Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) is an industry standard client/server environment that allows workstations to boot from the server before their full operating system is up and running. PXE images are too small to take advantage of Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) functionality, and therefore it is up to the administrator to statically configure the switch for correct connectivity. This also means that after the full operating system is up and running, the switch needs to be reconfigured for LACP. The LACP Fallback option automates this process.
The LACP Fallback feature lets you select a single port that is automatically added to the aggregator if LACP data units (LACPDUs) do not appear on any of the member ports within the specified period of time. If LACPDUs are exchanged before this timeout expires, an aggregator is formed using traditional means. If LACPDUs are not received, an active port with the lowest priority value is automatically added to the aggregator (enters fallback state). If ports have the same priority value, the lowest port number on the lowest slot number is chosen.
The selected port stays in the fallback state until fallback is disabled or until LACPDUs are received on any of the member ports, at which point the old aggregator is removed and a new one is selected based on information propagated in the LACPDUs. The new fallback port may also be re-elected if the existing fallback port changes its state (for example, port priority change, link bounce, port disable/enable, etc.).
The LACP fallback option configuration consists of:
Summit X450-G2, X460-G2, X670-G2, X770, and ExtremeSwitching X620, X440-G2 series switches
When using LACP fallback with MLAG, fallback port is selected only on the LACP master.
configure sharing port lacp fallback [enable | disable]
The show lacp lag group-id detail command now shows fallback information (shown in bold):
# show lacp lag 17 detail Lag Actor Actor Partner Partner Partner Agg Actor Sys-Pri Key MAC Sys-Pri Key Count MAC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17 0 0x03f9 00:00:00:00:00:00 0 0x0000 1 00:04:96:6d:55:13 Enabled : Yes LAG State : Up Unack count : 0 Wait-for-count : 0 Current timeout : Long Activity mode : Active Defaulted Action : Delete Fallback : Enabled Fallback timeout : 40 seconds Receive state : Enabled Transmit state : Enabled Minimum active : 1 Selected count : 1 Standby count : 0 LAG Id flag : Yes S.pri:0 , S.id:00:04:96:6d:55:13, K:0x03f9 T.pri:0 , T.id:00:00:00:00:00:00, L:0x0000 Port list: Member Port Rx Sel Mux Actor Partner Port Priority State Logic State Flags Port -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17 10 Initialize Unselected Detached A-G----- 0 18 5 Initialize Fallback Collect-Dist A-GSCD-- 1018 19 5 Idle Unselected Detached -------- 0 ======================================================================== Actor Flags: A-Activity, T-Timeout, G-Aggregation, S-Synchronization C-Collecting, D-Distributing, F-Defaulted, E-Expired
The show lacp member-port port detail command now shows fallback information (shown in bold):
# show lacp member-port 18 detail Member Port Rx Sel Mux Actor Partner Port Priority State Logic State Flags Port -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 5 Initialize Fallback Collect-Dist A-GSCD-- 1018 Up : Yes Enabled : Yes Link State : Up Actor Churn : False Partner Churn : True Ready_N : Yes Wait pending : No Ack pending : No LAG Id: S.pri:0 , S.id:00:04:96:6d:55:13, K:0x03f9, P.pri:65535, P.num:1018 T.pri:0 , T.id:00:00:00:00:00:00, L:0x0000, Q.pri:65535, Q.num:1018 Stats: Rx - Accepted : 0 Rx - Dropped due to error in verifying PDU : 0 Rx - Dropped due to LACP not being up on this port : 0 Rx - Dropped due to matching own MAC : 0 Tx - Sent successfully : 1162 Tx - Transmit error : 0 ======================================================================= Actor Flags: A-Activity, T-Timeout, G-Aggregation, S-Synchronization C-Collecting, D-Distributing, F-Defaulted, E-Expired