Bonding

HA and MT

Bonding

High Availability
Maximum Throughput

mum 2006 Dallas

MikroTik, 2006

Slide: 2

High Availability

HA goal is to provide the maximum

availability of network connectivity
HA configurations have redundant or
backup network devices or (and) links
between the host and the rest of the world

mum 2006 Dallas

MikroTik, 2006

Slide: 3

HA Single Switch Topology

No availability penalty to optimizing for

maximum bandwidth

Host A

Host B

To other
networks

mum 2006 Dallas

MikroTik, 2006

Slide: 4

HA Multiple Switch Topology

A trade off between network speed and

availability
Switch B

Switch A
port1

port1

port2

port2

ether1
To other
networks

mum 2006 Dallas

Host A

ether2
MikroTik, 2006

To other
networks

Slide: 5

Bonding and LM Modes

active-backup is
the preferred mode
broadcast is a
special purpose
mode

mum 2006 Dallas

Depends upon
capabilities of the
switch
ARP monitoring
provides better level
of reliability

MikroTik, 2006

Slide: 6

Maximum Throughput
It means nothing more than

THROUGHTPUT

mum 2006 Dallas

MikroTik, 2006

Slide: 7

MT Single Switch Topology:

Gatewayed

Traffic to and from the bonded device will

be to the same MAC level peer on the
network
Host A

mum 2006 Dallas

Router

To other
networks
MikroTik, 2006

Slide: 8

MT Single Switch Topology:

Local

Each destination (Host B, Host C) will be

addressed directly by their individual MAC
addresses
Switch

Host A

Host C

mum 2006 Dallas

MikroTik, 2006

Host B

Slide: 9

Bonding Modes: balance-rr

The only mode that permit a single TCP/IP

connection to stripe traffic across multiple
interfaces
Packets may arrive out of order
This mode requires the switch to have the
appropriate ports configured for
"etherchannel" or "trunking

mum 2006 Dallas

MikroTik, 2006

Slide: 10

Bonding Modes: balance-xor

Packets destined for specific peers will

always be sent over the same interface
Works best in a "local" network
configuration
Switch ports need to be configured for
"etherchannel" or "trunking.

mum 2006 Dallas

MikroTik, 2006

Slide: 11

Bonding Modes: 802.3ad

Standard
Almost no switch configuration
Distributes traffic by peer
Same speed and duplex
ARP monitor is not available in this mode

mum 2006 Dallas

MikroTik, 2006

Slide: 12

Bonding Modes: balance-tlb

Balances outgoing traffic by peer

All incoming traffic arrives over a single
interface
ARP monitor is not available

mum 2006 Dallas

MikroTik, 2006

Slide: 13

Bonding Modes: balance-alb

Almost the same as balance-tlb

balances incoming traffic from local network
peers
device driver must support changing the
hardware address while the device is open

mum 2006 Dallas

MikroTik, 2006

Slide: 14

Promiscuous Mode

balance-rr, balancexor, broadcast and

802.3ad

all slaves

active-backup,
balance-tlb and
balance-alb

active slave

mum 2006 Dallas

MikroTik, 2006

Slide: 15