bonding - how to use device specifier

SUSE Product Topics SLES Configure-Administer
1

Hi,

i created a bonding device in SLES 11 SP1. I didn’t use yast, i
followed /usr/src/linux/Documentation/networking/bonding.txt.
This document recommends:
“Finally, supply one BONDING_SLAVEn=“slave device” for each slave.
where “n” is an increasing value, one for each slave. The “slave
device” is either an interface name, e.g., “eth0”, or a device specifier
for the network device. The interface name is easier to
find, but the ethN names are subject to change at boot time if, e.g., a
device early in the sequence has failed. The device specifiers
(bus-pci-0000:06:08.1 in the example above) specify the physical
network device, and will not change unless the device’s bus location
changes (for example, it is moved from one PCI slot to another).”
I’d like to use the device specifier, because it is more distinct.

/var/log/boot.msg says: “tg3 0000:03:04.0: PCI INT A → GSI 16 (level,
low) → IRQ 16” and
“tg3 0000:03:04.1: PCI INT B → GSI 17 (level, low) → IRQ 17”. So i
thought 0000:03:04.0 and 0000:03:04.1 are the device specifiers
(beacause they are similar to the specifier used in the Documentation).
But using them fails. Restarting the network using the device specifier
e.g. for eth1 says: could not enslave device ‘0000:03:04.1’.
Using interface name eth1 as the specifier works fine.

Isn’t that the right device specifier i’m using ? How can i find the
correct one ?
Or do i have to provide config files in /etc/sysconfig/network like
ifcfg-eth-xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx ?
Currently i have only ifcfg-eth0 and ifcfg-eth1.

Thanks for any enlightenment.

Bernd

–
berndgsflinux

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2

berndgsflinux;2157785 Wrote:[color=blue]

Hi,

i created a bonding device in SLES 11 SP1. I didn’t use yast, i
followed /usr/src/linux/Documentation/networking/bonding.txt.
This document recommends:
“Finally, supply one BONDING_SLAVEn=“slave device” for each slave.
where “n” is an increasing value, one for each slave. The “slave
device” is either an interface name, e.g., “eth0”, or a device specifier
for the network device. The interface name is easier to
find, but the ethN names are subject to change at boot time if, e.g., a
device early in the sequence has failed. The device specifiers
(bus-pci-0000:06:08.1 in the example above) specify the physical
network device, and will not change unless the device’s bus location
changes (for example, it is moved from one PCI slot to another).”
I’d like to use the device specifier, because it is more distinct.

/var/log/boot.msg says: “tg3 0000:03:04.0: PCI INT A → GSI 16 (level,
low) → IRQ 16” and
“tg3 0000:03:04.1: PCI INT B → GSI 17 (level, low) → IRQ 17”. So i
thought 0000:03:04.0 and 0000:03:04.1 are the device specifiers
(beacause they are similar to the specifier used in the Documentation).
But using them fails. Restarting the network using the device specifier
e.g. for eth1 says: could not enslave device ‘0000:03:04.1’.
Using interface name eth1 as the specifier works fine.

Isn’t that the right device specifier i’m using ? How can i find the
correct one ?
Or do i have to provide config files in /etc/sysconfig/network like
ifcfg-eth-xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx ?
Currently i have only ifcfg-eth0 and ifcfg-eth1.

Thanks for any enlightenment.

Bernd[/color]

Hi Bernd,

I usually bond the interfaces by specifying the interface name (which I
must note could be tricky if your interface names change due to
reconfiguration, but normally fine)… As you are using SLES 11, have
a look at configuring your bond using YaST’s network management tool. It
makes configuration all that more simple.

Quoting from a previous thread:

magic31 Wrote:[color=blue]

Is this SLES 10 or SLES 11?

With both, it’s quite easy to do using YaST’s network configuration
module, but done a little differently depending on which version of SLES
you are running.

In any case, it’s a question running YaST > Network Card/Configuration[color=green]

choose ifup/traditional mode type configuration.[/color]

Then in the configuration first remove the existing configurations for
eth0 and eth1 & then you can create a new definition, chose type bond
and configure all as needed.
There is also a section where you can select which network adapters
will be participating in the bond.

Save and let the network reconfigure… and that should be it.

Ifconfig should then show details about the bond and the active/passive
configuration of bonded network adapters.
[/color]

-Willem

–
Novell Knowledge Partner (voluntary sysop)

It ain’t anything like Harry Potter… but you gotta love the magic IT
can bring to this world

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