To aggregate the bandwidth of multiple physical NICs on hosts, you can create a link aggregation group (LAG) on the distributed switch and use it to handle the traffic of distributed port groups.

Newly created LAGs do not have physical NICs assigned to their ports and are unused in the teaming and failover order of distributed port groups. To handle the network traffic of distributed port groups by using a LAG, you must migrate the traffic from standalone uplinks to the LAG.

Prerequisites

  • Verify that for every host where you want to use LACP, a separate LACP port channel exists on the physical switch. See LACP Support on a vSphere Distributed Switch.
  • Verify that the vSphere Distributed Switch where you configure the LAG is version 6.5 or later.
  • Verify that enhanced LACP is supported on the distributed switch.

Create a Link Aggregation Group

To migrate the network traffic of distributed port groups to a link aggregation group (LAG), you create a LAG on the distributed switch.

Procedure

  1. In the vSphere Client, navigate to the distributed switch.
  2. On the Configure tab, expand Settings and select LACP.
  3. Click the New Link Aggregation Group icon.
  4. Name the new LAG.
  5. Set the number of ports to the LAG.
    Set the same number of ports to the LAG as the number of ports in the LACP port channel on the physical switch. A LAG port has the same function as an uplink on the distributed switch. All LAG ports form a NIC team in the context of the LAG.
  6. Select the LACP negotiating mode of the LAG.
    Option Description
    Active All LAG ports are in an Active negotiating mode. The LAG ports initiate negotiations with the LACP port channel on the physical switch by sending LACP packets.
    Passive The LAG ports are in Passive negotiating mode. The LAG ports respond to LACP packets they receive but do not initiate LACP negotiation.
    If the LACP-enabled ports on the physical switch are in Active negotiating mode, you can set the LAG ports in Passive mode and the reverse.
  7. Select a load balancing mode from the hashing algorithms that LACP defines.
    Note: The hashing algorithm must be the same as the hashing algorithm set to the LACP port channel on the physical switch.
  8. Select the link aggregation timeout mode.
    Periodic transmissions of LACP PDUs occur at either a slow or fast transmission rate, depending upon the LACP timeout preference you select. In a fast timeout, PDUs are sent every second, and, in a slow timeout, PDUs are sent every 30 seconds. A slow timeout is the default setting.
    Note: A fast timeout is supported only on distributed switch version 7.0.2 or later.
  9. Set the VLAN and the NetFlow policies for the LAG.
    This option is active when overriding the VLAN and NetFlow policies per individual uplink ports is enabled on the uplink port group. If you set the VLAN and NetFlow policies to the LAG, they override the policies set on the uplink port group level.
  10. Click OK.

Results

The new LAG is unused in the teaming and failover order of distributed port groups. No physical NICs are assigned to the LAG ports.

As with standalone uplinks, the LAG has a representation on every host that is associated with the distributed switch. For example, if you create LAG1 with two ports on the distributed switch, a LAG1 with two ports is created on every host that is associated with the distributed switch.

What to do next

Set the LAG as standby in the teaming and failover configuration of distributed port groups. In this way, you create an intermediate configuration that lets you migrate the network traffic to the LAG without losing network connectivity.

Set a Link Aggregating Group as Standby in the Teaming and Failover Order of Distributed Port Groups

The new link aggregation group (LAG) by default is unused in the teaming and failover order of distributed port groups. Because only one LAG or only standalone uplinks can be active for distributed port groups, you must create an intermediate teaming and failover configuration, where the LAG is standby. This configuration lets you migrate physical NICs to the LAG ports by keeping the network connectivity up.

Procedure

  1. Navigate to the distributed switch.
  2. From the Actions menu, select Distributed Port Group > Manage Distributed Port Groups.
  3. Select Teaming and failover and click Next.
  4. Select the port groups where you want to use the LAG.
  5. In Failover order, select the LAG and use the up arrow to move it to the Standby uplinks list.
  6. Click Next, review the message that informs you about the usage of the intermediate teaming and failover configuration, and click OK.
  7. On the Ready to complete page, click Finish.

What to do next

Migrate physical NICs from standalone uplinks to the LAG ports.

Assign Physical NICs to the Ports of the Link Aggregation Group

Learn how to set the new link aggregation group (LAG) as standby in the teaming and failover order of distributed port groups. Having the LAG as standby lets you safely migrate the physical NICs from standalone uplinks to the LAG ports without losing network connectivity.

Prerequisites

  • Verify that either all LAG ports or the corresponding LACP-enabled ports on the physical switch are in active LACP negotiating mode.
  • Verify that the physical NICs that you want to assign to the LAG ports have the same speed and are configured at full duplex.

Procedure

  1. In the vSphere Client, navigate to the distributed switch where the LAG resides.
  2. From the Actions menu, select Add and Manage Hosts.
  3. Select Manage host networking.
  4. Select the host whose physical NICs you want to assign to the LAG ports and click Next.
  5. On the Select network adapter tasks page, select Manage physical adapters and click Next.
  6. On the Manage physical adapters page, select a NIC and click Assign an uplink.
  7. Select a LAG port and click OK.
  8. Repeat Step 6 and Step 7 for all physical NICs that you want to assign to the LAG ports.
  9. Complete the wizard.

Example: Configure Two Physical NICs to a LAG in the Add and Manage Hosts Wizard

For example, if you have a LAG with two ports, you configure a physical NIC to each LAG port in the Add and Manage Hosts wizard.

What to do next

Set the LAG as active and all standalone uplinks to unused in the teaming and failover order of distributed port groups.

Set the Link Aggregation Group as Active in the Teaming and Failover Order of the Distributed Port Group

Learn how to set the LAG as active and move all standalone uplinks as unused in the teaming and failover order of the distributed port groups, after you have migrated physical NICs to the ports of the link aggregation group (LAG.

Procedure

  1. Navigate to the distributed switch.
  2. From the Actions menu, select Distributed Port Group > Manage Distributed Port Groups.
  3. Select Teaming and failover and click Next.
  4. Select the port groups where you set the LAG as standby and click Next.
  5. In Failover order, use the up and down arrows to move the LAG in the Active list, all standalone uplinks in the Unused list, and leave the Standby list empty.
  6. Click Next and click Finish.

Results

You safely migrated network traffic from standalone uplinks to a LAG for distributed port groups and created a valid LACP teaming and failover configuration for the groups.

Example: Topology of a Distributed Switch that Uses a LAG

If you configure a LAG with two ports to handle the traffic of a distributed port group, you can check the topology of the distributed switch to view how it changed as a result of the new configuration.

Figure 1. Distributed Switch Topology with a LAG

Topology of a distributed switch with a LAG.