Re:Linux NIC bonding

From: Alessandro Vercelli <alever_at_libero.it>
Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2007 10:25:16 +0100
Message-Id: <JSXJI4$6521FBE917A3B8AF28137855152FD827@libero.it>

I think this is a network hardware issue: network switches usually operate using MAC address, expecially in LAN environments. In case of "swap" of active NIC, the switches get confused because the MAC address of the NIC has changed; to refresh the situation, network services on the server could be restarted, but placing a "stupid" network HUB between bonded NICs and the rest of the LAN could be the optimal solution.

Hope this helps,

Alessandro

Initial Header -----------

From      : oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org
To          : "Oracle L" oracle-l_at_freelists.org
Cc          : 
Date      : Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:22:11 -0800 (PST)

Subject : Linux NIC bonding

I'm building a cluster using Oracle Clusterware and have configured redundant pairs of NICs on the Linux servers using the Linux bonding module (active-passive). I know how to configure the Linux end of things and that's working fine. However, the switches used by this customer (they're Dell branded--not sure who really makes the guts) have been getting "confused" by bonding and our simple ping tests lose about 50% of the packets when we plug the redundant pairs into the two separate (trunked) switches.

This is only peripherally related to Oracle--it's really a networking and server config issue, but I'm hoping that someone with more networking background than I have can explain what switch configuration will enable this to work properly. The customer has stated that this will never work (though I have done it before at other sites and it worked fine). The customer has stated that the Linux configuration must be two active NICs with a virtual IP and virtual MAC. I imagine that will work, but I'm not familiar with that configuration and I don't think Linux has native support for it, so it'd probably be a Broadcom or Intel software package. It's questionable how Oracle would view that from a support perspective (if they care at all).

So, the question: Is there some "magical" switch setting that would possibly be missing in a fairly "default" configuration that might enable this to work properly? I figure it's a long shot asking a networking question on the Oracle list, but thanks for any pointers.

Dan

--

http://www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l Received on Wed Dec 12 2007 - 03:25:16 CST