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.

1. Log in to the VELOS system controller webUI using an account with admin access.

2. On the left, click NETWORK SETTINGS > Management Interfaces.

3. For DHCP, you can select Enabled or Disabled the interface.

4. The Address list enables you to select IPv4 address, IPv6 address, or IPv4 and IPv6 addresses from the list.

5. In the IPv4 IP Address section, type System Controller 1, System Controller 2, and the Floating IP address.

6. In the IPv4 Netmask and Gateway section, for Prefix Length, type a number from 1-32 for the length of the prefix. In the Gateway section, type the Gateway IP address.

7. In the IPv6 IP Address section, for Gateway, type System Controller 1, System Controller 2, and the Floating IP address.

8. In the IPv6 Netmask and Gateway section, for Prefix Length, type a number from 1-32 for the length of the prefix.

9. To enable aggregation for the management ports between the system controllers and an outside switch, for Link Aggregation select Enabled or Disabled.

   Interface aggregation increases the bandwidth between peers by load balancing traffic across the ports.

10. From the Type list, select an option from the list (STATIC or LACP).

    If you select LACP, continue configuring these additional options:

    1. From the Interval list, select an option from the list (SLOW or FAST).

    2. From the Mode list, select an option from the list (ACTIVE or PASSIVE).

11. If applicable, you can view Name or Members information.

12. Click Save.

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.

1. Log in to the VELOS system controller webUI using an account with admin access.

2. On the left, click NETWORK SETTINGS > DNS.

3. Under DNS 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:

   1. Click Add.

   2. For Lookup Server, enter the IP address of the name server that you want to add to the list.

   3. Click Save & Close.

4. Under DNS 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:

   1. Click Add.

   2. For Search Domain, type the domain name of the name server that you want to add to the list. For example, DNSsearch.com

   3. Click Save & 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 the port speed and whether the port is bundled or unbundled. Until configured, the VELOS system uses port speeds of 100G. 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. The system creates the port group components, based on the type of blades installed.

Changing the mode for a port group reboots the blade, removes stale interfaces from your configuration, and removes any references to stale interfaces from your configuration. You will then need to reconfigure any previously-configured protocols to use the modified port group.

Configure 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.

Important: 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.

1. Log in to the VELOS chassis partition webUI using an account with admin access.

2. On the left, click NETWORK SETTINGS > Port Groups.

3. For a specific slot (blade) and port (Port 1 or Port 2), select a Mode from the list.

   Select one of these options:

   Option	Description
   100GbE	Creates one interface at 100G speed.
   40GbE	Creates one interface at 40G speed.
   4 x 25GbE	Creates four interfaces at 25G speed (requires the use of a breakout cable).
   4 x 10GbE	Creates four interfaces at 10G speed (requires the use of a breakout cable).

   Depending on the port group mode, a different FPGA version is loaded and the speed of the port is adjusted accordingly.

4. Click Save.

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.

1. Log in to the VELOS chassis partition webUI using an account with admin access.

2. On the left, click NETWORK SETTINGS > Interfaces.

   A table showing all interfaces displays.

3. Click an interface name.

4. For State, select whether the interface is Enabled, or Disabled.

5. The next few settings are informational and cannot be changed (for example, Operational Status, Speed, MAC Address, and Interface Type are set values).

6. For MTU, 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.

7. Forward Error Correction is set to the default value of Auto (read only) and detects and corrects a limited number of errors in transmitted data.

   Note: Since this setting is enabled automatically, your upstream switch must also support Forward Error Correction (FEC).

8. RX Flow Control is set to Off, and it is not supported on any of the interfaces.

9. For Native VLAN, select the VLAN ID to use for untagged frames received on an interface; either a single interface or LAG.

   Note: 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.

10. For Trunk VLANs, 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.

    Note: 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.

11. Click Save & Close.

Display and reset interface statistics from 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.

1. Log in to the VELOS chassis partition webUI using an account with admin access.

2. On the left, click NETWORK SETTINGS > Interface Statistics.

   A table showing all the statistics displays.

3. Change the way the statistics are displayed in the Data Format by selecting Normalized or Unformatted.

   Selecting Normalized converts 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.

4. Set the Auto Refresh interval for refreshing the data displayed or click the refresh icon to update the data immediately.

5. Select one or more interfaces, then click Reset to clear the data.

VLAN 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 then later associate physical interfaces or LAGs with that VLAN from the chassis partition webUI. 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.

1. Log in to the VELOS chassis partition webUI using an account with admin access.

2. On the left, click NETWORK SETTINGS > VLANs.

   The screen shows VLANs that are configured for that chassis partition.

3. Click Add.

4. In the VLAN 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.

5. In the Name field, type a name for the VLAN.

   Note: 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.

6. Click Save & Close to 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).

Create VLANs from the CLI

You can create a VLAN and then later associate physical interfaces or LAGs with that VLAN from the chassis partition CLI. 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.

1. Connect using SSH to the chassis partition management IP address.

2. 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.

3. Change to config mode.

   config

   The CLI prompt changes to include (config).

4. Create a VLAN.

   vlans vlan { <vlan-id> | range <range-of-vlan-ids> }

   This example creates a VLAN with the range 100-101:

   Copy

   default-1(config)# vlans vlan range 100-101

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 a listener 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 value 0.host for interface.

Rebroadcast Listener (rbcast-listener)

Created when a VLAN is used by multiple tenants, that is, when tenants share VLANsin 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.

1. Log in to the VELOS chassis partition webUI using an account with admin access.

2. On the left, click NETWORK SETTINGS > VLAN Listeners.

   The screen shows VLAN listeners that are active on the system.

3. Set the Auto Refresh interval 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.

1. Connect using SSH to the chassis partition management IP address.

2. 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.

3. View configured VLAN listeners.

   show vlan-listeners

   A summary similar to this example displays:

   Copy

   default-1# show vlan-listeners
   							NDI                                                                      
   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 tenant 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 is always made up of 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 link aggregation group (LAG) or edit the properties of an existing LAG from the chassis partition webUI.

1. Log in to the VELOS chassis partition webUI using an account with admin access.

2. On the left, click NETWORK SETTINGS > LAGs.

   The screen shows LAGs that are configured.

3. Click Add.

4. For Name, type a name for the LAG.

5. For LAG Type, select one of these options:

   Option	Description
   STATIC	Manually configure the links. The link state of LAG members is not dynamically updated. This is the default value for LAGs.
   LACP	Automatically bundle links.

6. If you select LACP, configure these additional settings:

7. For Configured Members, select one or more interfaces (not members of another LAG) to assign to the LAG.

   Note: Only interfaces that are configured with the same speeds can be members of the LAG. The interfaces cannot be associated with VLANs.

   You can add up to 32 members to a LAG.

8. For Native VLAN, select the VLAN ID to use for untagged frames received on a trunk interface.

9. For Trunk VLANs, select one or more VLAN IDs, if available, and not a member of another LAG.

   Note: 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.

10. Click Save & 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 LACP 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.

1. Log in to the VELOS chassis partition webUI using an account with admin access.

2. On the left, click NETWORK SETTINGS > LACP Details.

   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.

3. Set the Auto Refresh interval 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 from the CLI

You can configure a LAG interface type as static from the chassis partition CLI.

1. Connect using SSH to the chassis partition management IP address.

2. 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.

3. Change to config mode.

   config

   The CLI prompt changes to include (config).

4. Create a LAG interface.

   interfaces interface <*lag-name*> config type ieee8023adLag

   This example creates a LAG named lag-test:

   Copy

   default-1# interfaces interface lag-test config type ieee8023adLag

   The system prompt updates to show that you are in configuration mode for the interface:

   Copy

   default-1(config-interface-lag-test)#

5. Set the type of LAG interface to STATIC (this is the default setting).

   aggregation config lag-type STATIC

   This example shows the interface named lag-test in configuration mode and configures it as a static LAG:

   Copy

   default-1(config-interface-lag-test)# aggregation config lag-type STATIC

6. Commit the configuration changes.

   commit

Add interfaces to LAG members from the CLI

You can add interfaces, or member ports, to a LAG interface from the chassis partition CLI.

1. Connect using SSH to the chassis partition management IP address.

2. 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.

3. Change to config mode.

   config

   The CLI prompt changes to include (config).

4. 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:

   Copy

   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

5. Commit the configuration changes.

   commit

Associate VLANs with LAG interfaces from the CLI

You need to associate VLANs with LAG interfaces to pass user traffic from the chassis partition CLI.

1. Connect using SSH to the chassis partition management IP address.

2. 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.

3. Change to config mode.

   config

   The CLI prompt changes to include (config).

4. 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:

   Copy

   default-1(config)# interfaces interface lag-test aggregation switched-vlan 
     config trunk-vlans [ 1037 1038 ]

5. Commit the configuration changes.

   commit

LACP configuration from the CLI

Create a LAG interface from the CLI

You can create a LAG interface from the chassis partition CLI.

1. Connect using SSH to the chassis partition management IP address.

2. 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.

3. Change to config mode.

   config

   The CLI prompt changes to include (config).

4. Create a LAG interface.

   interfaces interface <*lag-name*> config type ieee8023adLag

   This example creates a LAG named lag-test:

   Copy

   default-1(config)# interfaces interface lag-test config type ieee8023adLag

5. Commit the configuration changes.

   commit

Create an LACP interface from the CLI

Before LACP can manage a LAG interface, you need to create a LAG interface of type LACP from the chassis partition CLI.

1. Connect using SSH to the chassis partition management IP address.

2. 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.

3. Change to config mode.

   config

   The CLI prompt changes to include (config).

4. Create a LAG interface of type LACP.

   interfaces interface <*lag-name*> aggregation config lag-type LACP

   This example creates a LAG of type LACP named lacp-test:

   Copy

   default-1(config)# interfaces interface lacp-test aggregation config lag-type LACP

5. Commit the configuration changes.

   commit

6. Return to user (operational) mode.

   end

7. Verify that LACP is enabled on the interface.

   show interfaces interface lacp-test interfaces interface

   A summary similar to this example displays:

   Copy

   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 from the CLI

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.

1. Connect using SSH to the chassis partition management IP address.

2. 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.

3. Change to config mode.

   config

   The CLI prompt changes to include (config).

4. Enable LACP on a LAG interface.

   lacp interfaces interface <*lag-name*> config name lacp-test

   This example enables LACP on a LAG interface named lacp-test:

   Copy

   default-1(config)# lacp interfaces interface lacp-test config name lacp-test

5. Commit the configuration changes.

   commit

6. Return to user (operational) mode.

   end

7. Verify that LACP is enabled on a specified LAG interface.

   A summary similar to this example displays:

   Copy

   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 from the CLI

You can check the LACP state from the chassis partition CLI.

1. Connect using SSH to the chassis partition management IP address.

2. 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.

3. Display the LACP state.

   show lacp

   A summary similar to this example displays:

   Copy

   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 from the CLI

You can view the state of LACP interfaces from the chassis partition CLI.

1. Connect using SSH to the chassis partition management IP address.

2. 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.

3. Display the status of LACP interfaces.

   show interfaces interface state lacp_state

   A summary similar to this example displays:

   Copy

   default-1# show interfaces interface state lacp_state
          LACP
   NAME   STATE
   ------------------
   1/1.0  LACP_DOWN
   1/2.0  LACP_UP

   These are the available LACP states:

   Option	Description
   LACP_DEFAULTED	Initial lacp_state value.
   LACP_UP	LACPD has determined that this interface is a working member of a LACP LAG.
   LACP_DOWN	LACPD 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 from the CLI

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.

1. Connect using SSH to the chassis partition management IP address.

2. 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.

3. Change to config mode.

   config

   The CLI prompt changes to include (config).

4. 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:

   Copy

   `default-1(config)# system logging sw-components sw-component lacpd config 
     severity DEBUG`

5. Commit the configuration changes.

   commit

Display configuration members from the CLI

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.

1. Connect using SSH to the chassis partition management IP address.

2. 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.

3. Show the configuration members.

   show running-config interfaces interface ethernet config aggregate-id

   This example shows information about three members for a LAG named test-lag:

   Copy

   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 from the CLI

Working members are a subset of configuration members. These members are added and removed dynamically by LACPD.

1. Connect using SSH to the chassis partition management IP address.

2. 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.

3. Show the working members.

   show lacp interfaces interface lag-test members

   A summary similar to this example displays:

   Copy

   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

Link Layer Discovery Protocol (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.

1. Log in to the VELOS chassis partition webUI using an account with admin access.

2. On the left, click NETWORK SETTINGS > LLDP Configuration.

3. Set Enable LLDP to Enabled.

4. Type a System Name and optionally, a System Description.

5. For TX 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.

6. For TX Hold, type a number (0-65535).

   The default value is 4 seconds.

7. For Reinitiate 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.

8. For TX 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.

9. For Max 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.

10. In the Interfaces table, select the interfaces and LAGs (if any) for which you want to enable LLDP. For each one selected:

    1. Select Enabled.

    2. For the TLV Advertisement State: select TX (Transmit only), RX (Receive only), or TXRX (Transmit and Receive).

    3. From the TLV 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.

11. Click Save.

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.

1. Log in to the VELOS chassis partition webUI using an account with admin access.

2. On the left, click NETWORK SETTINGS > LLDP Details.

   The screen shows LLDP state information for interfaces in this chassis partition (similar to info shown at the CLI using show lldp).

3. In the Neighbors table, examine the identification, configuration, and capabilities of neighboring devices.

   This information provides details useful for troubleshooting many configuration problems.

4. Set the Auto Refresh interval 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 techdocs.f5.com.

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 from the webUI, CLI, or REST API. Only one spanning tree protocol can be configured on a chassis partitionat 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.

Note: The term bridge refers to a Layer 2 device such as a switch, bridge, or hub.

When you configure spanning tree on the 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 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.

1. 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.

2. Change to config mode.

   config

   The CLI prompt changes to include (config).

3. Disable the current STP mode

   no stp global config enabled-protocol STP

4. Commit the configuration changes.

   commit

5. Remove the existing interface configuration for STP mode.

   no stp stp interfaces interface

6. Remove the edge port and link type configuration.

   no stp interfaces interface

7. Commit the configuration changes.

   commit

8. Enable another STP mode.

   stp global config enabled-protocol { MSTP | RAPID\_PVST | RSTP | STP }

   In this example, you enable RSTP:

   Copy

   default-1(config)# stp global config enabled-protocol RSTP

9. Commit the configuration changes.

   commit

Configure STP 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.

1. 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.

2. Change to config mode.

   config

   The CLI prompt changes to include (config).

3. Enable STP.

   stp global config enabled-protocol { MSTP | RAPID\_PVST | RSTP | STP ]

   In this example, you enable STP mode:

   Copy

   default-1(config)# stp global config enabled-protocol STP

4. Configure the bridge-priority so that it is not selected as the root bridge.

   stp 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.

   In this example, you set the bridge priority to 32768:

   Copy

   default-1(config)# stp stp config bridge-priority 32768

5. Configure interface cost and port priority.

   stp { global | interfaces | mstp | rstp | stp } interfaces interface <*interface*> config cost <*cost*> port-priority <*priority*>

   Note: 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:

   Copy

   default-1(config)# stp stp interfaces interface 1/1.0 config cost 200 
     port-priority 128

6. Commit the configuration changes.

   commit

Configure RSTP 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.

1. 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.

2. Change to config mode.

   config

   The CLI prompt changes to include (config).

3. 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:

   Copy

   default-1(config)# stp global config enabled-protocol RSTP

4. 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.

   Copy

   default-1(config)# stp rstp config bridge-priority <*integer*>

5. Configure interface cost and port priority.

   stp { global | interfaces | mstp | rstp | stp } interfaces interface <*interface*> config cost <*cost*> port-priority <*priority*>

   Note: 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:

   Copy

   default-1(config)# stp rstp interfaces interface 1/1.0 config cost 200 
     port-priority 128

6. Configure interface edge-port and link-type.

   stp interfaces interface <*interface*> config edge-port { EDGE\_AUTO | EDGE\_DISABLE | EDGE\_ENABLE } link-type { P2P | SHARED ]

   Note: 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:

   Copy

   default-1(config)# stp interfaces interface 1/2.0 config 
     edge-port EDGE_AUTO link-type P2P

7. Commit the configuration changes.

   commit

Configure MSTP 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.

1. 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.

2. Change to config mode.

   config

   The CLI prompt changes to include (config).

3. Enable MSTP.

   stp mstp config name <region-name> revision [0-65535]

   The name option is a string <= 32 characters, and the default value is the bridge MAC address. The revision option is a range from 0 to 65535, and the default value is 0. The forwarding-delay, hello-time, hold-count, max-age, and max-hop options have default values, which are recommended for use.

   Important: The name and revision options together form the common identifier of the BPDUs within the region. They must be identical on all bridges in the region.

4. Create an MSTP instance.

   stp mstp mst-instances mst-instance <*integer*> config mst-id <*integer*>

   In this example, you create an instance named test with the default revision level (0):

   Copy

   default-1(config)# stp mstp config name test revision 0

5. Configure VLANs for the MSTP instance.

   vlans vlan <*vlan-id*>

   The VLANs must already exist.

   In this example, you create VLANs 300 and 301:

   Copy

   default-1(config)# vlans vlan 300
   default-1(config-vlan-300)# vlans vlan 301

   In this example, you assign VLANs 300 and 301 to MSTP instance 1:

   Copy

   default-1(config)# stp mstp mst-instances mst-instance 1 
     config vlan [ 300 301 ]

6. Exit to the top level of the configuration hierarchy.

   top

7. 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:

   Copy

   default-1(config)# stp mstp mst-instances mst-instance 1 config 
     bridge-priority 32768

8. Exit to the top level of the configuration hierarchy.

   top

9. Configure interface cost and port priority.

   stp mstp mst-instances mst-instance <*instance*> interface interface <*interface*> config cost <*cost*> port-priority <*priority*>

   Note: 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:

   Copy

   default-1(config)# stp mstp mst-instances mst-instance 1 interfaces 
     interface 1/1.0 config cost 200 port-priority 128

10. Exit to the top level of the configuration hierarchy.

    top

11. Configure interface edge-port and link-type.

    stp interfaces interface <*interface*> config edge-port { EDGE\_AUTO | EDGE\_DISABLE | EDGE\_ENABLE } link-type { P2P | SHARED ]

    Note: 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:

    Copy

    default-1(config)# stp interfaces interface 1/2.0 config 
      edge-port EDGE_AUTO link-type P2P

    These 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.

12. 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.

1. Log in to the VELOS chassis partition webUI using an account with admin access.

2. On the left, click NETWORK SETTINGS > STP Configuration.

3. For STP 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 click OK, the selected mode is enabled, and additional options for that mode display (with default values set).

4. For Hello 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.

5. For Max 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.

6. For Forwarding 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.

7. For Hold 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.

8. For Bridge 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.

9. For Interfaces, select the interfaces (and/or LAGs) for which you want to configure STP and specify these fields:

**Note:** For more information on the available interfaces and LAGs, see the **NETWORK SETTINGS** > **Interfaces** or **LAGs** screens.

10. Click Save.

STP is now set up for use on the system.

Configure RSTP from the webUI

You can configure Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) from the chassis partition webUI.

1. Log in to the VELOS chassis partition webUI using an account with admin access.

2. On the left, click NETWORK SETTINGS > STP Configuration.

3. For STP Mode, select: RSTP (single instance, fast convergence).

   A message warns you that changing modes deletes any existing STP configuration settings. When you click OK, the selected mode is enabled, and additional options for that mode are displayed (with default values set).

4. For Hello Time, specify the time interval, in seconds, that the VELOS system transmits spanning tree information (through BPDUs) to adjacent bridges in the network.

   The default value is 2. For RSTP, maintain this relationship between the Maximum Age and Hello Time options:

   Max Age >= 2 * (Hello Time + 1)

5. For Max 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. For RSTP, maintain these relationships between the Maximum Age and the Hello Time and Forward Delay options:

   Max Age >= 2 * (Hello Time + 1)

   Max Age <= 2 * (Forward Delay - 1)

6. For Forwarding 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. For RSTP, maintain these relationships between the Maximum Age and Forward Delay options:

   Max Age <= 2 * (Forward Delay - 1)

7. For Interfaces, select the interfaces (and/or LAGs) for which you want to configure RSTP and specify these fields:

**Note:** For more information on the available interfaces and LAGs, see the **NETWORK SETTINGS** > **Interfaces** or **LAGs** screens.

8. Click Save.

RSTP 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.

1. Log in to the VELOS chassis partition webUI using an account with admin access.

2. On the left, click NETWORK SETTINGS > STP Configuration.

3. For STP Mode, select MSTP (multiple instances, fast convergence).

4. For Region 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.

5. For Revision, 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.

6. For Max 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.

7. For Hello 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.

8. For Forwarding 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.

9. For Hold 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.

10. To configure multiple instances for a region, adjust these settings for MSTP Instances:

    1. Under Instances, click +.

    2. In the Add MSTP Instance popup, for Instance ID, type a positive integer and click Add.

    3. Under Instances, select one of the instances.

       Available interfaces are listed below.

    4. Under VLANs, select the VLANs to map to this instance.

    5. For Bridge 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.

    6. For Interfaces, select the interfaces that traffic for this instance can use and specify these fields:

11. Continue to configure any other instances that you might need.

12. Click Save.

    The system displays a confirmation dialog confirming whether to update the system controllers.

MSTP is set up for use on the system.