Loading

×Sorry to interrupt
CSS Error

Refresh

Cookie Preference Center

General Information on cookies

When you visit our website, we use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience. This information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalized web experience. Because we respect your right to privacy, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies by clicking on the different category headings to find out more and change your settings. However, blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on the site and the services we are able to offer. Further information can be found in our

Cookie Policy.

Strictly Necessary

Strictly Necessary

Always Active

Strictly Necessary

Strictly necessary cookies are always enabled since they are essential for our website to function. They enable core functionality such as security, network management, and website accessibility. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but this may affect how the website functions. For more information please visit www.aboutcookies.org or www.allaboutcookies.org.

Cookie Details‎

Performance

Performance

Performance

Performance cookies are used to analyze the user experience to improve our website by collecting and reporting information on how you use it. They allow us to know which pages are the most and least popular, see how visitors move around the site, optimize our website and make it easier to navigate.

Cookie Details‎

Please confirm your settings by refreshing the page.

Functional

Functional

Functional

Functional cookies help us keep track of your past browsing choices so we can improve usability and customize your experience. These cookies enable the website to remember your preferred settings, language preferences, location and other customizable elements such as font or text size. If you do not allow these cookies, then some or all of these services may not function properly.

Cookie Details‎

Advertising

Advertising

Advertising

Advertising cookies are used to send you relevant advertising and promotional information. They may be set through our site by third parties to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant advertisements on other sites. These cookies do not directly store personal information, but their function is based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device.

Cookie Details‎

Advertising Cookies

Consent Leg.Interest

Select All Vendors

Select All Vendors

Select All Hosts

Select All

Clear Filters

Information storage and access

Apply

Confirm My Choices Reject All Allow All

Skip to main content

My Subscriptions

Loading

Knowledge Base

Enable EtherChannel / Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) in ESXi/vCenter (1004048)

Last Updated: 3/9/2021Categories: How toTotal Views: 1353585Language:
Chinese (Simplified)Portuguese (European)JapaneseSpanishEnglishGerman

121 like this article

Subscribe to get an email
newsletter with new updates

121 people found this helpful Please provide article feedback:

Learn how VMware Skyline Advisor and Skyline Health Diagnostics work together to provide proactive intelligence and self-service log analysis.

Use Skyline Advisor to avoid issues before they occur across VCF, vSphere, vSAN, NSX, vROps & Horizon. Skyline Findings are based on top KBs, VMSAs/CVEs and design best practices.

Use Skyline Health Diagnostics to root cause vSphere & vSAN logs when an issue occurs. Skyline Health Diagnostic Findings are based on top KBs and VMSA/CVEs. You can use the Skyline Health Diagnostics tool in online or offline mode.

If you require additional help from technical support, please use Skyline Advisor to initiate a Log Assist to reduce time to upload logs. TSEs can also initiate logs to reduce effort.

Purpose

This article provides information on enabling and disabling link aggregation, NIC Teaming, Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP), and EtherChannel connectivity between ESXi/ESX and Physical Network Switches.

Note: There are a number of requirements which need to be considered before implementing any form of link aggregation. For more information on these requirements, see Host requirements for link aggregation (etherchannel, port channel, or LACP) in ESXi (1001938).

Impact / Risks

As with any networking change, there is a chance for network disruption so a maintenance period is recommended for changes. This is especially true on a vSphere Distributed Switch (vDS) because the Distributed Switch is owned by vCenter and the hosts alone cannot make changes to the vDS if connection to vCenter is lost. Enabling LACP can greatly complicate vCenter or host management recovery in production down scenarios, because the LACP connection may need to be broken to move back to a Standard Switch if necessary (since LACP is not supported on a Standard Switch).

Resolution

Enabling LACP within vSphere

To configure vSwitch properties for load balancing:

Select the Networking tab in vCenter.

Select the vSphere distributed switch and click LACP.

Note: LACP is only supported on a vDS, not on a standard switch.

Click +NEW to add a new LAG group.

Select the number of uplinks that will be in the LAG per host.

From the Load Balancing dropdown, select the correct load balancing policy. This will be determined by the physical switch. Refer to the physical switch vendor if there are questions on which load balancing algorithm should be used.

Click OK.

Verify that there are adapters listed under Assigned Adapters in the LAG for each host.

Click Actions on the distributed switch.

Follow the wizard until the Manage Physical Adapters section.

Choose the appropriate adapters and ensure that under Uplink they have the LAG listed.

If the LAG is not listed, select "Assign Adapter" and assign it to the LAG. Select OK and repeat until finished, then finish the wizard.

Note: If the adapters being chosen to move to the LAG are currently in use for a vmkernel such as the management vmkernel, the adapter must be moved over to the LAG in steps- they cannot be moved all at once. See Configuring LACP on a vSphere Distributed Switch Port Group (2034277) for more information.  As with any configuration change, this should be done during a maintenance window.

8. For each port group that will use the LAG, select Edit Settings on those port groups and move LAG to active. You many choose to move the other uplinks to unused.

Removing an EtherChannel configuration from a running ESX/ESXi host

To remove EtherChannel, there must only be one active network adapter on the vSwitch/dvSwitch. Ensure that the other host NICs in the EtherChannel configuration are disconnected (Link Down). Perform one of these options:

Disconnect the network cables from the network adapters (ensure that one is left online).

Shut down the network port from the physical switch.

Disable the vmnic network cards in ESXi. For more information, see Forcing a link state up or down for a vmnic interface on ESXi (2006074).

With only a single network card online, you can then remove the portchannel configuration from the physical network switch and change the network teaming settings on the vSwitch/dvSwitch from IP HASH to portID. For more information about teaming, see NIC teaming in ESXi and ESX (1004088).

Note: Both adding and removing a host from an LACP configuration can be complicated process, especially if the management vmkernel is using the LACP uplink group. There is a chance for network disruption due to this complication.

Related Information

Configuring LACP on an Uplink Port Group using the vSphere Web Client
Host requirements for link aggregation (etherchannel or port channel) for ESXi and ESX
Converting to Enhanced LACP Support on a vSphere Distributed Switch
Example Configuration of LACP on VMware, Cisco, and HP switches

Link aggregation concepts:

EtherChannel: This is a link aggregation (port trunking) method used to provide fault-tolerance and high-speed links between switches, routers, and servers by grouping two to eight physical Ethernet links to create a logical Ethernet link with additional failover links. For additional information on Cisco EtherChannel, see the EtherChannel Introduction by Cisco.

LACP or IEEE 802.3ad: The Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) is included in IEEE specification as a method to control the bundling of several physical ports together to form a single logical channel. LACP allows a network device to negotiate an automatic bundling of links by sending LACP packets to the peer (directly connected device that also implements LACP). For more information on LACP, see the Link Aggregation Control Protocol whitepaper by Cisco.

EtherChannel vs. 802.3ad: EtherChannel and IEEE 802.3ad standards are very similar and accomplish the same goal. There are a few differences between the two, other than EtherChannel is Cisco proprietary and 802.3ad is an open standard.

For more information on EtherChannel implementation, see the Understanding EtherChannel Load Balancing and Redundancy on Catalyst Switches article from Cisco.

VMware Skyline Health Diagnostics for vSphere - FAQ

For translated versions of this article, see:

Español: Configuración de muestra de EtherChannel/agregación de enlaces con ESXi/ESX y conmutadores Cisco/HP (2034989)

Português: Amostra de configuração do EtherChannel/Agregação de link com switches ESX/ESXi e Cisco/HP (2037187)

Mandarin Chinese: 与 ESXi/ESX 和 Cisco/HP 交换机的 EtherChannel/链接聚合的配置示例 (2040972)

Host requirements for link aggregation for ESXi and ESX
VLAN configuration on virtual switches, physical switches, and virtual machines
NIC teaming in ESXi and ESX
NIC teaming using EtherChannel leads to intermittent network connectivity in ESXi
Forcing a link state up or down for a vmnic interface on ESXi
Configuring LACP on an Uplink Port Group using the vSphere Web Client
Configuración de muestra de EtherChannel/protocolo de control de agregación de vínculos (LACP) con conmutadores ESXi/ESX y Cisco/HP
Exemplo de configuração do EtherChannel/LACP (Protocolo de Controle de Agregação de Links) com o ESX/ESXi e os switches Cisco/HP
与 ESXi/ESX 和 Cisco/HP 交换机的 EtherChannel/链路聚合控制协议 (LACP) 的配置示例
ESXi/ESX および Cisco/HP スイッチによる EtherChannel/リンク集約コントロール プロトコル (LACP) のサンプル構成
Beispielkonfiguration für EtherChannel/Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) mit ESXi/ESX und Cisco/HP-Switches

Detectable by VMware SkylineTM

Actions

Copy

link to clipboard
copied!

Print

Language:
Chinese (Simplified)Portuguese (European)JapaneseSpanishEnglishGerman

Attachments

Additional Resources

KB
•
End Of General Availability of the Free vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi 7.x and 8.x) (2107518)

Result 1 of 1

Ask The Community

Get answers quickly from VMware experts in the community

Post Subject

CONTINUE IN COMMUNITIES

Related Products:

VMware vSphere ESXi

VMware vSphere ESXi

VMware vCenter Server

VMware ESX Server

Related Versions:

VMware vSphere ESXi 7.0.0

VMware vSphere ESXi 6.7

VMware vSphere ESXi 6.5

VMware vSphere ESXi 6.0

Take Our Survey

Was this article helpful?

YES

NO

Copyright © 2005-2024 Broadcom. All Rights Reserved. The term “Broadcom” refers to Broadcom Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.

Terms of Use

Your California Privacy Rights

Privacy

Accessibility

Cookie Settings

Support Assistant