Windows NIC Teaming and VPC configuration

[snarayanaraju]

Hello Experts - The question may sound naive, but I want to hear from you experts.

I have a Physical windows server configured in NIC Teaming bundling two 10G Ethernet Port. The cables are connected to Nexus Switches A and B configured in VPC 

If I remove the NIC Teaming configuration and disable one of the NIC Card in the Windows server, should I change the Switch Ports also? Should I remove the VPC and make those ports as Regular Port?

regards,Sai

[balaji.bandi]

Not sure if i understand the question correctly.

you want to break the NIC teaming on Windows Servers side, any reason ?

and you would like make Active / Standby kind of enviroment ? (sorry i was not clear the requirement, so the question)

[snarayanaraju]

Thanks for responding. Yes, Break the NIC Teaming and want to have a single NIC by disabling the other NIC. Eventually server will be up with one NIC

If I do so on the server-side, should I change the VPC configuration by removing the Port-channel in the switch interface or shall the switch interfaces be left with Port-channel configuration? Will the server be online.

Scenario: Switch Side VPC is configured. Server-side no NIC Teaming or no LACP. Will this setup work? 

regards,Sai

[balaji.bandi]

Scenario: Switch Side VPC is configured. Server-side no NIC Teaming or no LACP. Will this setup work?

BB - yes it works, since you are in a failure scenario of NIC, if you looking Long Term Single NIC as moving forward.

Accept the downtime and make as a access port on respected Parent Switch. (personally i do not recomend) but this what you looking todo as change - then accept the risk (if the parent switch failure server will be no longer available in the network.)

[Deepak Kumar]

Hi,

If I am understanding your question correctly, you are breaking teaming on Server Side (vSwitch) means single NIC will not send LACP. 

@balaji.bandi As my understanding ports will take down one LACP will not received on the port.

This will cause to take port down and you will get an error as LACP is not enabled at the remote end.  You can overcome this issue using the command "no lacp suspend-individual"  or configure an individual interface for the server. I think the second option is more advisable. 

[balaji.bandi]

@balaji.bandi As my understanding ports will take down one LACP will not received on the port

Sure depends on the configuration here.

But in general Server configured with LACP with dual homed connection - the goal is to connect dual home  - if one of the NIC or connection lost- the other one should take care. if that remaining link go down - there is no meaning for that config.

yes you right and agree- the right config should be in place to work.

[snarayanaraju]

Thanks Deepak and Balaji  - I am using Cisco ACI configured in VPC. In some documents, I understood "LACP_SUSPEND-INDIVIDUAL" is by default disabled in Cisco ACI Fabric switches. 

Do you have any idea how to verify this using CLI command in ACI Leaf switches? I am still searching on Internet 

[Reza Sharifi]

Never worked with ACI but below command may show you that info: 

show port-channel summary interface port-channel x

 HTH

[snarayanaraju]

Hi, The command 

show port-channel summary interface port-channel x 

 doesnt show if "lacp-suspend-individual" is enabled or disabled

[Deepak Kumar · Accepted solution]

Hi,

"lacp-suspend-individual" is a default command and it will not show you with show output.

[snarayanaraju]

Hi Deepak - Thanks

Searching how to modify the command "lacp-suspend-individul" command in ACI fabric switches and verify this using GUI or CLI

regards,Sai 

[Sergiu.Daniluk · Accepted solution]

Hi @snarayanaraju 

If you know the policy group used for the vPC port-channel, go to:

Fabric -> Access Policies > Interfaces > Leaf Interfaces > Policy Groups > VPC Interfaces > select the policy group used for the vPC.

Then in the list of policies, look for Port Channel Policy and click on the blue icon.

You will find in the new window if the LACP suspended is enabled on not:

However, I must intervene in the discussion as I see some suggestion which are definitely not a best practice:

If you plan on changing your server side configuration from NIC teaming to one singe interface, make sure you change the ports on Nexus side in non-vPC. Why? Because you will leave misleading and undesired configuration, which could potentially create problems in your network. Now as you run ACI, things simplifies a bit, so the config can be easily corrected by simply changing Leaf interface Profile to use a Leaf access port instead of a vPC policy group. But also do not forget to change this aspect on EPG level as well.

Hope it helps,

Sergiu

P.S. It is also worth mentioning, that you should address questions related to ACI in the ACI / Data Center community. You will have better visibility.

[snarayanaraju]

Thanks Sergiu for the excellent description. It helps. Much appreciated. I hope i rated this post and accepted as a Solution to my query