Setting up Etherchannel on Cisco 6500

[Antlersnbeards]

Been trying to setup an Etherchannel on a Cisco 6500. I have teamed two NICs on a Compaq server that I want to connect to an etherchannel on the switch. From the switch, the only way I can get it to create an etherchannel is to run 'set port channel <mod/port>,<mod/port> mode on'. Auto or Desirable will not let me create a channel. When I create the channel using 'on', I can't ping from the server off the local subnet. Am I missing something?

Thanks,

Antlers

 

[vipergg]

How do you know the channel is actually working ? If the channel is working you should be able to ping the server if the servers default gateway is correct for the vlan it is attached to . Do you see the servers mac address in the 6500 cam table ? If not then the channel is not working the way it should . Desirable or auto won't work because they use a cisco proprietary protocol that the nic probably doesn't understand . You would have to set up the 6500 to use LACP to create the channels which is the standard , Cisco uses pagp to create (on by default) the channels . You might have to look at the nic cards also to see what they support for channeling .

 

[Antlersnbeards]

I actually don't know that the channel is working. I said that it was 'working' because using 'mode on' is the only way that I can get the channel to show up in the output of a 'show port channel' command. When I use 'auto' and 'desirable' I can't see the channel listed anymore. Using 'mode on', I get a listed channel, but I can't ping off the local subnet...even though I have the correct gateway address.

Here is the output of the 'show port channel'...

CAT65K_LRMC> (enable) sho port channel
Port Status Channel Admin Ch
Mode Group Id
----- ---------- -------------------- ----- -----
5/5 notconnect on 217 771
5/44 connected on 217 771
----- ---------- -------------------- ----- -----

Port Device-ID Port-ID Platform
----- ------------------------------- ------------------------- ----------------

5/5
5/44
----- ------------------------------- ------------------------- ----------------

Like I said, using 'mode on' is the only way that I can get a channel to list as created. I am using the latest drivers for a Compaq NC3163 10/100 card. How would I set up the switch to use LACP?

Thanks....

Antlers

 

[vipergg]

This might help you . I think LACP was only available from code 7.X up so if you are running earlier than that you migh not be able to set it up . This is a good page for channeling.

http://cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/...figuration_guide_chapter09186a008007ec1c.html

 

[chieftan999]

You will find on Cisco systems that if you use the "ON" Statement the device will NOT use either PAgP or LACP.

With Etherchannelling you must ensure that both ends are configured THE SAME before connecting the cables.

I have been configuring BladeCenters using the Cisco IGESM and 6509 switches for a while and have found the issues as you have explained.

If you wish to use dynamic etherchannel configs then use LACP as VIPERGG has explained.

If you want direct connections with NO initial negotiation then just use the on command.

The important thing to remember is that the config MUST be thje SAME at both ends.

Reamin positive. The affect on those around you will amaze.

 

[Antlersnbeards]

Beginning to wonder if the code on the 6500 is too old to work with my newer server NIC drivers. Here is the output of a 'show version' command...

Copyright (c) 1995-2000 by Cisco Systems
NMP S/W compiled on Jun 8 2000, 21:09:45

System Bootstrap Version: 5.3(1)

Hardware Version: 2.0 Model: WS-C6509 Serial #: SCA050500H5

Mod Port Model Serial # Versions
--- ---- ------------------- ----------- --------------------------------------
1 2 WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE SAD050213KJ Hw : 7.0
Fw : 5.3(1)
Fw1: 5.4(2)
Sw : 5.5(1)
Sw1: 5.5(1)
L3 Switching Engine SAD050303TC Hw : 1.1
2 16 WS-X6416-GBIC SAD051306U2 Hw : 1.2
Fw : 5.4(2)
Sw : 5.5(1)
3 16 WS-X6416-GBIC SAD04240KYL Hw : 1.2
Fw : 5.4(2)
Sw : 5.5(1)
4 16 WS-X6416-GBIC SAL0739LYF3 Hw : 2.5
Fw : 5.4(2)
Sw : 5.5(1)
5 48 WS-X6348-RJ-45 SAL0536B7AX Hw : 5.0
Fw : 5.4(2)
Sw : 5.5(1)
6 16 WS-X6316-GE-TX SAD07130206 Hw : 1.3
Fw : 5.4(2)
Sw : 5.5(1)
7 48 WS-X6348-RJ-45 SAL0725F6SX Hw : 7.3
Fw : 5.4(2)
Sw : 5.5(1)
15 1 WS-F6K-MSFC2 SAD050301NN Hw : 1.2
Fw : 12.1(2)E,
Sw : 12.1(2)E,


Many of the commands that are on the link don't work on my switch. (ie... set channelprotocol) When using 'on' mode I apparently get STP problems...like being unable to ping off the local subnet.

I'm not far from telling the vendor (who requested that I team NICs on his server) that we can't do it...due to code levels on our switch.

Any other suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks for you help thus far.

 

[chieftan999]

If you set the channelling to ON and are getting STP problems this may be because you have got the cables connected BEFORE setting up the config at both ends.

The problem is that if you set etherchannelling at one end and not the other and then patch the cabling in, STP sees 2 routes to the same location and automatically shuts down one of the ports to stop the loop. This then sends out the new port information in the BPDUs and this in turn causes STP to reconverge. This may bring down the network from a few minutes to a few hours (Depending on the size of the layer 2 network).

Reamin positive. The affect on those around you will amaze.

 

[Antlersnbeards]

Today, I disconnected one of the cables from my server and disabled and re-enabled the port channel using 'mode on'. I then successfully pinged across multiple subnets. I then hooked up the other server cable and immediately lost my ability to ping other subnets, including the gateway on the local subnet.

I'm using HP/Compaq servers with embedded NICs. From what I can see there is very little that I can modify when I setup the NIC team on the server. Does anyone have experience using this setup? (Compaq server NIC team > Cisco 6500)

 

[chieftan999]

I am not sure how you would use this from teaming on the Compaq.

I always thought teaming was just a transparent failover procedure rather than etherchannelling.

Etherchannelling uses load balancing to send info over 2 or more links to the same destination!!!!!!!!

Reamin positive. The affect on those around you will amaze.

 

[RookThis]

Teaming Nics... I just spent several days chasing a problem with several misconfigured servers. They were configured in such a way that it was sending data out one interface and receiving on the other, thus causing a unicast flooding problem. I'd definitely check to make sure you aren't seeing the flooding problem after you set this up. As for the configuration on the switch side you set it up as a normal connection. What we have are two 6509's, with the server connected to each switch. Primary nic on one and the backup connection on the other. I can't recall how the sever guys referred the configuration to, but I know it's doing some type of load balancing with failover.

 

[chieftan999]

The 6509s will be set up with etherchannelling as this offers failover and load balancing.... You just have to make sure both ends are configured correctly before pathcing it in.

Reamin positive. The affect on those around you will amaze.