Difference beetween Multichassis Etherchannel (MEC) and vPC

[apereira3]

Hello all,

I'm searching about two concepts, but I don't understanding what starts one and end another and what are the functions about the 2 protocols and technologies.

Please, what are the differences between Multichassis Etherchannel (MEC) and vPC?

Thank you!

Allyson

[Hector Gustavo Serrano Gutierrez]

Hi @apereira3,

A normal EtherChannel bundles two or more physical links between a pair of switches using usually LACP (Link Aggregation Control Protocol).

When talking about Multichassis Etherchannel (MEC), we refer to a EtherChannel that is configured between a pair of Switches which "cheat" a 3rd switch making it think that its links are connecting to a single switch from the EtherChannel point of view.

For instance:

- Cisco Catalyst 6500 Switches (among others) have the VSS (Virtual Switching System) feature to create MECs.

- Cisco Nexus family of Switches have the vPC (virtual Port Channel) feature to create MECs.

- Cisco Catalyst 3850 Switches (among others) can create MECs when connecting them in a stack using StackWise.

The technologies mentioned actually make use of different approaches to create MECs but the end result is a MEC.

Hope this helps.

Cheers.

[RB6502]

The technologies mentioned actually make use of different approaches to create MECs but the end result is a MEC.

So does that imply that say, an MEC originating for a C9500 SWV pair can interoperate with ports configured for vPC on an N93180?

[Sergiu.Daniluk]

Yes, you can interconnect VPC with VSS.  It will be one port-channel on VSS side and one VPC on nexus side.

Regards,

Sergiu

[Jova72]

Hi, 

the same concept applies to connect from vPC to Stackwised Catalyst 9500?

In case, vPC domain ID must be different from SW virtual domain ID or can be the same?

Thank you in advance