Re: Link aggregation

[Thor Lancelot Simon <tls%panix.com@localhost>]

On Thu, Feb 18, 2010 at 06:35:10PM +0000, Sad Clouds wrote:
> 
>       link0   Use the round-robin distribution algorithm.  Don't use
>       it unless you're really sure, because it violates the frame
>       ordering rule.
>       ...
> 
> Don't use it unless you're really sure about what? If it violates the
> frame ordering rule, what will be the end result: poor performance due
> to driver reodering frames, or data corruption, or frame loss?

Poor performance.

> 2. If I have a bunch of NetBSD machines with multiples NICs connected
> to the same ethernet switch, does switch have to support link
> aggregation protocol in order for it to work, or can link aggregation
> work transparently across any ethernet switch?

The switch has to support link aggregation.

> 3. Is there a limit to how many links can one aggregate together? For
> example, if I have 8 quad ethernet cards plugged in (8 * 4 = 32 physical
> links) will I be able to aggreate them into a single agr0 interface?

You'll find performance in this case appalling.  You're also unlikely to
find an affordable switch which will let you aggregate more than 8 links,
or any switch at all which will let you aggregate 32 links.

I actually haven't seen the LACP support work properly with agr and any
peer I have available, so I'll be curious to know if you get it working
with LACP enabled.

-- 
Thor Lancelot Simon                                    
tls%rek.tjls.com@localhost
  "All of my opinions are consistent, but I cannot present them all
   at once."    -Jean-Jacques Rousseau, On The Social Contract