bonding.ko
The bonding.ko module in Linux is responsible for network interface bonding, which is a technique for combining multiple network interfaces into a single virtual interface. This is typically used for increasing network throughput, providing fault tolerance, and improving network reliability. The bonding.ko kernel module is commonly used with Ethernet interfaces and can be configured to operate in various bonding modes.
Key Features of bonding.ko:
bonding.ko:Load balancing: Distributes traffic across multiple interfaces to increase throughput.
Failover: Provides redundancy by automatically switching to a backup interface if the active one fails.
Team-based networking: Allows for a single logical interface combining multiple physical interfaces.
Automatic interface failover: Automatically switches to a backup network interface in case of failure.
Loading the bonding.ko module
bonding.ko moduleTo use network bonding, the bonding.ko module needs to be loaded into the kernel. You can load the module with the following command:
To verify that the bonding module is loaded, you can check with:
Alternatively, you can check the system logs using dmesg:
Module Options for bonding.ko
bonding.koThe bonding.ko module can be configured with a variety of options when it is loaded. Here are some common options:
mode=: Defines the bonding mode (load balancing or failover strategy). Valid values are:
mode=0: Round-robin (balance-rr) - Transmit packets in a round-robin manner across the interfaces.mode=1: Active-backup (failover) - One interface is active, and others are backups. If the active interface fails, a backup interface is used.mode=2: XOR (balance-xor) - Transmit packets based on the XOR of the MAC address of the sender and receiver, providing load balancing and fault tolerance.mode=3: Broadcast - Send all traffic on all interfaces, providing fault tolerance.mode=4: 802.3ad (LACP) - Use the IEEE 802.3ad Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) for dynamic link aggregation.mode=5: Adaptive transmit load balancing (balance-tlb) - Distribute outbound traffic based on the current load.mode=6: Adaptive load balancing (balance-alb) - A combination of both adaptive transmit and receive load balancing.
Example:
miimon=: Specifies the monitoring frequency for link status, in milliseconds. This is used in modes that require active monitoring of interfaces, such as
active-backup,balance-alb, andbalance-tlb.Example: Monitor the interface link every 100 milliseconds:
updelay=: Defines how long to wait before bringing up a backup interface after a failure is detected.
Example: 200 milliseconds delay before bringing up a backup interface:
downdelay=: Defines how long to wait before taking down a failed interface. Typically used in
active-backupmode.Example: 200 milliseconds delay before taking down a failed interface:
fail_over_mac=: Specifies the MAC address to use for failover purposes in
active-backupmode.Example:
arp_interval=: Defines the interval for sending ARP requests when using ARP monitoring in the
active-backupmode. This helps in detecting link failure.Example: Set ARP interval to 200 seconds:
arp_ip_target=: Specifies the target IP address for ARP monitoring.
Example: Monitor the IP address
192.168.1.1for link failure:
lacp_rate=<fast|slow>: Specifies the rate at which the Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) packets are sent, used in
802.3admode.fast: Sends LACP packets every 1 second.slow: Sends LACP packets every 30 seconds.Example:
primary=: Specifies the primary interface in an
active-backupconfiguration. This is the interface that will be used as long as it is up and functional.Example:
xmit_hash_policy=: Defines how the outgoing traffic is distributed across the slave interfaces. Common policies include:
layer2: Use the MAC address for hashing.layer3+4: Use the IP addresses and ports for hashing.Example:
miimon=: Sets the link monitoring frequency for detecting link failures. Used in most bonding modes, especially in
balance-tlb,balance-alb, andactive-backup.
Example: Configuring Bonding on a System
Here’s an example of how to configure bonding on a system with two network interfaces (eth0 and eth1) using the active-backup mode with monitoring:
This would configure bonding with the following settings:
Active-backup mode (
mode=1)Link monitoring every 100 milliseconds (
miimon=100)200 milliseconds delay to bring up a backup interface (
updelay=200)200 milliseconds delay to take down a failed interface (
downdelay=200)eth0is the primary interface (primary=eth0)
Creating a Bonding Interface Configuration
After loading the bonding module and setting the appropriate options, you can configure the bonding interface in the /etc/network/interfaces file or the systemd network configuration (depending on your system's setup).
For example, the /etc/network/interfaces configuration for bonding might look like this:
This configuration would create a bonding interface bond0, use eth0 and eth1 as slaves, and apply the previously mentioned bonding settings.
Conclusion
The bonding.ko module allows you to combine multiple network interfaces into one virtual interface for enhanced performance and fault tolerance. It supports various bonding modes, such as active-backup, round-robin, and 802.3ad LACP, and can be configured with a variety of options, including link monitoring, delays, and primary interface settings. The configuration can be done using the modprobe command to set module options or by adding settings to the appropriate network configuration files.
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