Solved: The channel-protocol command - what purpose does it serve?

Kevin Dorrell · ‎03-22-2008

I have been playing with channel negotiation protocols in the lab, and I am struggling to understand what useful purpose the channel-protocol command serves.

If you are in modes desirable or auto, you can only handle a PAgP parter anyway. If you are in modes active or passive, you can only handle an LACP partner anyway. If you are in mode on you can negotiate neither PAgP nor LACP. So isn't the protocol always implicit in the mode?

So what does the channel-protocol command do? As far as I can see in the lab, the only thing it does is to restrict you configuration options to desirable and/or auto, or active and/or passive. A sort of "belt and braces".

Is there some scenario I have not tested, where is serves some functional purpose?

Kevin Dorrell

Luxembourg

Edison Ortiz · ‎03-22-2008

As far as I can see in the lab, the only thing it does is to restrict you configuration options to desirable and/or auto, or active and/or passive. A sort of "belt and braces".

That's exactly it. If you were to configure active/active or active/passive with the channel-protocol set to PAgP, the etherchannel wouldn't form. Same goes the other way around.

I guess is an assurance that you are indeed using the correct etherchannel protocol :)

__

Edison.

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Edison Ortiz · ‎03-22-2008