Summary Of Switch Port Aggregation with EtherChannel PDF

Switch Port Aggregation with EtherChannel

Switch Port Aggregation, also known as Link Aggregation or Port Trunking, is a technique to combine multiple physical network links into a single logical link. This improves the overall bandwidth and provides redundancy in case a link fails. Cisco’s proprietary implementation of link aggregation is called EtherChannel.

EtherChannel is a popular technology that allows multiple Ethernet links to be combined into a single, high-capacity connection between network devices such as switches, routers, or servers. By bundling multiple links together, EtherChannel not only increases the available bandwidth but also enhances fault tolerance and load balancing.

Key features of EtherChannel include:

Increased Bandwidth: Aggregating multiple physical links into a single logical link can significantly increase the available bandwidth between devices.
Load Balancing: EtherChannel distributes traffic over the aggregated links, ensuring optimal utilization of the available bandwidth.
Fault Tolerance: If one of the links in the EtherChannel fails, the traffic is automatically redistributed over the remaining active links, providing redundancy and reducing the impact of failures.
Protocol Support: EtherChannel can be used with different protocols, including Cisco’s proprietary Port Aggregation Protocol (PAgP) or the industry-standard Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP).