IEEE 802.1AX-2020

Link Aggregation provides protocols, procedures, and managed objects that allow the following: - One or more parallel instances of point-to-point links to be aggregated together to form a Link Aggregation Group (LAG) so that a Link Aggregation Client can treat the LAG as if it were a single link. - Conversation-Sensitive Collection and Distribution (CSCD) that specifies a means to identify the distribution algorithm in use to assign frames to individual links in a LAG and to convey that information to the System at the other end of the LAG. - Distributed Resilient Network Interface (DRNI) that enables a LAG to terminate at a pair of cooperating Systems in order to provide system-level as well as link-level resiliency.

Link Aggregation allows the establishment of point-to-point links that have a higher aggregate bandwidth than the individual links that form the aggregation and the use of multiple systems at each end of the aggregation. This allows improved utilization of available links in Bridged local area network (LAN) environments, along with improved resilience in the face of failure of individual links or systems. In applications connecting separately administered networks, the networks are isolated from each other’s fault recovery events.

Revision Standard - Active. Link Aggregation allows parallel point-to-point links to be used as if they were a single link and also supports the use of multiple links as a resilient load-sharing interconnect between multiple nodes in two separately administered networks. This standard defines a MAC-independent Link Aggregation capability and provides general information relevant to specific MAC types.