This article describes how to configure a NetScaler appliance with Manual or Static Link Aggregation (LA) channel without failover.

Background

When NetScaler appliances are set up as a high availability pair, the Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) configurations or Static or Manual channel configurations are neither propagated nor synchronized. Therefore, they must be configured independently on each node.

When the LACP (dynamic) or manual LA channel is configured you experience a failover. The reason for the failover is, HAMON is turned ON by default on LA channel as soon as it is created and therefore it becomes a critical interface. The LA channel will be in DOWN state until you configure a peer switch and the other NetScaler appliance in the pair.

You can avoid failover when configuring a manual channel. However, it is not possible with LACP (dynamic).

Instructions

Ensure that the HAMON is turned off when static channel is created.
Note: Normally, the HAMON parameter is ignored when creating a LA channel.

Run the following commands to add a LA channel with no HAMON parameter set:

> add channel la/1 -ifnum 1/1 1/2
  Done
> show channel
        1)Interface LA/1 (802.3ad Link Aggregate) #3
        flags=0x100c020 <ENABLED, DOWN, AGGREGATE, DOWN, HAMON, 802.1q>
        MTU=1514, native vlan=1, MAC=e6:2e:46:11:e5:08, uptime 0h00m00s
        Requested: media NONE, speed AUTO, duplex NONE, fctl OFF,
        throughput 0
        Actual: throughput 2000

        RX: Pkts(0) Bytes(0) Errs(0) Drops(0) Stalls(0)
        TX: Pkts(0) Bytes(0) Errs(0) Drops(0) Stalls(0)
        NIC: InDisc(0) OutDisc(0) Fctls(0) Stalls(0) Hangs(0) Muted(0)
        Bandwidth thresholds are not set.

        LA mode: MANUAL

        1/1: ?-1000-FULL-NONE           UP  0h36m49s
        1/2: ?-1000-FULL-NONE           UP  0h36m49s

Run the following commands to add a LA channel with HAMON parameter set to OFF:

> add channel la/1 -ifnum 1/1 -hamon off
  Done
> show channel
        1)Interface LA/1 (802.3ad Link Aggregate) #3
        flags=0x100c020 <ENABLED, DOWN, AGGREGATE, DOWN, 802.1q>
        MTU=1514, native vlan=1, MAC=00:00:00:00:00:00, uptime 0h00m00s
        Requested: media NONE, speed AUTO, duplex NONE, fctl OFF,
        throughput 0
        Actual: throughput 1000
        RX: Pkts(0) Bytes(0) Errs(0) Drops(0) Stalls(0)
        TX: Pkts(0) Bytes(0) Errs(0) Drops(0) Stalls(0)
        NIC: InDisc(0) OutDisc(0) Fctls(0) Stalls(0) Hangs(0) Muted(0)
        Bandwidth thresholds are not set.
        LA mode: MANUAL
        1/1: ?-1000-FULL-NONE UP 13h53m17s

Citrix Documentation - Configuring Link Aggregation