Help - Line Aggregation

Hi,

Could some one please tell me how to configure/setup line aggregation on
Windows platforms. Is line aggregation supported by Windows or by the NIC
drivers?

Suppose I install two one-port NICs on Windows 2003, how can I group these
two NICs together to use line aggregation?

Thanks,

T.
--

It would be supported by the NIC drivers. Such as HP, Dell, Etc.

<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
> It would be supported by the NIC drivers. Such as HP, Dell, Etc.
>

So Windows OS does not have any contribution to line aggregation?

Suppose we have two different NICs from two different vendors and they both
support line aggregation, can we install them on the same server to
use/create line aggregation? Or do we have to use both NICs from the same
vendor if we need line aggregation?

Thanks,

T.
--

That would be correct. You can also configure this at the switch level
with Cisco Switches. My experience has been to use 2 of the same nics
and use the software they provide for NIC teaming.

<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
> That would be correct.

Which one did you mean? OS doesn't have any contribution to line
aggregation, or I have to use the same NICs from the same vendor on a
server?

> You can also configure this at the switch level
> with Cisco Switches. My experience has been to use 2 of the same nics
> and use the software they provide for NIC teaming.
>

On Tue, 22 Feb 2005 12:22:53 -0600, "L" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>
><(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:(E-Mail Removed) roups.com...
>> That would be correct.

>> You can also configure this at the switch level
>> with Cisco Switches. My experience has been to use 2 of the same nics
>> and use the software they provide for NIC teaming.
>>
>
>
>Which one did you mean? OS doesn't have any contribution to line
>aggregation, or I have to use the same NICs from the same vendor on a
>server?

In my limited experience, both statements are true: the OS doesn't manage nic
teaming, fault tolerant or otherwise; and the nic vendors provide their driver
management applet that enables teaming, etc, but only for their own nics...

/daytripper

> In my limited experience, both statements are true: the OS doesn't manage
> nic
> teaming, fault tolerant or otherwise; and the nic vendors provide their
> driver
> management applet that enables teaming, etc, but only for their own
> nics...

I don't have much experience on line aggregation. It seems line aggregation
is specified in IEEE 802.3ad. Since this is a standard, all NIC vendors
should follow it to implement line aggregation. If this is true, then we
should be able to use two differnet NICs from two different vendors to
create line aggregation, right?

Thanks,


T.
--

On Tue, 22 Feb 2005 12:38:22 -0600, "L" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>> In my limited experience, both statements are true: the OS doesn't manage
>> nic
>> teaming, fault tolerant or otherwise; and the nic vendors provide their
>> driver
>> management applet that enables teaming, etc, but only for their own
>> nics...
>
>I don't have much experience on line aggregation. It seems line aggregation
>is specified in IEEE 802.3ad. Since this is a standard, all NIC vendors
>should follow it to implement line aggregation. If this is true, then we
>should be able to use two differnet NICs from two different vendors to
>create line aggregation, right?

Ah - you're going to use logic to answer this? ;-)

My nic teaming experience is limited to Intel and they provide a nic manager
that only works with their nics...

/daytripper

"daytripper" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Tue, 22 Feb 2005 12:38:22 -0600, "L" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>> In my limited experience, both statements are true: the OS doesn't
>>> manage
>>> nic
>>> teaming, fault tolerant or otherwise; and the nic vendors provide their
>>> driver
>>> management applet that enables teaming, etc, but only for their own
>>> nics...
>>
>>I don't have much experience on line aggregation. It seems line
>>aggregation
>>is specified in IEEE 802.3ad. Since this is a standard, all NIC vendors
>>should follow it to implement line aggregation. If this is true, then we
>>should be able to use two differnet NICs from two different vendors to
>>create line aggregation, right?
>
> Ah - you're going to use logic to answer this? ;-)

I guess but I think NIC vendors really should follow IEEE802.3ad to
implement line aggregation. Otherwise, even we use two identical NICs on
one server, we may still have problems. Think about another server has two
NICs from another vendor, and both servers are connected together by using
link aggregation (using two crossover cable to connect to each other).

> My nic teaming experience is limited to Intel and they provide a nic
> manager
> that only works with their nics...

Is the "nic manager" you mentioned in Windows Control Panel? Do you know
which Intel NICs support line aggregation?

Thanks,

T.
--

L wrote:
> "daytripper" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
>>On Tue, 22 Feb 2005 12:38:22 -0600, "L" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>>In my limited experience, both statements are true: the OS doesn't
>>>>manage
>>>>nic
>>>>teaming, fault tolerant or otherwise; and the nic vendors provide their
>>>>driver
>>>>management applet that enables teaming, etc, but only for their own
>>>>nics...
>>>
>>>I don't have much experience on line aggregation. It seems line
>>>aggregation
>>>is specified in IEEE 802.3ad. Since this is a standard, all NIC vendors
>>>should follow it to implement line aggregation. If this is true, then we
>>>should be able to use two differnet NICs from two different vendors to
>>>create line aggregation, right?
>>
>>Ah - you're going to use logic to answer this? ;-)
>
>
> I guess but I think NIC vendors really should follow IEEE802.3ad to
> implement line aggregation. Otherwise, even we use two identical NICs on
> one server, we may still have problems. Think about another server has two
> NICs from another vendor, and both servers are connected together by using
> link aggregation (using two crossover cable to connect to each other).

Uh, in general, the intent of standards is not to force vendors to do
something, but to coerce vendors to do it in this standard way
*if they do it at all*.

Specifically, for line aggregation, I would not expect it to work on
a multiple-vendor lash-up until I'd reviewed the results of a few rounds
of plug-fests; even then, I'd carefully read the vendor's disclaimers
rather carefully.
--
Cheers, Bob