Explanation/Reference:
Section: Considerations for Expanding an Existing Network Explanation
Explanation:
You can configure Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) on a Cisco switch to facilitate a network interface card (NIC) teaming implementation on Microsoft Windows Server 2012. NIC teaming is a feature that uses multiple NICs on a server to function as a single logical link to the network infrastructure.
Microsoft Windows Server 2012 supports several different teaming modes; however, LACP or static teaming configurations are recommended when a physical server has heavy inbound and outbound traffic flows or a virtual machine (VM) has a traffic load that often exceeds the bandwidth available on a single physical link. NIC teaming relies on sharing a single Layer 3 address across a bundle of linked Layer 2 interfaces; therefore, NIC teaming is supported only in a Layer 2 access model, not in a Layer 3 access model.
On Cisco switches, aggregating physical links into a logical link is referred to as EtherChannel.
EtherChannel bundles can be configured manually or by using a link-bundling protocol. LACP is a link- bundling protocol that is defined in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.3ad standard and can be used between Cisco and non-Cisco switches. By contrast, Port Aggregation Protocol (PAgP) is a Cisco-proprietary link-bundling protocol and cannot be used to create an EtherChannel on non-Cisco switches. In addition, PAgP cannot be used to create an EtherChannel link between a Cisco switch and a non-Cisco device, such as a Microsoft Windows Server, because the EtherChannel protocol must match on each side of the EtherChannel link.
Both PAgP and LACP work by dynamically grouping physical interfaces into a single logical link. However, LACP is newer than PAgP and offers somewhat different functionality. Like PAgP, LACP identifies neighboring ports and their group capabilities? however, LACP goes further by assigning roles to the link bundle's endpoints. LACP enables a switch to determine which ports are actively participating in the bundle at any given time and to make operational decisions based on those determinations.
Neither Hot Standby Router Protocol (HSRP) nor Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) can be used to facilitate a NIC teaming implementation on Microsoft Windows Server 2012. HSRP is a Cisco- proprietary First Hop Redundancy Protocol (FHRP). VRRP is an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standard FHRP. Both HSRP and VRRP can be used to configure failover in case a primary default gateway goes down.
Reference:
CCDA 200-310 Official Cert Guide, Chapter 3, EtherChannel, p. 88
Microsoft: TechNet: NIC Teaming in Windows Server 2012 -Do I Need to Configure My Switch?