Vif management

Creating a multi-mode vif

About creating a multi-mode vif

This procedure enables you to create a multi-mode vif on a filer. By default, the IP-address based load-balancing method is used for a multi-mode vif. However, you can select another method while creating the vif. Once a load-balancing method has been assigned to a vif, it cannot be changed.

Note
You should not select the MAC-address based load-balancing method when creating vifs on a filer that connects directly to a router. In such a setup, for every outgoing IP frame, the destination MAC address will be the MAC address of the router. As a result, only one interface of the vif will be used.

For more information about load-balancing methods available for multi-mode vifs, see Load balancing in multi-mode vifs.

Prerequisites

You need the following items to create a multi-mode vif:

A switch that supports link aggregation over multiple port connections, configured according to your switch vendor's instructions.
A case-sensitive name for the vif that meets the following criteria:
- It must begin with a letter.
- It must not contain a space.
- It must not contain more than 15 characters.
- It must not already be in use for a vif.
A list of the interfaces you want the vif to consist of.

Creating a multi-mode vif

To create a vif in which all interfaces are active at once, complete the following steps.

Note
The operation performed using the vif create command is not persistent across reboots unless the command is added to the /etc/rc file.