Ethernet link aggregation with shared physical ports

摘要

Techniques are disclosed for providing Ethernet link aggregation for logically independent entities that share a plurality of physical ports. A client operating system (OS) executing in a host computing system receives a selection of two or more logical Ethernet ports. Each logical Ethernet port is assigned to one of a plurality of physical Ethernet ports of a network adapter. The client OS generates a first link aggregate from the logical Ethernet ports. System firmware assigns an identifier to the first link aggregate that associates an aggregate configuration with the first link aggregate. The firmware registers the aggregate configuration with a network device that maintains configurations of at least a second link aggregate.

主权项

1. A computer-implemented method for providing Ethernet link aggregation for logically independent entities that share a plurality of physical ports, the method comprising:
receiving a selection of two or more logical Ethernet ports, wherein each logical Ethernet port is assigned to one of a plurality of physical Ethernet ports of a network adapter; generating a first link aggregate from the selected two or more logical Ethernet ports; assigning an identifier to the first link aggregate, wherein the identifier associates an aggregate configuration with the first link aggregate; registering the aggregate configuration with a network device that maintains configurations of at least a second link aggregate; determining a live operational state of one of the selected logical Ethernet ports, wherein the one of the selected logical Ethernet ports is associated with a client operating system (OS); detecting, based on the determination, that the detected logical Ethernet port is inactive; and forwarding frames targeted to the detected logical Ethernet port to the client OS via a sideband interface associated with the client OS.