Manual Chapter :
Network Settings
Applies To:
Show VersionsF5OS-C
- 1.2.2, 1.2.1, 1.2.0
Network Settings
Network configuration for the system controllers
The chassis administrator can perform general networking
tasks for the system controllers, such as configuring management interfaces
for the system controllers, enabling DHCP, and setting up DNS for the VELOS
platform. You can configure network settings at the system controller level
from the webUI, the CLI, or REST APIs.
Configure management interfaces from the webUI
You can view or change the
configuration of management interfaces, prefix length (netmask), and gateway
for the VELOS system at the chassis level.
- Log in to the VELOS system controller webUI using an account with admin access.
- On the left, click.
- For DHCP, you can selectEnabledorDisabledthe interface.
- TheAddresslist enables you to select IPv4 address, IPv6 address, or IPv4 and IPv6 addresses from the list.
- In theIPv4 IP Addresssection, enter System Controller 1, System Controller 2, and the Floating IP address.
- In theIPv4 Netmask and Gatewaysection, forPrefix Length, type a number from 1-32 for the length of the prefix. In theGatewaysection, enter the Gateway IP address.
- In theIPv6 IP Addresssection, forGateway, enter System Controller 1, System Controller 2, and the Floating IP address.
- In theIPv6 Netmask and Gatewaysection, forPrefix Length, type a number from 1-32 for the length of the prefix.
- To enable aggregation for the management ports between the system controllers and an outside switch, forLink AggregationselectEnabledorDisabled.Interface aggregation increases the bandwidth between peers by load balancing traffic across the ports.
- From theTypelist, select an option from the list (STATIC or LACP).If you select LACP, continue configuring these additional options:
- From theIntervallist, select an option from the list (SLOW or FAST).
- From theModelist, select an option from the list (ACTIVE or PASSIVE).
- If applicable, you can viewNameorMembersinformation.
- ClickSave.
Why use link aggregation on management ports
Forwarding is enabled for both management ports when link
aggregation is used. If one port of the aggregation goes down, traffic is
seamlessly handled by the remaining management port. A health-driven HA
switchover need not occur to activate the alternate management port as it does
when the management ports are operating independently.
There is also a gain in overall management port throughput.
Specifically, total management port bandwidth doubles to 20 Gbps when
aggregated. When not aggregated, only one management link is active at a time,
and total bandwidth is limited to 10 Gbps.
The downside of using management port aggregation is that
the ports to which the management ports connect must also be aggregated.
There is no difference in IP configuration between
aggregated and independent modes of operation. That is because aggregation (an
L2 feature) is applied to the physical switch ports that physically connect to
the management network, and IP addresses are applied to host interfaces at L3
connecting to entirely different physical switch ports.
Configure DNS from the webUI
You can configure DNS for the VELOS
system at the chassis level from the system controller webUI. This is used for
name resolution such as when setting up the system.
- Log in to the VELOS system controller webUI using an account with admin access.
- On the left, click.
- UnderDNS Lookup Servers, specify the name servers that the system uses to validate DNS lookups, and resolve host names. For each name server you want to add:
- ClickAdd.
- ForLookup Server, enter the IP address of the name server that you want to add to the list.
- ClickSave & Close.
- UnderDNS Search Domains, specify the domains that the system searches for local domain lookups and to resolve local host names. For each domain you want to add:
- ClickAdd.
- ForSearch Domain, type the domain name of the name server that you want to add to the list. For example, DNSsearch.com
- ClickSave & Close.
DNS lookup servers and search domains
are now specified for the VELOS system.
Network configuration for the chassis partition
Much of the L2 network configuration on VELOS systems is performed
at the chassis partition level by a chassis partition administrator. The
administrator logs into the chassis partition to view or configure port
groups, interfaces, VLANs, and create LAGs for that chassis partition. You can
configure network settings at the chassis partition level from the webUI, the
CLI, or REST API.
Port groups overview
The front-panel ports on VELOS blades support port group
functionality. Port groups enable you to configure the mode of the physical
port, which controls whether the port is bundled or unbundled, and the port
speed. Until configured, the VELOS system uses 100G for the port speeds. You
can change them based on what optical transceiver module type you are using.
Before configuring any interfaces, VLANs, or LAGs, you can
set up port groups so that physical interfaces on the blade are configured for
the proper speed and bundling. Depending on the port group mode, a different
FPGA version is loaded, and the speed of the port is adjusted accordingly
(changing the mode causes a blade reboot). The system creates the port group
components, based on the type of blades installed.
Manage port groups from the webUI
You can configure port groups to
use a specific mode depending on how you are connecting your blades to an
upstream switch from the chassis partition webUI.
Changing the port group mode impacts the view of
physical interfaces published by the system. The previous interfaces that
corresponded to the previous port group mode are deleted, and new ones are
created. All configuration associated with the deleted interfaces is also
lost.
- Log in to the VELOS chassis partition webUI using an account with admin access.
- On the left, click.
- For a specific blade, select aModefrom the list.You can choose one of these modes:OptionDescription100GbECreates one interface at 100G speed.40GbECreates one interface at 40G speed.4 x 25GbECreates four interfaces at 25G speed (requires the use of a breakout cable).4 x 10GbECreates four interfaces at 10G speed (requires the use of a breakout cable).
- ClickSave.
When you change the port group mode on ports
for a specific blade, the blade reboots. The previous interfaces that corresponded to
the previous port group mode are deleted, and the associated (underlying) configuration
is also lost.
Interfaces overview
VELOS blades support two kinds of physical network
interfaces:.
- Interfaces that correspond to the blade front-panel QSFP28 ports
- Link aggregation groups (LAGs)
Configure interfaces from the webUI
Before you begin, you must already
have created the VLANs that you want to associate with the interface. If you
intend to create LAGs, you should wait to associate VLANs with interfaces,
because an interface cannot be used as a LAG member if it is associated with
an interface.
You can configure interfaces from
the chassis partition webUI.
- Log in to the VELOS chassis partition webUI using an account with admin access.
- On the left, click.A table showing all interfaces displays.
- Click an interface name.
- ForState, select whether the interface isEnabled, orDisabled.
- The next few settings are informational and cannot be changed (for example, Operational Status, Speed, MAC Address, and Interface Type are set values).
- ForMTU, the maximum transmissions unit is set to the default value of 9600 (read only).This is the largest size that the system allows for an IP datagram passing through a physical interface.
- Forward Error Correctionis set to the default value ofAuto(read only) and detects and corrects a limited number of errors in transmitted data.Since this setting is enabled automatically, your upstream switch must also support Forward Error Correction (FEC).
- RX Flow Controlis set toOff, and it is not supported on any of the interfaces.
- ForNative VLAN, select the VLAN ID to use for untagged frames received on an interface; either a single interface or LAG.An interface or LAG can have only one Native VLAN assigned to it. You can use a Native VLAN with multiple LAGs or interfaces. You cannot use a VLAN, however, as both a Native and Trunk VLAN for the same interface.
- ForTrunk VLAN, select one or more VLAN IDs, if available, and not a member of another LAG; this is used for tagged traffic.You can use the same VLAN ID as the Trunk VLAN across all interfaces or LAGs. You cannot use a VLAN, however, as both a Native and Trunk VLAN for the same interface.A trunk VLAN or a Native VLAN is required to pass traffic. If you do not select either a Native VLAN or a Trunk VLAN, the port will not carry any traffic.
- ClickSave & Close.
Display and reset interface statistics in the
webUI
You can view statistics for
physical interfaces configured on the chassis partition you are logged in to
from the chassis partition webUI. The table shows, for each interface, the
amount of data that was input and output in multiple forms. You can also see
in/out errors and frame check sequence (FCS) errors that occurred on each of
the interfaces, and you can reset to clear the data.
- Log in to the VELOS chassis partition webUI using an account with admin access.
- On the left, click.A table showing all the statistics displays.
- Change the way the statistics are displayed in theData Formatby selectingNormalizedorUnformatted.SelectingNormalizedconverts the byte representation to kilobytes, megabytes, or terabytes depending on the size. This provides better data readability especially when there is massive amounts of traffic passing through the interfaces.
- Set theAuto Refreshinterval for refreshing the data displayed or click the refresh icon to update the data immediately.
- Select one or more interfaces, then clickResetto clear the data.
VLAN configuration overview
A VLAN is a logical subset of hosts on a local area network (LAN) that operates
in the same IP address space. Grouping hosts together in a VLAN has distinct
advantages. For example, with VLANs, you can:
- Reduce the size of broadcast domains, thereby enhancing overall network performance.
- Reduce system and network maintenance tasks substantially. Functionally related hosts do not need to physically reside together to achieve optimal network performance.
- Enhance security on your network by segmenting hosts that must transmit sensitive data.
For the most basic VELOS system configurations, you might create
multiple VLANs. That is, you create a VLAN for each of the internal and
external networks, as well as a VLAN for high availability communications. You
then associate each VLAN with the relevant interfaces or LAGs.
Create VLANs from the webUI
You can create a VLAN and associate physical interfaces or
LAGs with that VLAN. In this way, any host that sends traffic to an interface is
logically a member of the VLAN or VLANs to which that interface or LAG
belongs.
- Log in to the VELOS chassis partition webUI using an account with admin access.
- On the left, click.The screen shows VLANs that are configured for that chassis partition.
- ClickAdd.
- In theNamefield, type a name for the VLAN.VLAN names must follow these rules:
- Start with an alphabetic character (Aa-Zz).
- Can be up to 56 characters in length.
- After the first character, can contain alphanumeric characters, periods (.), hyphens (-) and underscores (_).
- VLAN names must be unique.
- In theVLAN ID, type a number between 1-4094 for the VLAN.The VLAN ID identifies the traffic from hosts in the associated VLAN for an associated interface or LAG.
- ClickAdd VLANto create the VLAN.
The VLAN is created and displayed in
the VLAN list. You can use the VLANs when configuring interfaces, creating
LAGs, and deploying tenants (one VLAN can be shared by more than one tenant
within a chassis partition).
VLAN listeners overview
VLAN listeners are created and deleted by the system at runtime. They are
used to program the destination for broadcast packets and L2 destination lookup failures
(DLFs).
The system creates one of these listeners when you configure a
VLAN for a tenant.
- VLAN Listener (listener)
- Created when a VLAN is used by a single tenant or when a VLAN is not shared among tenants. VLAN listeners that are created for tenant VLANS that do not include any members are indicated with the value0.hostfor interface.
- Rebroadcast Listener (rbcast-listener)
- Created when a VLAN is used by multiple tenants, that is, when tenants share VLANs in a chassis partition.
Display VLAN listeners from the webUI
You can view VLAN listeners when
you need to troubleshoot data path issues and check whether the correct VLANs
are assigned to the tenants from the chassis partition webUI.
- Log in to the VELOS chassis partition webUI using an account with admin access.
- On the left, click.The screen shows VLAN listeners that are active on the system.
- Set theAuto Refreshinterval for refreshing the data displayed or click the refresh icon to update the data immediately.
You can see the VLAN listeners that are
associated with specific interfaces, VLANs, and other related information. If something
does not look correct, review the configuration for that object.
Display VLAN listeners from the CLI
Viewing the VLAN listeners is
primarily used for troubleshooting data path issues. You can check whether the
correct VLANs are assigned to the tenants from the chassis partition
CLI.
- Connect using SSH to the chassis partition management IP address.
- Log in to the command line interface (CLI) of the chassis partition using an account with admin access.When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.
- View configured VLAN listeners.show vlan-listenersNDI INTERFACE VLAN ENTRY TYPE OWNER ID SVC VTC SEP DMS DID CMDS MIRRORING SERVICE IDS --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0.host 100 RBCAST-LISTENER rbcast 4095 5 32 15 - - - disabled [ 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 ] 0.host 101 VLAN-LISTENER t101100 4095 19 - 15 - - - disabled -
You can see the VLAN listeners that are associated with specific interfaces, VLANs, and other related information. If something does not look correct, review the configuration for that object.
Link aggregation group (LAG) overview
A link aggregation group (LAG) is a logical group of
interfaces that function as a single interface. The LAG (like a trunk on
BIG-IP systems) distributes traffic across multiple links, which increases the
bandwidth by adding the bandwidth of multiple links together. For example,
four fast Ethernet (100 Mbps) links, if aggregated, create a single 400 Mbps
link. LAGs also enhance connection reliability by providing link failover if a
member link becomes unavailable.
There are two types of LAGs:
- Static
- Ports in the LAG are manually configured, and the group of ports assigned to a static LAG are always active members. This is the default type of LAG.
- Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP)
- When LACP is enabled on a LAG, the port configure automatically into groups without manual configuration. The LACP protocol detects error conditions on member links and redistributes traffic to other member links, thus preventing any loss of traffic on a failed link.
Create LAGs from the webUI
You can create a LAG or edit the
properties of an existing LAG from the chassis partition webUI.
- Log in to the VELOS chassis partition webUI using an account with admin access.
- On the left, click.The screen shows LAGs that are configured.
- ClickAdd.
- ForName, type a name for the LAG.
- ForLAG Type, select one of these options:OptionDescriptionSTATICManually configure the links. The link state of LAG members is not dynamically updated. This is the default value for LAGs.LACPAutomatically bundle links.
- If you selectLACP, configure these additional settings:OptionDescriptionLACP IntervalSpecify an interval at which interfaces send LACP packets. SelectFAST(transmit packets every second) orSLOW(transmit packets every 30 seconds).LACP ModeSpecify the negotiation state for LACP. SelectACTIVE(in an active negotiating state) orPASSIVE(do not initiate negotiation until peer contacts first).
- ForConfigured Members, select one or more interfaces (not members of another LAG) to assign to the LAG.You can add up to 32 members to a LAG.Only interfaces that are configured with the same speeds can be members of the LAG. The interfaces cannot be associated with VLANs.
- ForNative VLAN, select the VLAN ID to use for untagged frames received on a trunk interface.
- ForTrunk VLAN, select one or more VLAN IDs, if available, and not a member of another LAG.A trunk VLAN or a native VLAN is required to pass traffic. If you do not select either a native VLAN or a trunk VLAN, the port will not carry any traffic.
- ClickSave & Close.
The LAG is created and shown in the
list. You can edit LAG properties by clicking the LAG name. You can add up to
256 LAGs per partition.
Display LACP details from the webUI
You can view the LAG details on the
chassis partition webUI to troubleshoot. For example, to determine why an interface member of an LACP LAG
on the chassis partition is not working as expected.
- Log in to the VELOS chassis partition webUI using an account with admin access.
- On the left, click.The screen shows state information about whether LACP is Up, Down, or Defaulted for LACP interfaces. The lower portion of the screen shows details that can be used for troubleshooting LACP issues.
- Set theAuto Refreshinterval for refreshing the data displayed or click the refresh icon to update the data immediately.
Static LAG configuration from the CLI
Configure a static LAG interface
You can configure a LAG interface
type as
static
from the chassis partition CLI.- Connect using SSH to the chassis partition management IP address.
- Log in to the command line interface (CLI) of the chassis partition using an account with admin access.When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.
- Change to config mode.configThe CLI prompt changes to include(config).
- Create a LAG interface.interfaces interface <lag-name> config type ieee8023adLagThis example creates a LAG named lag-test:interfaces interface lag-test config type ieee8023adLag
- Set the type of LAG interface to STATIC (this is the default setting).interfaces interface <lag-name> aggregation config lag-type STATICThis example creates a static LAG named lag-test:interfaces interface lag-test aggregation config lag-type STATIC
- Commit the configuration changes.commit
Add interfaces to LAG members
You can add interfaces, or member ports, to a LAG
interface from the chassis partition CLI.
- Connect using SSH to the chassis partition management IP address.
- Log in to the command line interface (CLI) of the chassis partition using an account with admin access.When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.
- Change to config mode.configThe CLI prompt changes to include(config).
- Add interfaces to a LAG.interfaces interface <interface> ethernet config aggregate-id <lag-name>This example adds two interfaces to a LAG named lag-test:default-1(config)# interfaces interface <1/1.0> ethernet config aggregate-id lag-test default-1(config)# interfaces interface <1/2.0> ethernet config aggregate-id lag-test
- Commit the configuration changes.commit
Associate VLANs with LAG interfaces
You need to associate VLANs with LAG interfaces to
pass user traffic from the chassis partition CLI.
- Connect using SSH to the chassis partition management IP address.
- Log in to the command line interface (CLI) of the chassis partition using an account with admin access.When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.
- Change to config mode.configThe CLI prompt changes to include(config).
- Associate VLANs with the LAG interface.interfaces interface <]lag-name> aggregation switched-vlan config trunk-vlans [ <vlan-IDs>This example associates VLANs 1037 and 1038 with a LAG named lag-test:interfaces interface lag-test aggregation switched-vlan config trunk-vlans [ 1037 1038 ]
- Commit the configuration changes.commit
LACP configuration from the CLI
Create a LAG interface
You can create a LAG interface from
the chassis partition CLI.
- Connect using SSH to the chassis partition management IP address.
- Log in to the command line interface (CLI) of the chassis partition using an account with admin access.When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.
- Change to config mode.configThe CLI prompt changes to include(config).
- Create a LAG interface.interfaces interface <lag-name> config type ieee8023adLagThis example creates a LAG named lag-test:interfaces interface lag-test config type ieee8023adLag
- Commit the configuration changes.commit
Create an LACP interface
Before LACP can manage a LAG interface, you
need to create a LAG interface of type LACP from the chassis partition CLI.
- Connect using SSH to the chassis partition management IP address.
- Log in to the command line interface (CLI) of the chassis partition using an account with admin access.When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.
- Change to config mode.configThe CLI prompt changes to include(config).
- Create a LAG interface of type LACP.interfaces interface <lag-name> aggregation config lag-type LACPThis example creates a LAG of type LACP named lacp-test:interfaces interface lacp-test aggregation config lag-type LACP
- Commit the configuration changes.commit
- Return to user (operational) mode.end
- Verify that LACP is enabled on the interface.show interfaces interface lacp-test interfaces interfaceA summary similar to this example displays:default-1# show interfaces interface lacp-test lacp-test aggregation state lag-type LACP aggregation state lag-speed 0 aggregation state mac-address 00:94:a1:8d:18:0a
Enable LACP on a LAG interface
By default, a LAG interface is in a
static
mode, which means that the member links do not
initiate or process any of the LACP packets received. You can enable LACP on the LAG
interface from the chassis partition CLI.- Connect using SSH to the chassis partition management IP address.
- Log in to the command line interface (CLI) of the chassis partition using an account with admin access.When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.
- Change to config mode.configThe CLI prompt changes to include(config).
- Enable LACP on a LAG interface.lacp interfaces interface <lag-name> config name lacp-testThis example enables LACP on a LAG interface named lacp-test:default-1(config)# lacp interfaces interface lacp-test config name lacp-test
- Commit the configuration changes.commit
- Return to user (operational) mode.end
- Verify that LACP is enabled on a specified LAG interface.A summary similar to this example displays:default-1# show lacp interfaces interface lacp-test lacp interfaces interface lacp-test state name lacp-test state interval SLOW state lacp-mode ACTIVE
Display LACP state
You can check the LACP state from the chassis
partition CLI.
- Connect using SSH to the chassis partition management IP address.
- Log in to the command line interface (CLI) of the chassis partition using an account with admin access.When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.
- Display the LACP state.show lacpA summary similar to this example displays:default-1# show lacp lacp state system-id-mac 00:94:a1:8c:f4:08 lacp interfaces interface test-lag state name test-lag state interval FAST state lacp-mode ACTIVE state system-id-mac 0:94:a1:8c:f4:8 PARTNER LACP LACP LACP LACP LACP OPER PARTNER PORT PORT IN OUT RX TX UNKNOWN LACP INTERFACE INTERFACE ACTIVITY TIMEOUT SYNCHRONIZATION AGGREGATABLE COLLECTING DISTRIBUTING SYSTEM ID KEY PARTNER ID KEY NUM NUM PKTS PKTS ERRORS ERRORS ERRORS ERRORS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1/1.0 - ACTIVE SHORT IN_SYNC true true true 0:94:a1:8c:f4:8 2 44:4c:a8:fc:cb:9d 1 4224 69 588 21 0 0 0 0 2/1.0 - ACTIVE SHORT IN_SYNC true true true 0:94:a1:8c:f4:8 2 44:4c:a8:fc:cb:9d 1 8320 81 566 21 0 0 0 0 3/1.0 - ACTIVE SHORT IN_SYNC true true true 0:94:a1:8c:f4:8 2 44:4c:a8:fc:cb:9d 1 12416 29 560 21 0 0 0 0
Display LACP interface state
You can view the state of LACP interfaces from the
chassis partition CLI.
- Connect using SSH to the chassis partition management IP address.
- Log in to the command line interface (CLI) of the chassis partition using an account with admin access.When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.
- Display the status of LACP interfaces.show interfaces interface state lacp_stateA summary similar to this example displays:default-1# show interfaces interface state lacp_state LACP NAME STATE ------------------ 1/1.0 LACP_DOWN 1/2.0 LACP_UPThese are the available LACP states:OptionDescriptionLACP_DEFAULTEDInitial lacp_state value.LACP_UPLACPD has determined that this interface is a working member of a LACP LAG.LACP_DOWNLACPD has determined that this interface is not a working member of a LACP LAG, and it should not receive or transmit user traffic.
Configure LACP logging level
LACP errors are collected into the standard
/var/F5/partition1/log/velos.log
file. LACP errors run at the log level
INFORMATIONAL by default. If you want to change the severity level for logged
information, you can enable a different log level from the CLI.- Connect using SSH to the chassis partition management IP address.
- Log in to the command line interface (CLI) of the chassis partition using an account with admin access.When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.
- Change to config mode.configThe CLI prompt changes to include(config).
- Configure the logging level for LACP.system logging sw-components sw-component lacpd config severity [ALERT|CRITICAL|DEBUG|EMERGENCY|ERROR|INFORMATIONAL|NOTICE|WARNING]This example enables DEBUG level logging for LACP:default-1(config)# system logging sw-components sw-component lacpd config severity DEBUG
- Commit the configuration changes.commit
Display configuration members
Configured members are interfaces in a LACP
LAG that listen for and/or send LACPDUs that are attempting to establish that the peer
is configured. You can check each physical interface's aggregated ID from the chassis
partition CLI.
- Connect using SSH to the chassis partition management IP address.
- Log in to the command line interface (CLI) of the chassis partition using an account with admin access.When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.
- Show the configuration members.show running-config interfaces interface ethernet config aggregate-idThis example shows information about three members for a LAG named test-lag:default-1# show running-config interfaces interface ethernet config aggregate-id interfaces interface 1/2.0 ethernet config aggregate-id test-lag ! interfaces interface 2/1.0 ethernet config aggregate-id test-lag ! interfaces interface 2/2.0 ethernet config aggregate-id test-lag !
Display working members
Working members are a subset of
configuration members. These members are added and removed dynamically by
LACPD.
- Connect using SSH to the chassis partition management IP address.
- Log in to the command line interface (CLI) of the chassis partition using an account with admin access.When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.
- Show the working members.show lacp interfaces interface lag-test membersA summary similar to this example displays:default-1# show lacp interfaces interface lag-test members PARTNER LACP LACP LACP LACP LACP OPER PARTNER PORT PORT IN OUT RX TX UNKNOWN LACP INTERFACE INTERFACE ACTIVITY TIMEOUT SYNCHRONIZATION AGGREGATABLE COLLECTING DISTRIBUTING SYSTEM ID KEY PARTNER ID KEY NUM NUM PKTS PKTS ERRORS ERRORS ERRORS ERRORS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/1.0 - ACTIVE LONG IN_SYNC true true true 0:94:a1:66:e0:8 2 0:a:49:d4:53:0 1 4224 22528 7208 4 0 0 0 0 1/2.0 - ACTIVE LONG IN_SYNC true true true 0:94:a1:66:e0:8 2 0:a:49:d4:53:0 1 4352 24576 7208 4 0 0 0 0
LLDP overview
The VELOS system supports Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP), which is a
Layer 2 industry-standard protocol (IEEE 802.1AB) that enables a network
device to advertise its identity and capabilities to multi-vendor neighbor
devices on a network. The protocol also enables a network device to receive
information from neighbor devices. LLDP transmits device information in LLDP
frames using the TLV (Type-Length-Value) format.
In general, this protocol:
- Advertises connectivity and management information about the local VELOS device to neighbor devices on the same IEEE 802 LAN.
- Receives network management information from neighbor devices on the same IEEE 802 LAN.
- Operates with all IEEE 802 access protocols and network media.
Configure LLDP from the webUI
Before you can configure LLDP, make sure
that the interfaces you will use are up and running with VLANs
configured.
You can configure LLDP from the chassis
partition webUI.
- Log in to the VELOS chassis partition webUI using an account with admin access.
- On the left, click.
- SetEnable LLDPtoEnabled.
- Type aSystem Nameand optionally, aSystem Description.
- ForTX Interval, type a number (0-65535) for the interval (in seconds) at which LLDP packets are sent to neighbors. The default value is 30 seconds.
- ForTX Hold, type a number (0-65535).The default value is 4 seconds.
- ForReinitiate Delay, type a number (0-65535) to specify the minimum time interval an LLDP port waits before re-initializing an LLDP transmission.The default value is 2 seconds.
- ForTX Delay, type a number (0-65535) to specify the minimum time delay, in seconds, between successive LLDP frame transmissions.The default value is 2 seconds.
- ForMax Neighbors Per Port, type a number to specify the maximum number of LLDP neighbors for which LLDP data is retained.The default value is 10.
- In theInterfacestable, select the interfaces and LAGs (if any) for which you want to enable LLDP. For each one selected:
- SelectEnabled.
- For theTLV Advertisement State: selectTX(Transmit only),RX(Receive only), orTXRX(Transmit and Receive).
- From theTLV Map, select the TLV device information that you want to transmit and/or receive, such as chassis ID (f using link aggregation), MAC Phy configuration, management address, MFS (maximum frame size), port description, port ID, and power MDI.
- ClickSave.
LLDP is configured on the system for
the specified interfaces and LAGs.
Display LLDP details from the webUI
LLDP enables a network device to
advertise information about themselves to other devices on the network and
enables network devices to receive information from neighboring devices. If
using LLDP, you can display state information for the LLDP-enabled interfaces
and LAGs in the chassis partition. When LLDP is enabled to receive data in a
working network, any device information received from neighbors is included in
a table.
- Log in to the VELOS chassis partition webUI using an account with admin access.
- On the left, click.The screen shows LLDP state information for interfaces in this chassis partition (similar to info shown at the CLI usingshow lldp).
- In the Neighbors table, examine the identification, configuration, and capabilities of neighboring devices.This information provides details useful for troubleshooting many configuration problems.
- Set theAuto Refreshinterval for refreshing the data displayed or click the refresh icon to update the data immediately.
Quality of Service (QoS) configuration overview
To minimize the chance that higher priority traffic is
dropped when traffic congestion occurs, you can configure the
system to prioritize higher priority traffic over other types of traffic. The
Quality of Service (QoS) feature enables you to configure the weight of packet
types, according to the 802.1p or DSCP standards, to guarantee that a
percentage of a given type of traffic is transmitted and not dropped when
there is a high volume of traffic.
For more information, see
VELOS
Systems: Prioritizing Traffic using QoS
at the F5OS Knowledge Center.Spanning tree protocol (STP) overview
The VELOS system supports a set of industry-standard, Layer
2 protocols known as
spanning tree
protocols
. A spanning tree is a logical tree-like depiction of the
bridges on a network and the paths that connect them. Spanning tree protocols
block redundant paths on a network, preventing bridging loops. If a blocked,
redundant path is needed later because another path has failed, the spanning
tree protocols clear the path again for traffic.The spanning tree protocols that the VELOS system supports
are:
- Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) - 802.1d
- Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) - 802.1w
- Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol (MSTP) - 802.1s
You can configure spanning tree protocols on a chassis
partition using the webUI, CLI, or REST API. Only one spanning tree protocol
can be configured on a chassis partition at a time.
Central to the way that spanning tree protocols work is the
use of bridge protocol data units (BPDUs). When you enable spanning tree
protocols on Layer 2 devices on a network, the devices send BPDUs to each
other, for the purpose of learning the redundant paths and updating their L2
forwarding tables accordingly, electing a root bridge, building a spanning
tree, and notifying each other about changes in interface status.
The term
bridge
refers to a
Layer 2 device such as a switch, bridge, or hub.When you configure spanning tree on a VELOS system, you must
first decide which protocol, or mode, you want to enable. Because MSTP
recognizes VLANs, using MSTP is preferable. All bridges in a network
environment that you want to use spanning tree must run the same spanning tree
protocol. If a legacy bridge running RSTP or STP is added to the network, the
VELOS system must switch and also use that same protocol.
STP/RSTP/MSTP configuration from the CLI
Change STP modes on a chassis partition from the
CLI
If you want to change STP modes, you must
first remove the existing STP configuration by deleting the existing mode and
configuration from the chassis partition CLI.
- Log in to the command line interface (CLI) of the chassis partition using an account with admin access.When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.
- Change to config mode.configThe CLI prompt changes to include(config).
- Disable the current STP modeno stp global config enabled-protocol STP
- Commit the configuration changes.commit
- Remove the existing interface configuration for STP mode.no stp stp interfaces interface
- Remove the edge port and link type configuration.no stp interfaces interface
- Commit the configuration changes.commit
- Enable another STP mode.stp global config enabled-protocol [MSTP|RAPID_PVST|RSTP|STP]In this example, you enable RSTP:default-1(config)# stp global config enabled-protocol RSTP
- Commit the configuration changes.commit
Configure STP on a chassis partition from the
CLI
STP is the original spanning tree
protocol, but it is not recommended in VLAN-rich environments due to poor
performance unless required by your configuration. STP can create only one
spanning tree (instance 0) for the entire network, and therefore cannot take
VLANs into account when managing redundant paths. You can configure STP from
the chassis partition CLI.
- Log in to the command line interface (CLI) of the chassis partition using an account with admin access.When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.
- Change to config mode.configThe CLI prompt changes to include(config).
- Enable STP.stp global config enabled-protocol [MSTP|RAPID_PVST|RSTP|STP]In this example, you enable STP mode:default-1(config)# stp global config enabled-protocol STP
- Configure the bridge-priority so that it is not selected as the root bridge.stp [global|interfaces|mstp|rstp|stp] config bridge-priority <priority>The priority is used together with the address as a bridge identifier. The range is from 0 (highest) to 61440 (lowest), in increments of 4096. The default value is 32768.default-1(config)# stp stp config bridge-priority integer
- Configure interface cost and port priority.stp [global|interfaces|mstp|rstp|stp] interfaces interface <interface> config cost <cost> port-priority <priority>You must configure all interfaces that will be included in STP.The priority is used as the port identifier together with the slot/port numbers. The port priority range is from 0 (highest) to 240 (lowest) in increments of 16. The default value is 128. The port path cost range is from 0 (lowest) to 20,000,000,000 in increments of 1. The default port path cost is assigned dynamically (cost = 20,000,000,000 / port speed in kbits).In this example, you configure the RSTP to use slot 1/port 1.0, with an interface cost of 200 and a port priority of 128:default-1(config)# stp stp interfaces interface 1/1.0 config cost 200 port-priority 128
- Commit the configuration changes.commit
Configure RSTP on a chassis partition from the
CLI
RSTP is an enhancement to STP that
improves spanning tree performance. RSTP can create only one spanning tree
(instance 0) for the entire network, and therefore cannot take VLANs into
account when managing redundant paths.
You can configure
RSTP from the chassis partition CLI.
- Log in to the command line interface (CLI) of the chassis partition using an account with admin access.When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.
- Change to config mode.configThe CLI prompt changes to include(config).
- Enable RSTP.stp global config enabled-protocol [MSTP|RAPID_PVST|RSTP|STP]The bridge-priority, forwarding-delay, hello-time, hold-count, and max-age have default values, which are recommended for use.In this example, you enable RSTP mode:stp global config enabled-protocol RSTP
- Configure the bridge-priority so that it is not selected as the root bridge.stp [global|interfaces|mstp|rstp|stp] config bridge-priority <priority>The priority is used together with the address as a bridge identifier. The range is from 0 (highest) to 61440 (lowest), in increments of 4096. The default value is 32768.default-1(config)# stp rstp config bridge-priority integer
- Configure interface cost and port priority.stp [global|interfaces|mstp|rstp|stp] interfaces interface <interface> config cost <cost> port-priority <priority>You must configure all interfaces that will be included in STP.The priority is used as the port identifier together with the slot/port numbers. The port priority range is from 0 (highest) to 240 (lowest) in increments of 16. The default value is 128. The port path cost range is from 0 (lowest) to 20,000,000,000 in increments of 1. The default port path cost is assigned dynamically (cost = 20,000,000,000 / port speed in kbits).In this example, you configure the RSTP to use slot 1/port 1.0, with an interface cost of 200 and a port priority of 128:default-1(config)# stp rstp interfaces interface 1/1.0 config cost 200 port-priority 128
- Configure interface edge-port and link-type.stp interfaces interface <interface> config edge-port [EDGE_AUTO|EDGE_DISABLE|EDGE_ENABLE]You must configure all interfaces that will be included in STP.In this example, you configure slot 1/port 2.0 to set the interface as an EDGE_AUTO port that uses point-to-point spanning tree links:default-1(config)# stp interfaces interface 1/2.0 config edge-port EDGE_AUTO link-type P2P
- Commit the configuration changes.commit
Configure MSTP on a chassis partition from the
CLI
MSTP is an enhancement to RSTP and is the
preferred spanning tree protocol (STP) for the VELOS system. MSTP is
specifically designed to understand VLANs and VLAN tagging (specified in IEEE
802.1q). MSTP allows for multiple spanning tree instances. Each instance
corresponds to a spanning tree and can control one or more VLANs that you
specify when you create the instance. Thus, for any VELOS system interface
that you assigned to multiple VLANs, MSTP can block a path on one VLAN, while
still keeping a path in another VLAN open for traffic.
You can configure MSTP from the chassis partition CLI. The spanning tree
algorithm automatically groups bridges into regions, based on the values
you assign to the MSTP configuration name, revision number, instance
numbers, and instance members.
- Log in to the command line interface (CLI) of the chassis partition using an account with admin access.When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.
- Change to config mode.configThe CLI prompt changes to include(config).
- Enable MSTP.stp mstp config name <region-name> revision [0-65535]Thenameoption is a string <= 32 characters, and the default value is the bridge MAC address. Therevisionoption is a range from 0 to 65535, and the default value is 0. The forwarding-delay,hello-time,hold-count,max-age, andmax-hopoptions have default values, which are recommended for use.Thenameandrevisionoptions together form the common identifier of the BPDUs within the region. They must be identical on all bridges in the region.
- Create an MSTP instance.stp mstp mst-instances mst-instance <integer> config mst-id <integer>
- Configure VLANs for the MSTP instance.vlans vlan <vlan-id>The VLANs must already exist.In this example, you create VLANs 300 and 301:default-1(config)# vlans vlan 300 default-1(config-vlan-300)# vlans vlan 301In this example, you assign VLANs 300 and 301 to MSTP instance 1:default-1(config)# stp mstp mst-instances mst-instance 1 config vlan [ 300 3001 ]
- Exit to the top level of the configuration hierarchy.top
- Configure bridge priority for the MSTP instance.stp mstp mst-instances mst-instance <instance> config bridge-priority <priority>Each MSTP instance can have its own priority. The priority is used together with the address as a bridge identifier. The default value is 32768, and the range is from 0 (highest) to 61440 (lowest) in multiples of 4096.In this example, you configure MTSP instance 1 with a bridge priority of 32768:default-1(config)# stp mstp mst-instances mst-instance 1 config bridge-priority 32768
- Exit to the top level of the configuration hierarchy.top
- Configure interface cost and port priority.stp mstp mst-instances mst-instance <instance> interface interface <interface> config cost <cost> port-priority <priority>You must configure all interfaces that will be included in STP.The priority is used as the port identifier together with the slot/port numbers. The port priority range is from 0 (highest) to 240 (lowest) in increments of 16. The default value is 128. The port path cost range is from 0 (lowest) to 20,000,000,000 in increments of 1. The default port path cost is assigned dynamically (cost = 20,000,000,000 / port speed in kbits).In this example, you configure MSTP instance 1 to use slot 1/port 1.0, with an interface cost of 200 and a port priority of 128:default-1(config)# stp mstp mst-instances mst-instance 1 interfaces interface 1/1.0 config cost 200 port-priority 128
- Exit to the top level of the configuration hierarchy.top
- Configure interface edge-port and link-type.stp interfaces interface <interface> config edge-port [EDGE_AUTO|EDGE_DISABLE|EDGE_ENABLE]You must configure all interfaces that will be included in STP.In this example, you configure slot 1/port 2.0 to set the interface as an EDGE_AUTO port that uses point-to-point spanning tree links:default-1(config)# stp interfaces interface 1/2.0 config edge-port EDGE_AUTO link-type P2PThese settings speed up convergence time by eliminating the learning state on ports that do not receive BPDUs. This configuration is cancelled automatically upon reception of a BPDU.
- Commit the configuration changes.commit
STP/RSTP/MSTP configuration from the webUI
Configure STP from the webUI
You can configure Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) from the chassis partition webUI.
- Log in to the VELOS chassis partition webUI using an account with admin access.
- On the left, click.
- ForSTP Mode, select:STP(single instance, best on networks with legacy systems).A message warns you that changing modes deletes any existing STP configuration settings. When you clickOK, the selected mode is enabled, and additional options for that mode display (with default values set).
- ForHello Time, specify the time interval, in seconds, that the system transmits spanning tree information (through BPDUs) to adjacent bridges in the network.The default value is 2.
- ForMax Age, specify the length of time, in seconds, that spanning tree information received from other bridges is considered valid.The default value is 20, and the valid range is from 6 to 40.
- ForForwarding Delay, specify the amount of time, in seconds, that the system blocks an interface from forwarding network traffic when the spanning tree algorithm reconfigures a spanning tree.The default value is 15, and the valid range is from 4 to 30. This has no effect when running in RSTP or MSTP unless using an added legacy STP bridge.
- ForHold Count, specify the maximum number of spanning tree frames (BPDUs) that the system can transmit on a port within the Hello Time interval.This ensures that spanning tree frames do not overload the network. The default value is 6, and the valid range is from 1 to 10.
- ForBridge Priority, specify the bridge in the spanning tree with the lowest relative priority becomes the root bridge, which is responsible for managing loop resolution on the network.Configure this setting so that the system never becomes the root bridge. The default value is 32768. The valid range is from 0 to 61440 in multiples of 4096.
- ForInterfaces, select the interfaces (and/or LAGs) for which you want to configure STP and specify these fields:OptionDescriptionCostUsed to calculate the cost of sending spanning tree traffic through the interface to an adjacent bridge or spanning tree region. Based on the speed of the interface. The default value is 0, and the valid range is from 0 (lowest) to 200,000,000 (highest).Port PriorityUsed as the port identifier together with the slot/port numbers. The default value is 128 (when an interface is selected), and the valid range is from 0 (highest) to 240 (lowest) in multiples of 16.Edge PortNeeded only for RSTP or MSTP. When enabled, indicates the interface or LAG is an edge port that does not receive any BPDU frames. Set to EDGE-AUTO, EDGE-ENABLE, or EDGE-DISABLE.If you enable EDGE-ENABLE, and the interface later receives BPDUs, the system disables the setting automatically, because only non-edge interfaces can receive BPDUs.Link TypeSpecifies the type of optimization:
- P2P: Optimizes for point-to-point spanning tree links (connects two spanning tree bridges only). Note that P2P is the only valid STP link type for a LAG.
- Shared: Optimizes for shared spanning tree links (connecting two or more spanning tree bridges).
For more information on the available interfaces and LAGs, see theorLAGsscreens. - ClickSave.
STP is now set up for use on the system.
Configure STP from the webUI
You can configure Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) from the chassis partition webUI.
- Log in to the VELOS chassis partition webUI using an account with admin access.
- On the left, click.
- ForSTP Mode, select:STP(single instance, best on networks with legacy systems).A message warns you that changing modes deletes any existing STP configuration settings. When you clickOK, the selected mode is enabled, and additional options for that mode display (with default values set).
- ForHello Time, specify the time interval, in seconds, that the system transmits spanning tree information (through BPDUs) to adjacent bridges in the network.The default value is 2.
- ForMax Age, specify the length of time, in seconds, that spanning tree information received from other bridges is considered valid.The default value is 20, and the valid range is from 6 to 40.
- ForForwarding Delay, specify the amount of time, in seconds, that the system blocks an interface from forwarding network traffic when the spanning tree algorithm reconfigures a spanning tree.The default value is 15, and the valid range is from 4 to 30. This has no effect when running in RSTP or MSTP unless using an added legacy STP bridge.
- ForHold Count, specify the maximum number of spanning tree frames (BPDUs) that the system can transmit on a port within the Hello Time interval.This ensures that spanning tree frames do not overload the network. The default value is 6, and the valid range is from 1 to 10.
- ForBridge Priority, specify the bridge in the spanning tree with the lowest relative priority becomes the root bridge, which is responsible for managing loop resolution on the network.Configure this setting so that the system never becomes the root bridge. The default value is 32768. The valid range is from 0 to 61440 in multiples of 4096.
- ForInterfaces, select the interfaces (and/or LAGs) for which you want to configure STP and specify these fields:OptionDescriptionCostUsed to calculate the cost of sending spanning tree traffic through the interface to an adjacent bridge or spanning tree region. Based on the speed of the interface. The default value is 0, and the valid range is from 0 (lowest) to 200,000,000 (highest).Port PriorityUsed as the port identifier together with the slot/port numbers. The default value is 128 (when an interface is selected), and the valid range is from 0 (highest) to 240 (lowest) in multiples of 16.Edge PortNeeded only for RSTP or MSTP. When enabled, indicates the interface or LAG is an edge port that does not receive any BPDU frames. Set to EDGE-AUTO, EDGE-ENABLE, or EDGE-DISABLE.If you enable EDGE-ENABLE, and the interface later receives BPDUs, the system disables the setting automatically, because only non-edge interfaces can receive BPDUs.Link TypeSpecifies the type of optimization:
- P2P: Optimizes for point-to-point spanning tree links (connects two spanning tree bridges only). Note that P2P is the only valid STP link type for a LAG.
- Shared: Optimizes for shared spanning tree links (connecting two or more spanning tree bridges).
For more information on the available interfaces and LAGs, see theorLAGsscreens. - ClickSave.
STP is now set up for use on the system.
Configure MSTP from the webUI
If you want to use Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol (MSTP) to define a region, you can configure it from the chassis partition webUI.
- Log in to the VELOS chassis partition webUI using an account with admin access.
- On the left, click.
- ForSTP Mode, selectMSTP(multiple instances, fast convergence).
- ForRegion Name, enter a name (string with 1 to 32 characters) that you assign to all bridges in a spanning tree region.A spanning tree region is a group of bridges with identical region names and MSTP revision numbers, as well as identical assignment of VLANs to spanning tree instances. The default value is the bridge MAC address. A region can have multiple members with the same MSTP configuration.
- ForRevision, specify a global revision number that you assign to all bridges in a spanning tree region.The default value is 0, and the valid range is 0 to 65535. All bridges in the same region must have this same configuration revision number.
- ForMax Hop, specify The maximum number of hops that a spanning tree frame (BPDU) can traverse before it is discarded.The default value is 20, and the valid range is from 1 to 255.
- ForHello Time, specify the time interval, in seconds, that the system transmits spanning tree information (through BPDUs) to adjacent bridges in the network.The default value is 2.
- ForForwarding Delay, specify the amount of time, in seconds, that the system blocks an interface from forwarding network traffic when the spanning tree algorithm reconfigures a spanning tree.The default value is 15, and the valid range is from 4 to 30. This has no effect when running in RSTP or MSTP unless using an added legacy STP bridge.
- ForHold Count, specify the maximum number of spanning tree frames (BPDUs) that the system can transmit on a port within the Hello Time interval.This ensures that spanning tree frames do not overload the network. The default value is 6, and the valid range is from 1 to 10.
- To configure multiple instances for a region, adjust these settings forMSTP Instances:
- UnderInstances, click+.
- In the Add MSTP Instance popup, forInstance ID, type a positive integer and clickAdd.
- UnderInstances, select one of the instances.Available interfaces are listed below.
- UnderVLANs, select the VLANs to map to this instance.
- ForBridge Priority, configure this setting so that the VELOS system never becomes the root bridge.The default value is 32768, and the valid range is from 0 to 61440 in multiples of 4096. Each MSTP instance can have its own bridge priority.
- ForInterfaces, select the interfaces that traffic for this instance can use and specify these fields:
OptionDescriptionCostUsed to calculate the cost of sending spanning tree traffic through the interface to an adjacent bridge or spanning tree region. Based on the speed of the interface. The default value is 0, and the valid range is from 0 (lowest) to 200,000,000 (highest).Port PriorityUsed as the port identifier together with the slot/port numbers. The default value is 128 (when an interface is selected), and the valid range is from 0 (highest) to 240 (lowest) in multiples of 16.Edge PortNeeded only for RSTP or MSTP. When enabled, indicates the interface or LAG is an edge port that does not receive any BPDU frames. Set to EDGE-AUTO, EDGE-ENABLE, or EDGE-DISABLE.If you enable EDGE-ENABLE, and the interface later receives BPDUs, the system disables the setting automatically, because only non-edge interfaces can receive BPDUs.Link TypeSpecifies the type of optimization:- P2P: Optimizes for point-to-point spanning tree links (connects two spanning tree bridges only). Note that P2P is the only valid STP link type for a LAG.
- Shared: Optimizes for shared spanning tree links (connecting two or more spanning tree bridges).
- Continue to configure any other instances that you might need.
MSTP is set up for use on the system.