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How-To Articles

How to Configure Link Aggregation in Seqrite UTM

01-03-2020 22:37:51

Overview

Link aggregation is a technique where multiple parallel network interfaces are combined to increase network throughput. It is used in high-speed networks to enable fast and inexpensive transmission of bulk data. Link aggregation enhances and increases the network capacity and maintains fast transmission speed without changing any hardware devices, thus reducing cost.

Link Aggregation feature offers the following two benefits:

· Load Balancing: The network traffic load is distributed across two or more network interfaces that appear as a single connection in order to increase reliability through redundancy.

· Fail-over: Combining two or more network interfaces provides fault tolerance. In case if anyone of the network interfaces fail then, the traffic will be automatically directed to the other network interface.


Applicable Version
: All

Prerequisites:

  • 1. The manageable switch which also supports LACP.
  • 2. Link aggregation can be done only on unconfigured interfaces.
  • 3. Minimum 2 and maximum 8 interfaces can be bonded in link aggregation.

Configuration:

Creating a Link Aggregation interface

1. Navigate to Network > Interface. The Interface page is displayed.

2. Click the + (Add) icon. The Add Interface page is displayed.

The following table explains the fields on a page, configure as required:

FieldDescription
TypeSelect the interface type as Link aggregation from the drop-down.
Link Aggregation IDEnter a Link Aggregation ID. This should be a unique number for identification between the range 0-99.
Link Aggregation Mode

Select the link aggregation mode. Mode specifies bonding policies that will be applied.

The following modes of Link Aggregation are available:

802.3ad (LACP): IEEE 802.3ad Dynamic link aggregation. Utilizes all slaves in the active aggregator according to the 802.3ad specification. This mode provides load balancing and fault tolerance. This mode requires a switch that supports IEEE 802.3ad LACP.

Round Robin: This mode transmits packets in sequential order from the first available slave through the last. This mode provides load balancing and fault tolerance.

Xor: In this mode packets are transmitted based on the transmit hash policy. This mode provides load balancing and fault tolerance.

Broadcast: This mode transmits everything on all slave interfaces. This mode provides fault tolerance.

Active-Backup: Only one slave in the link aggregation interface is active. A different slave becomes active if, and only if, the active slave fails. This mode provides fault tolerance.

Transmit Hash Policy

Select Transmit Hash Policy. This option will be displayed only if you select 802.3ad and Xor mode. Following are the available Transmit hash policies.

Layer 2: Uses XOR of hardware MAC addresses to generate the hash. This algorithm will place all traffic to a particular network peer on the same slave.

Layer 2 + 3: This policy uses a combination of layer2 and layer3 (MAC and IP address) protocol information to generate the hash. This algorithm will place all traffic to a particular network peer on the same slave.

Slave interfaces

Slave interfaces are the unconfigured physical ports that will be aggregated/merged. At least 2 and at most 8 physical ports can be aggregated in one link aggregation interface.

Once configured the slave interfaces from a link aggregation interfaces cannot be removed until the link aggregation interface is deleted.

These interfaces should not have VLAN interface configured on them.

Zone Select zone. Zone can be LAN/WAN/DMZ.
IP assignmentSelect the IP assignment. IP assignment type can be Static or DHCP.
IPv4 addressEnter the IP address.
Subnet MaskEnter the Subnet Mask. This is required only if IP is given.
IPv4 GatewayEnter the Gateway IP address. This is required only if IP is given and zone is WAN.

3. Click Apply.

Note:

  1. VLAN and alias can be configured on Link Aggregation interface.
  2. Bridge cannot be configured on link aggregation interface.
  3. Configuration at switch is required for link aggregation to work except for Active-backup mode.

Please contact Seqrite Technical Support for more assistance