Binding NICs or Passive/Active NICs

[sbrews]

I have an AIX system that has 2 NICs in it. I would like to bind the NICs together such that 1 is passive and 1 is active. In the event that the active NIC fails, the passive NIC picks up in its place - same IP, etc.

Is this possible in AIX? If so, can you tell me how I can set this up or point me at documentation that will help me figure it out?

thanks in advance.
scott

 

[comtec17]

You would have to write some custom script that monitors the health of the NIC. Then another script on how to shut down the active NIC and startup the new NIC and monitor it. This is basically an HACMP function but can be written in house with some research and time.

 

[metzlej]

If you are utilizing cisco switches, than "Cisco Etherchannel" maybe an option for you. It comes with AIX and you can group multiple adapters together and share one ip address. It increases throughput but also gives you redundancy in case an adapter fails.

Jarrett
IBM Certified Systems Expert pSeries HACMP for AIX
IBM Certified Advanced Technical Expert for AIX 5L and pSeries
- AIX 5L Systems Administration
- AIX 5L Performance and System Tuning
- p690 Technical Support
- pSeries HACMP for AIX