Compare Products

Hide

Clear All

VS

Time: November 22nd, 2023
What is link aggregation and how does it work? In this comprehensive article about link aggregation, learn the definition, working principle, types, and benefits of link aggregation.
What is Link Aggregation
What is link aggregation ? The process of grouping individual links on a network to encourage improved performance results is known as link aggregation. Also known as port aggregation and link bundling, it is a more readily available and cost-effective technique to take into consideration during this period of transition from 1 Gbps to 10 Gbps wired Ethernet . Link aggregation is an IEEE standard that was first introduced as 802.3ad in 2000, setting the foundation for this. After that, 802.1AX, or the "Link Aggregation Revision," was updated in 2008.
How Does Link Aggregation Work
After learning what is link aggregation , see how it works in this section. Link aggregation offers redundant network activity in the first place. Let's say you only have one link, and it breaks. You suddenly don't have any data connectivity at all. Your system simply "goes dark," and cuts off. However, you can achieve numerous delivery channels and load balancing over all available networks by using link aggregation. It is still recommended to use the same link for each linked packet.
Potential issues with out-of-order packets can be resolved by ensuring that all connected data packets travel through the same specific link; link aggregation must take this reality into account. As you might expect, though, combining separate links results in far more robust signal interfaces.
Additionally, there's the promise of "graceful degradation," which implies that failure happens gradually rather than all at once. A signal may first only slightly deteriorate rather than "cutting off," allowing the end user or other stakeholders more time to respond , identify the issue, and take appropriate action. The way that link aggregation safeguards network performance and data can be optimized with the aid of several configuration guidelines. In light of this, LACP encourages the development of more logical virtual links or bundles that a MAC client may manage as a single, cohesive entity.
Bundling, in general, gives system administrators and designers fresh approaches to recovery capabilities and sites of failure without taking drastic measures. The aggregated interface is identified, and the link status is confirmed by engineers as part of Link Aggregation Control Protocol procedures. Included will be the virtual local area network identifier value. Experts have pointed out that "termination" might be significant as well because equipment on both ends of the connection must enable link aggregation in the same ways.
The out-of-order packet issue can also be managed by systems built into the LACP process: tools known as "scheduling algorithms" define packet-to-packet action to maintain proper operation. While vendor systems support this protocol, certain open-source providers also allow link aggregation implementation and offer resources to facilitate this kind of approach. Generally speaking, LACP aids in standardizing link aggregation procedures for longer-lasting Ethernet transfers.
Different Types of Link Aggregation
Now you know what is link aggregation and how it works. Actually, link aggregation has different types. The two main categories of LAGs are dynamic and static, sometimes referred to as manual. Link Aggregation Control Protocol ( LACP ) is used by dynamic LAGs to facilitate establishing negotiation between the two connected devices. While some devices allow dynamic LAGs with LACP, others only support static LAGs. To find out if your gadget supports LACP, consult the user manual that came with it. Instead of offering more bandwidth , Linux-based devices, like NETGEAR ReadyNAS storage devices, frequently offer several additional link aggregation options that improve fault tolerance or load balancing.

Benefits of Link Aggregation

1. Except for knowing what is link aggregation, it is also crucial to learn its benefits to better apply it. The advantages of link aggregation are as follows:

2. Improved accessibility and dependability. Traffic is dynamically and transparently shifted to one of the other physical links in the LAG if one of the physical links goes down.

3. More efficient use of material resources. It is possible to load-balance traffic among the physical links.

4. Expanded bandwidth. More bandwidth is provided by the combined physical links than by any link alone.
Saved cost. Upgrading a physical network can be costly, particularly if it calls for additional cable lines. Through link aggregation, bandwidth can be increased without buying new hardware.

Here, we talked about what is link aggregation , its working principle, types, and benefits. Hope this guide can give you some aid.

Ruijie Networks websites use cookies to deliver and improve the website experience.

See our cookie policy for further details on how we use cookies and how to change your cookie settings.

Cookie Manager

When you visit any website, the website will store or retrieve the information on your browser. This process is mostly in the form of cookies. Such information may involve your personal information, preferences or equipment, and is mainly used to enable the website to provide services in accordance with your expectations. Such information usually does not directly identify your personal information, but it can provide you with a more personalized network experience. We fully respect your privacy, so you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies. You only need to click on the names of different cookie categories to learn more and change the default settings. However, blocking certain types of cookies may affect your website experience and the services we can provide you.

  • Performance cookies

    Through this type of cookie, we can count website visits and traffic sources in order to evaluate and improve the performance of our website. This type of cookie can also help us understand the popularity of the page and the activity of visitors on the site. All information collected by such cookies will be aggregated to ensure the anonymity of the information. If you do not allow such cookies, we will have no way of knowing when you visited our website, and we will not be able to monitor website performance.

  • Essential cookies

    This type of cookie is necessary for the normal operation of the website and cannot be turned off in our system. Usually, they are only set for the actions you do, which are equivalent to service requests, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in, or filling out forms. You can set your browser to block or remind you of such cookies, but certain functions of the website will not be available. Such cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.

Accept All

View Cookie Policy Details

Fale conosco

Fale conosco

How can we help you?

Fale conosco

Get an Order help

Fale conosco

Get a tech support