While NIC teaming is not required, it is suggested for redundancy unless a specific implementation recommends against it.
There are two main kinds of NIC teaming:
- Switch dependent
- Also referred to as LACP, 802.3ad, or Dynamic Link Aggregation, this teaming method uses the LACP protocol to understand the teaming topology. This teaming method provides active/active teaming and requires the switch to support LACP teaming.
- Switch independent
- This method uses the operating system and NIC device drivers on the server to team the NICs. Each NIC vendor may provide slightly different implementations with different pros and cons.
NIC Partitioning (NPAR) can impact how NIC teaming operates. Based on restrictions that the NIC vendors implement and that are related to NIC partitioning, certain configurations preclude certain types of teaming.
The following restrictions are in place for both Full Switch and SmartFabric modes:
- If NPAR is not in use, both switch-dependent (LACP and static LAG) and switch-independent teaming methods are supported.
- If NPAR is in use, only switch-independent teaming methods are supported. Switch-dependent teaming (LACP and static LAG) is not supported.
If switch dependent (LACP) teaming is used, the following restrictions are in place:
- The iDRAC shared LAN on motherboard (LOM) feature can only be used if the Failover option on the iDRAC is enabled.
- If the host operating system is Microsoft Windows, the LACP timer MUST be set to Slow, also referred to as Normal.
Refer to the network adapter or operating system documentation for detailed NIC teaming instructions.
- Microsoft Windows 2012 R2, refer to the Instructions section
- Microsoft Windows 2016, refer to the Instructions section
The following table shows the options that the MX Platform provides for NIC teaming:
Teaming option | Description |
No teaming | No NIC bonding, teaming, or switch-independent teaming |
LACP teaming | LACP (Also called 802.3ad or dynamic link aggregation.) |
Other | Other Note: If using the Broadcom 57504 Quad-Port NIC and two separate LACP groups are needed, select this option and configure the LACP groups in the Operating System. Otherwise, this setting is not recommended as it can have a performance impact on link management. |