuration mode.
Step 2 interface port-channel port-channel-number Specify the port-channel logical interface, and enter interface
configuration mode.
For port-channel-number, the range is 1 to 26.
Step 3 ip address ip-address mask Assign an IP address and subnet mask to the EtherChannel.
Step 4 end Return to privileged EXEC mode.
Step 5 show etherchannel channel-group-number detail Verify your entries.
Step 6 copy running-config startup-config (Optional) Save your entries in the configuration file.
Step 7 Assign an Ethernet port to the Layer 3 EtherChannel. For
more information, see the “Configuring the Physical
Interfaces” section on page 36-14.

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To remove the port-channel, use the no interface port-channel port-channel-number global

configuration command.
This example shows how to create the logical port channel 5 and assign 172.10.20.10 as its IP address:
Switch# configure terminal
Switch(config)# interface port-channel 5
Switch(config-if)# no switchport
Switch(config-if)# ip address 172.10.20.10 255.255.255.0
Switch(config-if)# end

Configuring the Physical Interfaces

Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to assign an Ethernet port to a Layer 3
EtherChannel. This procedure is required.

Command Purpose
Step 1 configure terminal Enter global configuration mode.
Step 2 interface interface-id Specify a physical port, and enter interface configuration mode.
Valid interfaces include physical ports.
For a PAgP EtherChannel, you can configure up to eight ports of
the same type and speed for the same group.
For a LACP EtherChannel, you can configure up to 16 Ethernet
ports of the same type. Up to eight ports can be active, and up to
eight ports can be in standby mode.
Step 3 no ip address Ensure that there is no IP address assigned to the physical port.
Step 4 no switchport Put the port into Layer 3 mode.

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Command Purpose
Step 5 channel-group channel-group-number mode Assign the port to a channel group, and specify the PAgP or the
{auto [non-silent] | desirable [non-silent] | on} | LACP mode.
{active | passive}
For channel-group-number, the range is 1 to 26. This number
must be the same as the port-channel-number (logical port)
configured in the “Creating Port-Channel Logical Interfaces”
section on page 36-13.
For mode, select one of these keywords:
• auto—Enables PAgP only if a PAgP device is detected. It
places the port into a passive negotiating state, in which the
port responds to PAgP packets it receives but does not start
PAgP packet negotiation.
• desirable—Unconditionally enables PAgP. It places the port
into an active negotiating state, in which the port starts
negotiations with other ports by sending PAgP packets.
• on—Forces the port to channel without PAgP or LACP. With
the on mode, a usable EtherChannel exists only when a port
group in the on mode is connected to another port group in
the on mode.
• non-silent—(Optional) If your switch is connected to a
partner that is PAgP capable, configure the switch port for
nonsilent operation when the port is in the auto or desirable
mode. If you do not specify non-silent, silent is assumed.
The silent setting is for connections to file servers or packet
analyzers. This setting allows PAgP to operate, to attach the
port to a channel group, and to use the port for transmission.
• active—Enables LACP only if a LACP device is detected. It
places the port into an active negotiating state in which the
port starts negotiations with other ports by sending LACP
packets.
• passive—Enables LACP on the port and places it into a
passive negotiating state in which the port responds to LACP
packets that it receives, but does not start LACP packet
negotiation.
For information on compatible modes for the switch and its
partner, see the “PAgP Modes” section on page 36-5 and the
“LACP Modes” section on page 36-6.
Step 6 end Return to privileged EXEC mode.
Step 7 show running-config Verify your entries.
Step 8 copy running-config startup-config (Optional) Save your entries in the configuration file.

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Configuring EtherChannels

This example shows how to configure an EtherChannel. It assigns two ports to channel 5 with the LACP
mode active:
Switch# configure terminal
Switch(config)# interface range gigabitethernet0/1 -2
Switch(config-if-range)# no ip address
Switch(config-if-range)# no switchport
Switch(config-if-range)# channel-group 5 mode active
Switch(config-if-range)# end

Configuring EtherChannel Load Balancing

This section describes how to configure EtherChannel load balancing by using source-based or
destination-based forwarding methods. For more information, see the “Load Balancing and Forwarding
Methods” section on page 36-7.
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to configure EtherChannel load balancing. This
procedure is optional.

Command Purpose
Step 1 configure terminal Enter global configuration mode.
Step 2 port-channel load-balance {dst-ip | dst-mac | Configure an EtherChannel load-balancing method.
src-dst-ip | src-dst-mac | src-ip | src-mac}
The default is src-mac.
Select one of these load-distribution methods:
• dst-ip—Load distribution is based on the destination-host IP
address.
• dst-mac—Load distribution is based on the destination-host
MAC address of the incoming packet.
• src-dst-ip—Load distribution is based on the
source-and-destination host-IP address.
• src-dst-mac—Load distribution is based on the
source-and-destination host-MAC address.
• src-ip—Load distribution is based on the source-host IP
address.
• src-mac—Load distribution is based on the source-MAC
address of the incoming packet.
Step 3 end Return to privileged EXEC mode.
Step 4 show etherchannel load-balance Verify your entries.
Step 5 copy running-config startup-config (Optional) Save your entries in the configuration file.

To return EtherChannel load balancing to the default configuration, use the no port-channel
load-balance global configuration command.

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Configuring the PAgP Learn Method and Priority

Network devices are classified as PAgP physical learners or aggregate-port learners. A device is a
physical learner if it learns addresses by physical ports and directs transmissions based on that
knowledge. A device is an aggregate-port learner if it learns addresses by aggregate (logical) ports. The
learn method must be configured the same at both ends of the link.
When a device and its partner are both aggregate-port learners, they learn the address on the logical
port-channel. The device sends packets to the source by using any of the ports in the EtherChannel. With
aggregate-port learning, it is not important on which physical port the packet arrives.
PAgP cannot automatically detect when the partner device is a physical learner and when the local device
is an aggregate-port learner. Therefore, you must manually set the learning method on the local device
to learn addresses by physical ports. You also must set the load-distribution method to source-based
distribution, so that any given source MAC address is always sent on the same physical port.
You also can configure a single port within the group for all transmissions and use other ports for hot
standby. The unused ports in the group can be swapped into operation in just a few seconds if the selected
single port loses hardware-signal detection. You can configure which port is always selected for packet
transmission by changing its priority with the pagp port-priority interface configuration command. The
higher the priority, the more likely that the port will be selected.

Note The switch supports address learning only on aggregate ports even though the physical-port keyword is
provided in the CLI. The pagp learn-method command and the pagp port-priority command have no
effect on the switch hardware, but they are required for PAgP interoperability with devices that only
support address learning by physical ports.

When the link partner to the switch is a physical learner, we recommend that you configure the Cisco
ME switch as a physical-port learner by using the pagp learn-method physical-port interface
configuration command. Set the load-distribution method based on the source MAC address by using the
port-channel load-balance src-mac global configuration command. The switch then sends packets to
the physical learner switch using the same port in the EtherChannel from which it learned the source
address. Use the pagp learn-method command only in this situation.

Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to configure your switch as a PAgP
physical-port learner and to adjust the priority so that the same port in the bundle is selected for sending
packets. This procedure is optional.

Command Purpose
Step 1 configure terminal Enter global configuration mode.
Step 2 interface interface-id Specify the port for transmission, and enter interface
configuration mode.

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Command Purpose
Step 3 pagp learn-method physical-port Select the PAgP learning method.
By default, aggregation-port learning is selected, which means
the switch sends packets to the source by using any of the ports
in the EtherChannel. With aggregate-port learning, it is not
important on which physical port the packet arrives.
Select physical-port to connect with another switch that is a
physical learner. Make sure to configure the port-channel
load-balance global configuration command to src-mac as
described in the “Configuring EtherChannel Load Balancing”
section on page 36-16.
The learning method must be configured the same at both ends
of the link.
Step 4 pagp port-priority priority Assign a priority so that the selected port is chosen for packet
transmission.
For priority, the range is 0 to 255. The default is 128. The higher
the priority, the more likely that the port will be used for PAgP
transmission.
Step 5 end Return to privileged EXEC mode.
Step 6 show running-config Verify your entries.
or
show pagp channel-group-number internal
Step 7 copy running-config startup-config (Optional) Save your entries in the configuration file.

To return the priority to its default setting, use the no pagp port-priority interface configuration
command. To return the learning method to its default setting, use the no pagp learn-method interface
configuration command.

Configuring LACP Hot-Standby Ports

When enabled, LACP tries to configure the maximum number of LACP-compatible ports in a channel,
up to a maximum of 16 ports. A maximum of eight LACP links can be active at one time. The software
places any additional links in a hot-standby mode. If one of the active links becomes inactive, a link that
is in the hot-standby mode becomes active in its place.
If you configure more than eight links for an EtherChannel group, the software automatically decides
which of the hot-standby ports to make active based on the LACP priority. The software assigns to every
link between systems that operate LACP a unique priority made up of these elements (in priority order):
• LACP system priority
• System ID (a combination of the LACP system priority and the switch MAC address)
• LACP port priority
• Port number
In priority comparisons, numerically lower values have higher priority. The priority decides which ports
should be put in standby mode when there is a hardware limitation that prevents all compatible ports
from aggregating.

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Ports are considered for active use in aggregation in link-priority order starting with the port attached to
the highest priority link. Each port is selected for active use if the preceding higher priority selections
can also be maintained. Otherwise, the port is selected for standby mode.
You can change the default values of the LACP system priority and the LACP port priority to affect how
the software selects active and standby links. For more information, see the “Configuring the LACP
System Priority” section on page 36-19 and the “Configuring the LACP Port Priority” section on
page 36-19.

Configuring the LACP System Priority

You can configure the system priority for all of the EtherChannels that are enabled for LACP by using
the lacp system-priority global configuration command. You cannot configure a system priority for
each LACP-configured channel. By changing this value from the default, you can affect how the software
selects active and standby links.
You can use the show etherchannel summary privileged EXEC command to see which ports are in the
hot-standby mode (denoted with an H port-state flag).
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to configure the LACP system priority. This
procedure is optional.

Command Purpose
Step 1 configure terminal Enter global configuration mode.
Step 2 lacp system-priority priority Configure the LACP system priority.
For priority, the range is 1 to 65535. The default is 32768.
The lower the value, the higher the system priority.
Step 3 end Return to privileged EXEC mode.
Step 4 show running-config Verify your entries.
or
show lacp sys-id
Step 5 copy running-config startup-config (Optional) Save your entries in the configuration file.

To return the LACP system priority to the default value, use the no lacp system-priority global
configuration command.

Configuring the LACP Port Priority

By default, all ports use the same port priority. If the local system has a lower value for the system
priority and the system ID than the remote system, you can affect which of the hot-standby links become
active first by changing the port priority of LACP EtherChannel ports to a lower value than the default.
The hot-standby ports that have lower port numbers become active in the channel first. You can use the
show etherchannel summary privileged EXEC command to see which ports are in the hot-standby
mode (denoted with an H port-state flag).

Note If LACP is not able to aggregate all the ports that are compatible (for example, the remote system might
have more restrictive hardware limitations), all the ports that cannot be actively included in the
EtherChannel are put in the hot-standby state and are used only if one of the channeled ports fails.

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Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to configure the LACP port priority. This
procedure is optional.

Command Purpose
Step 1 configure terminal Enter global configuration mode.
Step 2 interface interface-id Specify the port to be configured, and enter interface configuration
mode.
Step 3 lacp port-priority priority Configure the LACP port priority.
For priority, the range is 1 to 65535. The default is 32768. The lower the
value, the more likely that the port will be used for LACP transmission.
Step 4 end Return to privileged EXEC mode.
Step 5 show running-config Verify your entries.
or
show lacp [channel-group-number]
internal
Step 6 copy running-config startup-config (Optional) Save your entries in the configuration file.

To return the LACP port priority to the default value, use the no lacp port-priority interface
configuration command.

Configuring LACP Maximum Bundles

You can configure the maximum number of members that can be bundled. Any members in excess of
this maximum number are kept in hot-standby state and are transitioned to bundled state when one of the
bundled members goes down.
To configure the LACP maximum number of ports to bundle in a port channel, complete these steps:

Command Purpose
Step 1 configure terminal Enter global configuration mode.
Step 2 interface port-channel Specify the port channel and enter the port channel interface
port-channel-number configuration mode.
Step 3 lacp max-bundle number-of-bundles Enter the maximum number of ports to bundle in the port channel.
• max-bundle—Value range is from 1 through 8. Default is 8
bundles.
Step 4 end Return to privileged EXEC mode.
Step 5 show running-configuration interface Display the maximum bundles in the port channel.
port-channel port-channel-number

Configuration Example
This example shows the maximum number of bundles is 1 on port channel 10.
Switch# show running-config interface port-channel 10
Building configuration...

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Current configuration : 228 bytes

!
interface Port-channel10
lacp max-bundle 1
end

Use this command to show the status of hot-standby interfaces.

Switch# show etherchannel summary
Flags: D - down P - bundled in port-channel
I - stand-alone s - suspended
H - Hot-standby (LACP only)
R - Layer3 S - Layer2
U - in use f - failed to allocate aggregator

M - not in use, minimum links not met

u - unsuitable for bundling
w - waiting to be aggregated
d - default port

Number of channel-groups in use: 1

Number of aggregators: 1

Group Port-channel Protocol Ports

------+-------------+-----------+---------------------------------------------
10 Po10(SU) LACP Gi0/1(P) Gi0/3(H)

Switch# show lacp internal

Flags: S - Device is requesting Slow LACPDUs
F - Device is requesting Fast LACPDUs
A - Device is in Active mode P - Device is in Passive mode

Channel group 10
LACP port Admin Oper Port Port
Port Flags State Priority Key Key Number State
Gi0/1 SA bndl 32768 0xA 0xA 0x102 0x3D
Gi0/3 FA hot-stby 32768 0xA 0xA 0x104 0x7

Configuring LACP Fast Switchover

When a port from a hot-standby state moves to a bundled state, the default time is two seconds. Enabling
fast switchover on the port channel changes this time to 50 ms. This faster time allows the port to quickly
transition to the bundled state, and the port channel continues to stay up.
To enable LACP fast switchover on a port channel, complete these steps:

Command Purpose
Step 1 configure terminal Enter global configuration mode.
Step 2 interface port-channel Specify the port channel and enter the port channel interface
port-channel-number configuration mode.
Step 3 lacp fast-switchover Enable fast switchover on the port channel.

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Command Purpose
Step 4 end Return to privileged EXEC mode.
Step 5 show etherchannel port-channel-number Display whether or not fast switchover is enabled on the port channel.
port-channel

Configuration Example
Use the commands in these examples to show that fast switchover is enabled.
Switch# show etherchannel 10 port-channel
Port-channels in the group:
----------------------

Port-channel: Po6 (Primary Aggregator)

------------

Age of the Port-channel = 0d:01h:54m:42s

Logical slot/port = 14/3 Number of ports = 1
Port state = Port-channel Ag-Inuse
Protocol = LACP
Fast-switchover = enabled

Ports in the Port-channel:

Index Load Port EC state No of bits

------+------+------+------------------+-----------
0 FF Gi0/1 Active 8

Time since last port bundled: 0d:01h:54m:03s Fa2/44

Switch# show etherchannel 10 detail

Group state = L2
Ports: 2 Maxports = 16
Port-channels: 1 Max Port-channels = 16
Protocol: LACP
Minimum Links: 0
Ports in the group:
-------------------
…
<snip>
…
Port-channels in the group:
----------------------

Port-channel: Po6 (Primary Aggregator)

------------

Age of the Port-channel = 0d:02h:14m:09s

Logical slot/port = 14/3 Number of ports = 1
Port state = Port-channel Ag-Inuse
Protocol = LACP
Fast-switchover = enabled

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Ports in the Port-channel:

Index Load Port EC state No of bits

------+------+------+------------------+-----------
0 FF Fa0/1 Active 8

Time since last port bundled: 0d:02h:13m:30s Fa2/44

Configuring LACP Fast Rate

To assist with early detection of a member link failure, you can request the peer to send LACPDUs at a
rate of one second. The default rate is 30 seconds.
To enable LACP fast rate, complete these steps:

Command Purpose
Step 1 configure terminal Enter global configuration mode.
Step 2 interface type slot/port Specify the physical ethernet interface type and enter the interface
configuration mode.
Step 3 lacp rate fast Enable LACP packets to be ingressed at the rate of 1 second for this
interface.
The normal option returns rate of LACP ingressed packets to 30
seconds once the link is established
Step 4 end Return to privileged EXEC mode.
Step 5 show lacp internal Display the flag for fast rate. “F” indicates fast rate is configured. “A”
indicates the normal rate.

Configuration Example
This example shows that fast rate is configured.
Switch# show lacp internal
Flags: S - Device is requesting Slow LACPDUs
F - Device is requesting Fast LACPDUs
A - Device is in Active mode P - Device is in Passive mode

Channel group 10
LACP port Admin Oper Port Port
Port Flags State Priority Key Key Number State
Gi0/1 FA bndl 32768 0xA 0xA 0x102 0x7D

Configuring the EtherChannel Min-Links Feature

The EtherChannel min-links feature is supported on LACP EtherChannels. This feature allows you to
configure the minimum number of member ports that must be in the link-up state and bundled in the
EtherChannel for the port channel interface to transition to the link-up state. You can use the
EtherChannel min-links feature to prevent low-bandwidth LACP EtherChannels from becoming active.

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This feature also causes LACP EtherChannels to become inactive if they have too few active member
ports to supply your required minimum bandwidth. In addition, when LACP max-bundle values are
specified in conjunction with min-links, the configuration is verified and an error message is returned if
the min-links value is not compatible with (equal to or less than) the max-bundle value.
To configure the EtherChannel min-links feature, perform this task:

Command Purpose
Step 1 configure terminal Enter global configuration mode.
Step 2 interface port-channel group_number Selects an LACP port channel interface.
Step 3 port-channel min-links number Configures the minimum number of member ports that
must be in the link-up state and bundled in the
EtherChannel for the port channel interface to
transition to the link-up state.
A minimum of 2 active links must be bundled together
under a port channel to activate the min-link feature.
Step 4 end Exits configuration mode.
Step 5 show running-config interface port-channel Verifies the configuration.
group_number
show interfaces type1 slot/port etherchannel
Step 6 show etherchannel port-channel interface detail Displays the usage of min-link on the portchannel.
Displays additional information
1. type = fastethernet, gigabitethernet, or tengigabitethernet

Use the no port-channel min-links number command to restore default etherchannel min-links
configuration.
Where a bundle fails to meet the criteria for min-link configuration an error message is displayed. Use
the show etherchannel port-channel interface detail command to display additional information not
provided in the error message to determine the reason for the failure.

Note Although the EtherChannel min-links feature works correctly when configured only on one end of an
EtherChannel, for best results, configure the same number of minimum links on both ends of the
EtherChannel.

This example shows how to configure port channel interface 1 to be inactive if fewer than two member
ports are active in the EtherChannel:
Switch# configure terminal
Switch(config)# interface port-channel 1
Switch(config-if)# port-channel min-links 2
Switch(config-if)# end

This example shows the output from the show etherchannel port-channel interface detail command:
Switch# show etherchannel 10 detail
Group state = L2
Ports: 3 Maxports = 16
Port-channels: 1 Max Port-channels = 16
Protocol: LACP
Minimum Links: 3

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Ports in the group:

-------------------
Port: Gi0/12
------------

Port state = Up Mstr In-Bndl

Channel group = 10 Mode = Active Gcchange = -
Port-channel = Po10 GC = - Pseudo port-channel = Po10
Port index = 0 Load = 0x00 Protocol = LACP
Mode = LACP

Flags: S - Device is sending Slow LACPDUs F - Device is sending fast LACPDUs.

A - Device is in active mode. P - Device is in passive mode.

Local information:
LACP port Admin Oper Port Port
Port Flags State Priority Key Key Number State
Gi0/12 SA bndl 32768 0xA 0xA 0x10D 0x3D

Partner's information:

Partner Partner LACP Partner Partner Partner Partner Partner

Port Flags State Port Priority Admin Key Oper Key Port Number Port State
Gi0/12 SA bndl 32768 0x0 0xA 0x114 0x3D

Age of the port in the current state: 1d:00h:24m:51s

Port: Gi0/13
------------

Port state = Up Mstr In-Bndl

Channel group = 10 Mode = Active Gcchange = -
Port-channel = Po10 GC = - Pseudo port-channel = Po10
Port index = 0 Load = 0x00 Protocol = LACP
Mode = LACP

Flags: S - Device is sending Slow LACPDUs F - Device is sending fast LACPDUs.

A - Device is in active mode. P - Device is in passive mode.

Local information:
LACP port Admin Oper Port Port
Port Flags State Priority Key Key Number State
Gi0/13 SA bndl 32768 0xA 0xA 0x10E 0x3D

Partner's information:

Partner Partner LACP Partner Partner Partner Partner Partner

Port Flags State Port Priority Admin Key Oper Key Port Number Port State
Gi0/13 SA bndl 32768 0x0 0xA 0x104 0x3D

Age of the port in the current state: 1d:00h:24m:48s

Port: Gi0/20
------------

Port state = Up Mstr In-Bndl

Channel group = 10 Mode = Active Gcchange = -
Port-channel = Po10 GC = - Pseudo port-channel = Po10
Port index = 0 Load = 0x00 Protocol = LACP
Mode = LACP

Flags: S - Device is sending Slow LACPDUs F - Device is sending fast LACPDUs.

A - Device is in active mode. P - Device is in passive mode.

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Local information:
LACP port Admin Oper Port Port
Port Flags State Priority Key Key Number State
Gi0/20 SA bndl 32768 0xA 0xA 0x115 0x3D

Partner's information:

Partner Partner LACP Partner Partner Partner Partner Partner

Port Flags State Port Priority Admin Key Oper Key Port Number Port State
Gi0/20 SA bndl 32768 0x0 0xA 0x115 0x3D

Age of the port in the current state: 1d:00h:24m:43s

Port-channels in the group:

----------------------

Port-channel: Po10 (Primary Aggregator)

------------

Age of the Port-channel = 1d:00h:36m:54s

Logical slot/port = 2/10 Number of ports = 3
HotStandBy port = null
Port state = Port-channel Ag-Inuse
Protocol = LACP
Fast-switchover = disabled
Direct Load Swap = disabled

Ports in the Port-channel:

Index Load Port EC state No of bits

------+------+--------+------------------+-----------
0 00 Gi0/12 Active 0
0 00 Gi0/13 Active 0
0 00 Gi0/20 Active 0

Time since last port bundled: 1d:00h:24m:43s Gi0/20

Time since last port Un-bundled: 1d:00h:24m:45s Gi0/20

Last applied Hash Distribution Algorithm: -

Channel-group Iedge Counts:
--------------------------:
Access ref count : 0
Iedge session count : 0

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Switch#
009215: 1d00h: %EC-5-MINLINKS_NOTMET: Port-channel Po10 is down bundled ports (2) doesn't
meet min-links <<<<<<<<<<< Error message thrown on member
009216: 1d00h: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Port-channel10, changed state to down Link
Failure
009217: 1d00h: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface GigabitEthernet0/20, changed state to down
009218: 1d00h: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface GigabitEthernet0/20,
changed state to down
009219: 1d00h: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface GigabitEthernet0/12,
changed state to down
009220: 1d00h: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface GigabitEthernet0/13,
changed state to down
009221: 1d00h: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Port-channel10, changed
state to down

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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Switch# show etherchannel 10 detail

Group state = L2
Ports: 3 Maxports = 16
Port-channels: 1 Max Port-channels = 16
Protocol: LACP
Minimum Links: 3
Ports in the group:
-------------------
Port: Gi0/12
------------

Port state = Up Mstr In-Bndl

Channel group = 10 Mode = Active Gcchange = -
Port-channel = Po10 GC = - Pseudo port-channel = Po10
Port index = 0 Load = 0x00 Protocol = LACP
Mode = LACP

Flags: S - Device is sending Slow LACPDUs F - Device is sending fast LACPDUs.

A - Device is in active mode. P - Device is in passive mode.

Local information:
LACP port Admin Oper Port Port
Port Flags State Priority Key Key Number State
Gi0/12 SA bndl 32768 0xA 0xA 0x10D 0x3D

Partner's information:

Partner Partner LACP Partner Partner Partner Partner Partner

Port Flags State Port Priority Admin Key Oper Key Port Number Port State
Gi0/12 SA bndl 32768 0x0 0xA 0x114 0x3D

Age of the port in the current state: 1d:00h:26m:00s

Port: Gi0/13
------------

Port state = Up Mstr In-Bndl

Channel group = 10 Mode = Active Gcchange = -
Port-channel = Po10 GC = - Pseudo port-channel = Po10
Port index = 0 Load = 0x00 Protocol = LACP
Mode = LACP

Flags: S - Device is sending Slow LACPDUs F - Device is sending fast LACPDUs.

A - Device is in active mode. P - Device is in passive mode.

Local information:
LACP port Admin Oper Port Port
Port Flags State Priority Key Key Number State
Gi0/13 FA bndl 32768 0xA 0xA 0x10E 0x3D

Partner's information:

Partner Partner LACP Partner Partner Partner Partner Partner

Port Flags State Port Priority Admin Key Oper Key Port Number Port State
Gi0/13 SA bndl 32768 0x0 0xA 0x104 0xF

Age of the port in the current state: 1d:00h:25m:57s

Port: Gi0/20
------------

Port state = Down Not-in-Bndl

Channel group = 10 Mode = Active Gcchange = -

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Port-channel = null GC = - Pseudo port-channel = Po10

Port index = 0 Load = 0x00 Protocol = LACP
Mode = Unknown

Flags: S - Device is sending Slow LACPDUs F - Device is sending fast LACPDUs.

A - Device is in active mode. P - Device is in passive mode.

Local information:
LACP port Admin Oper Port Port
Port Flags State Priority Key Key Number State
Gi0/20 SA down 32768 0xA 0xA 0x115 0x7

Partner's information:

Partner Partner LACP Partner Partner Partner Partner Partner

Port Flags State Port Priority Admin Key Oper Key Port Number Port State
Gi0/20 FP down 32768 0x0 0xA 0x115 0x34

Age of the port in the current state: 1d:00h:25m:51s

Port-channels in the group:

----------------------

Port-channel: Po10 (Primary Aggregator)

------------

Age of the Port-channel = 1d:00h:38m:03s

Logical slot/port = 2/10 Number of ports = 2
HotStandBy port = null
Port state = Port-channel Ag-MinLink-Not-Inuse <<<<<<<<<<<<<< Reason as to why the link is
down
Protocol = LACP
Fast-switchover = disabled
Direct Load Swap = disabled

Ports in the Port-channel:

Index Load Port EC state No of bits

------+------+--------+------------------+-----------
0 00 Gi0/12 Active 0
0 00 Gi0/13 Active 0

Time since last port bundled: 1d:00h:25m:51s Gi0/20

Time since last port Un-bundled: 0d:00h:00m:10s Gi0/20

Last applied Hash Distribution Algorithm: -

Channel-group Iedge Counts:
--------------------------:
Access ref count : 0
Iedge session count : 0

EtherChannels and Ethernet Flow Points (EFPs)

For an LACP or PAgP port to peer with a neighbor on a port that has an Ethernet Virtual Connection
(EVC) EFP service instance configured, you need to enter the l2 protocol peer lacp or l2 protocol peer
lacp service-instance configuration command on the service instance. See the “Configuring Ethernet
Virtual Connections (EVCs)” chapter for more information on EFPs.

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Displaying EtherChannel, PAgP, and LACP Status

This example shows how to configure Layer 2 protocol LACP peer on a service instance:
Switch (config)# interface gigabitethernet0/1
Switch (config-if)# switchport mode trunk
Switch (config-if)# switchport trunk allowed vlan none
Switch (config-if)# service instance 1 Ethernet
Switch (config-if-srv)# encapsulation untagged
Switch (config-if-srv)# l2protocol peer lacp
Switch (config-if-srv)# bridge-domain 10
Switch (config-if-srv)# end

Displaying EtherChannel, PAgP, and LACP Status

To display EtherChannel, PAgP, and LACP status information, use the privileged EXEC commands
described in Table 36-4:

Table 36-4 Commands for Displaying EtherChannel, PAgP, and LACP Status

Command Description
show etherchannel [channel-group-number {detail | Displays EtherChannel information in a brief, detailed, and
port | port-channel | protocol | summary}] {detail | one-line summary form. Also displays the load-balance or
load-balance | port | port-channel | protocol | frame-distribution scheme, port, port-channel, and protocol
summary} information.
show pagp [channel-group-number] {counters | Displays PAgP information such as traffic information, the
internal | neighbor} internal PAgP configuration, and neighbor information.
show lacp [channel-group-number] {counters | Displays LACP information such as traffic information, the
internal | neighbor} internal LACP configuration, and neighbor information.

You can clear PAgP channel-group information and traffic counters by using the clear pagp
{channel-group-number counters | counters} privileged EXEC command.
You can clear LACP channel-group information and traffic counters by using the clear lacp
{channel-group-number counters | counters} privileged EXEC command.
For detailed information about the fields in the displays, see the command reference for this release.

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