LACP 802.3ad and ng_fec ?

[Bart Van Kerckhove - mobile]

>>> Thanks for your reply,
>>>
>>> It seems that HP ProCurve 5400 series doesn't support fec trunking :
>>>
>>> hp(config)# trunk A3-a5 trk1 fec
>>> Invalid input: fec
>>>
>>> hp(config)# trunk A3-a5 trk1 ?
>>>  trunk                 Do not use any protocol to create or maintain
>>> the trunk.
>>>  lacp                  Use IEEE 802.1ad Link Aggregation protocol.
>>>  <cr>
>>> hp(config)#
>>>
>>> Can ng_fec handshake with switch via "trunk" option instead of "fec" ?
>> According to HP docs, FEC should "work" with the 'trunk' setting.
>> It will loose all features tough, and just become a 'dumb' bonding-style 
>> thing, with no redundancy and other features.
>
> Yes, I was reading some HP docs yesterday and they implied that they were 
> removing FEC on newer switches in favour of using the IEEE standards-based 
> methods of trunking.
I can NOT resist taking the bait here: HP has supported these standards for 
ages.
In fact, the cisco-protocols were used to market their stuff as 
cisco-replacements.
They ripped out functionality. IEEE Standards were already supported.
Same for their SFP's. Vendor lock-in is a bitch, especially when that means 
you can't get stuff that was previously possible. (think cwdm gbics, etc)

>
> I wonder how dissimilar FEC and IEEE LACP are from one another? ie. how 
> much of the code from ng_fec could be used to implement an ng_lacp...
I honestly don't know :-/
I'm very interested in the whole topic though, as we're an all-HP (as in 
procurve) shop.
I do know that will only last 'till the next boxes we buy, HP has let us 
down the past few years.

-Bart
(sorry for the ranting)