Link aggregation devices

A link aggregation, or Etherchannel device, is a network port-aggregation technology that allows several Ethernet adapters to be aggregated. The adapters that are aggregated can then act as a single Ethernet device. Link aggregation helps provide more throughput over a single IP address than would be possible with a single Ethernet adapter.

For example, ent0 and ent1 adapters can be aggregated to the ent3 adapter. The system considers these aggregated adapters as one adapter, and all adapters in the link aggregation device are given the same hardware address. Therefore, they are treated by remote systems as if they were one adapter.

Link aggregation can provide increased redundancy because individual links might fail. The link aggregation device can automatically fail over to another adapter in the device to maintain connectivity. For example, if the ent0 adapter fails, the packets are automatically sent on the next available adapter, ent1, without disruption to existing user connections. The ent0 adapter automatically returns to service on the link aggregation device when it recovers.