Dell S4820T, Configuration Manual

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Figure 130. Enhanced VLT
VLT Terminology
The following are key VLT terms.
• Virtual link trunk (VLT) — The combined port channel between an attached device and the VLT peer
switches.
• VLT backup link — The backup link monitors the vitality of VLT peer switches. The backup link sends
configurable, periodic keep alive messages between the VLT peer switches.
• VLT interconnect (VLTi) — The link used to synchronize states between the VLT peer switches.
• VLT domain — This domain includes both the VLT peer devices, VLT interconnect, and all of the port
channels in the VLT connected to the attached devices. It is also associated to the configuration
mode that you must use to assign VLT global parameters.
• VLT peer device — One of a pair of devices that are connected with the special port channel known
as the VLT interconnect (VLTi).
VLT peer switches have independent management planes. A VLT interconnect between the VLT chassis
maintains synchronization of L2/L3 control planes across the two VLT peer switches.
A separate backup link maintains heartbeat messages across an out-of-band (OOB) management
network. The backup link ensures that node failure conditions are correctly detected and are not
confused with failures of the VLT interconnect. VLT ensures that local traffic on a chassis does not
traverse the VLTi and takes the shortest path to the destination via directly attached links.
Virtual Link Trunking (VLT)
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