Configuring Smart-Channel

This chapter describes how to configure smart-channel on Cisco NX-OS devices.

This chapter includes the following sections:

Enabling Smart Channel

You must enable the smart channel feature before you can configure the smart channel services on the device.

SUMMARY STEPS

  1. configure terminal
  2. [no] feature smart-channel
  3. (Optional) show feature | grep smart-channel
  4. (Optional) copy running-config startup-config

DETAILED STEPS

  Command or Action Purpose

Step 1

configure terminal

Example:

switch# configure terminal
switch(config)#

Enters global configuration mode.

Step 2

[no] feature smart-channel

Example:

switch(config)# feature smart-channel

Enables or disables smart channel. By default, smart channel is disabled.

Step 3

(Optional) show feature | grep smart-channel

Example:

switch(config-if)# show feature | grep smart-channel
 (Optional)

Displays the status of the smart channel configuration.

Step 4

(Optional) copy running-config startup-config

Example:

switch(config)# copy running-config startup-config
(Optional)

Copies the running configuration to the startup configuration.

Configuring Port Groups

After you enable smart channel, you must create a port group and configure active interfaces on that group.

SUMMARY STEPS

  1. configure terminal
  2. [no] smart-channel port-group port-group-name
  3. interface ethernet type slot/port
  4. (Optional) copy running-config startup-config

DETAILED STEPS

  Command or Action Purpose

Step 1

configure terminal

Example:

switch# configure terminal
switch(config)#

Enters global configuration mode.

Step 2

[no] smart-channel port-group port-group-name

Example:

switch(config)# smart-channel port-group Webservers
switch(config-port-group)#

Creates or deletes a port group.

Step 3

interface ethernet type slot/port

Example:


switch(config)# interface ethernet 3/1
switch(config-if)#

Configures the active interfaces on the port group.

Step 4

(Optional) copy running-config startup-config

Example:

switch(config-port-group)# copy running-config startup-config
(Optional)

Copies the running configuration to the startup configuration.

Configuring the Smart Channel Service

To configure the smart channel service, you must do the following:

  1. Configure the service name

  2. Configure the VLAN/source/destination filters

  3. Associate the port group to the smart channel service

  4. Specify the load distribution scheme

  5. Activate the smart channel service

Before you begin

You must enable the smart channel feature before you configure the smart channel service.


Note

Beginning from Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 9.3(3), feature Smart-channel is not supported. It is recommended to take necessary actions while upgrading from any previous release to 9.3(2) or any newer versions.

SUMMARY STEPS

  1. configure terminal
  2. [no] smart-channel service-name
  3. [no] access vlan access-vlan | vlan vlan-range
  4. [no] port group port-group-name
  5. [no] load-balance method [src | dst]
  6. [no] destination filter ip any [any]
  7. [no] source filter [ipanyany]
  8. [no] load-balance method [src | dst] Bucket B
  9. no shut

DETAILED STEPS

  Command or Action Purpose

Step 1

configure terminal

Example:

switch# configure terminal
switch(config)#

Enters global configuration mode.

Step 2

[no] smart-channel service-name

Example:

switch(config)# smart-channel WebTraffic
switch(config-smart-channel)#

Configures or disables the smart channel service.

Step 3

[no] access vlan access-vlan | vlan vlan-range

Example:

switch(config-smart-channel)# access vlan 10-20
switch(config-port-group)#

Configures a list of VLANs for the smart channel service. While the access VLANs create the smart channel in an access mode, the VLANs in the VLAN range creates the smart channel in the trunk mode.

Step 4

[no] port group port-group-name

Example:

switch(config-smart-channel)# port group WEBSERVERS
switch(config-smart-channel)#

Associates a port-group with the smart channel service.

Step 5

[no] load-balance method [src | dst]

Example:

switch(config-smart-channel)# load-balance method src-ip
switch(config-smart-channel)#

Configures the load balancing method.

Step 6

[no] destination filter ip any [any]

Example:

switch(config-smart-channel)# destination filter ip any any
switch(config-smart-channel)#

Configures the selected destination subnets.

Step 7

[no] source filter [ipanyany]

Example:

switch(config-smart-channel)# source filter ip any any
switch(config-smart-channel)#

Configures the selected source subnets.

Step 8

[no] load-balance method [src | dst] Bucket B

Example:

switch(config-smart-channel)# load-balance method src Bucket 16
switch(config-port-group)#

Configures the load balancing method.

Step 9

no shut

Example:

switch(config-smart-channel)# no shut
switch(config-smart-channel)#

Activates the smart channel service.

Verifying the Smart Channel Configuration

Smart Channel Show Commands

To display the smart channel configuration, perform one of the following tasks:

SUMMARY STEPS

  1. show smart-channel service-name
  2. show vlan access-list vlan access-map name
  3. show running-config smart-channel [all]

DETAILED STEPS

  Command or Action Purpose

Step 1

show smart-channel service-name

Displays the smart channel configuration status.

Step 2

show vlan access-list vlan access-map name

Displays the statistics for a smart channel service.

Step 3

show running-config smart-channel [all]

Displays the running configuration for smart channel.