Cisco Catalyst 2960 Series, Configuration Manual

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In the following figure, an EtherChannel of four workstations communicates with a router. Because the router
is a single MAC-address device, source-based forwarding on the switch EtherChannel ensures that the switch
uses all available bandwidth to the router. The router is configured for destination-based forwarding because
the large number of workstations ensures that the traffic is evenly distributed from the router EtherChannel.
Figure 37: Load Distribution and Forwarding Methods
Use the option that provides the greatest variety in your configuration. For example, if the traffic on a channel
is going only to a single MAC address, using the destination-MAC address always chooses the same link in
the channel. Using source addresses or IP addresses might result in better load-balancing.
Related Topics
Configuring EtherChannel Load-Balancing
EtherChannel Configuration Guidelines, on page 338
Layer 2 EtherChannel Configuration Guidelines, on page 340
Default EtherChannel Configuration, on page 337
EtherChannel Load Deferral Overview
In an Instant Access system, the EtherChannel Load Deferral feature allows ports to be bundled into port
channels, but prevents the assignment of group mask values to these ports. This prevents the traffic from being
forwarded to new instant access stack members and reduce data loss following a stateful swtichover (SSO).
Cisco Catalyst Instant Access creates a single network touch point and a single point of configuration across
distribution and access layer switches. Instant Access enables the merging of physical distribution and access
Consolidated Platform Configuration Guide, Cisco IOS Release 15.2(4)E (Catalyst 2960-X Switches)
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Information About EtherChannels