[ixpmanager] How you handle MLAG in IXP Manager?

[Barry O'Donovan (INEX)]

Yeah, pretty much what Jasper said.

MLAG isn't supported but it's not prevented in the UI. There may be 
rough edges I'm not aware of (as we don't use them).

**In my own view** MLAGs present a number of issues:

* Additional logic complexity that it would cause IXP Manager development.

* MLAGs can cause a false sense of capacity security - i.e. 2 x 10Gb 
MLAG ports pushing 14Gbps of traffic. If you lose a switch, you'll start 
dropping 4Gbps.

* Certainly the member might be happy with the risk but one key selling 
point of IXPs is that we manage our member links to try and ensure 
sufficient capacity is provisioned. There's a reputation risk here with 
multiple MLAG links and a buggy switch for example.

* Some switches require clustering for MLAG support and in both IXP and 
ISP environments, we try to avoid this. There's a better win for 
provisioning simplicity using automated provisioning systems rather than 
clustering imho.

* Additional problem diagnosis / resolution complexity.


My own view on this is that if the member wants:

- resiliency: then two links each with their own IP address, ideally on 
different switches on the IXP end and routers on the member end.

- capacity: then LAGs rather than MLAGs. MLAGs do not solve the capacity 
problem but rather make it worse with the false sense of security 
mentioned above.

- both: then different LAGs with their own IP address!


Cheers,
  - Barry





Jasper Yu via ixpmanager wrote on 16/10/2022 01:32:
> Hi,
> 
> I do use MLAG for STUIX 
> <https://streaklinks.com/BPbApDHo6GQItGgq_AAKQGaM/https%3A%2F%2Fstuix.io%2F>, 
> port-channel name doesn't really matter, but we just simply set it to 
> the same, and normally add each interface to the virtual interface.
> The result will be like this
> 截圖 2022-10-16 上午8.31.03.png
> 
> Thanks
> ᐧ
> 
> On Sun, Oct 16, 2022 at 2:06 AM Salvador Bertenbreiter via ixpmanager 
> <ixpmanager at inex.ie <mailto:ixpmanager at inex.ie>> wrote:
> 
>     Hi,
>     I hope you're doing well. We are now implementing MLAG in our Spine
>     switches, because some months ago we suffered a major traffic
>     disruption due to a problem in our spine switch, and the jump to
>     VxLAN requires a major redesign of our network, so this offers an
>     "easy" solution.
>     I know that IXP Manager doesn't support MLAG, but I'm wondering if
>     there's anyone already using MLAG and using IXP manager for
>     monitoring those interfaces. If so, how do you handle them? As a
>     regular LAG and another connection with the same LAG name in the
>     other switch part of the MLAG?
> 
>     Best regards,
> 
>     Salvador
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> 
> -- 
> Jasper Yu
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> 
> 
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-- 

Kind regards,
Barry O'Donovan
Consultant

For and on behalf of INEX

https://www.inex.ie/support/
+353 1 531 3339