Network interface card (NIC) bonding is the process of combining multiple physical and virtual network interfaces into a single interface. You can only apply it to servers after OS deployment. Apply NIC bonding to increase a server's bandwidth, improve reliability, and provide redundancy.
The MII monitoring interval (MII) monitors the connectivity of the NICs. When two or more NICs are bonded together, they work as a single unit. The MII monitoring interval specifies the time interval in which the bonding driver checks the connectivity status of each NIC in the bond.
NIC bond modes
Bond mode | Description |
round-robin policy | Packets are distributed equally in sequential order to all interfaces. This mode provides load balancing and fault tolerance. Note: The round-robin policy NIC bond mode requires switch configuration. Check with your switch manufacturer for the required settings. |
active-backup | Only one interface is used at a time. If the current interface fails, another interface replaces it. This mode provides fault tolerance only. |
balance-xor | Packets are transmitted and assigned to one of the interfaces depending on the source and destination MAC addresses. This mode provides fault tolerance and load balancing. |
broadcast | All packets are transmitted to all interfaces. This mode provides fault tolerance only. |
802.3ad | Creates aggregation groups that share the same speed and duplex settings. Enables transmission to all interfaces in a group. This mode provides fault tolerance and load balancing. Note: The 802.3ad NIC bond mode requires switch configuration. Check with your switch manufacturer for the required settings. |
balance-tlb | Outgoing packets are transmitted across the interfaces depending on their load and incoming traffic received by the current interface. If the current interface fails, then another interface takes over the MAC address used. This mode provides fault tolerance and load balancing. |
balance-alb | Provides inbound balancing by Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) negotiation. |
- Enable inventory collection for the supported operating system. You must enter the osIP, userName and password for the operating system in the server specifications. For more information about enabling inventory collection, see View server inventory.
- Apply the NIC bonding to the operating system settings. For more information about applying the NIC bonding, see Red Hat Enterprise Linux-specific operating system settings.