# Create/Delete EtherChannels

Device>Configure>EtherChannel>Create/Delete EtherChannels

Create EtherChannels by specifying which ports on each card are to be grouped into EtherChannels. This feature also applies to 24-port modules.

Note: When you create an EtherChannel port group, the default port state is set to On. If you delete an EtherChannel, the port state is set to Off. The status designations “On” and “Off” can be seen only in the Administrative Status column of the EtherChannel Table) as a result of the grouping decisions you make in this window.

An On port-state setting cannot be changed directly to Desirable or Auto (because the corresponding button options in the EtherChannel window are disabled when an On status is in place); you must first change the On port state to Off from within this Create/Delete EtherChannels window by either selecting the “no” option in the group field’s popup menu or by deleting an EtherChannel (see instructions below). Established EtherChannel ports can be set to Auto or Desirable only when their On status is changed to Off with a “no” designation or a deletion. To set a port state to Auto or Desirable, be sure the port state is set to Off, then return to the EtherChannel Table window and click either the Set Auto or Set Desirable buttons.

Creating EtherChannels: To create an EtherChannel, click on a field for one of the cards displayed and select a grouping arrangement from the popup menu, or select the “no” option from the menu if you want no EtherChannel grouping to take place. All available configuration options are automatically displayed. When you group an EtherChannel, Note that if you have 12 ports then you can make only 3 groups; if you have 24 Ethernet ports, you can make 6 EtherChannel groups. Click the Apply button to make your port groupings take effect (review this Restrictions List if you get the message: “Please be sure of the following configurations”. A selected group is actively channeling only when displayed in the Channeled Ports column of the EtherChannel Table.

Deleting EtherChannels: To delete an EtherChannel, first suppose that you have established an EtherChannel grouping on card 4 of (5,6)(7,8) with a port state of On (the default state set when a grouping is defined). If you modify the group to include only ports (5,6) –by clicking on the group field and selecting only (5,6) from the popup options-- then (7,8) are consequently considered deleted, with a port state now set automatically to Off as a result of the change (which takes effect after you click the Apply button and can only then be seen in the Administrative Status column of the table). (Review this Restrictions List if you get the message: “Please be sure of the following configurations”). Ports (7,8) from this example can now be used as EtherChannels with Auto or Desirable state settings (selected from buttons in the EtherChannel Table window, not from here in the Create/Delete EtherChannel window).

Converting Desirable or Auto Channels: When you click on a group field for an Auto or Desirable port and select a grouping arrangement from the popup menu (or select the “no” option from the menu), you are converting the Auto or Desirable port state to On (or Off when “no” is selected). Click the Apply button to make your new On port groupings take effect (review this Restrictions List if you get the message: “Please be sure of the following configurations”). A selected group is actively channeling only when displayed in the Channeled Ports column of the EtherChannel Table.

EtherChannel Table

Card (portChannelModuleIndex)

Indicates the number of the card on the device.

Group 1-4 (portChannelPorts)

Ports in group 1-4: no for none, (1,2), or (1,2),(3,4), or (1,2,3,4).

Group 5-8 (portChannelPorts)

Ports in group 5-8: no for none, (5,6), or (5,6),(7,8), or (5,6,7,8).

Group 9-12 (portChannelPorts)

Ports in group 9-12: no for none, (9,10), or (9,10),(11,12), or (9,10,11,12).

Group 13-16 (portChannelPorts)

Ports in group 13-16: no for none, (13,14), or (13,14),(15,16), or (13,14.15.16).

Group 17-20 (portChannelPorts)

Ports in group 17-20: no for none, (17,18), or (17,18),(19,20), or (17,18,19,20).

Group 21-24 (portChannelPorts)

Ports in group 21-24: no for none, (21,22), or (21,22),(23,24), or (21,22,23,24).

When clicking Apply to make your changes take effect a Restrictions List may be displayed.

Click Cancel to close the dialog box without making any changes. Click Print to print the contents of the dialog box.