How do I configure port trunking for an HA cluster?

Last modified date: 2026-10-07

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QuTS hero h5.3.0 or later
High Availability Manager

Concept

The purpose of high availability (HA) is to minimize service interruptions and ensure the continuous availability of services and storage. To achieve this, an HA cluster requires stable and reliable cluster and heartbeat connections. The cluster connection allows remote clients to access the cluster, while the heartbeat connect allows data synchronization between the nodes of the cluster, so that one node can take over services if the other node fails.

To enhance the performance and redundancy of these connections, we recommend configuring port trunking for the network interfaces used for these connections. Port trunking combines two or more network interfaces for increased bandwidth, load balancing, and fault tolerance.

Note

HA does not support the following port trunking modes:

Cluster connection: Balance-alb (adaptive load balancing) and Balance-tlb (adaptive transmit load balancing)
Heartbeat connection: Active-Backup, Balance-alb (adaptive load balancing), and Balance-tlb (adaptive transmit load balancing)

These modes disrupt HA communication and failover stability.

Procedure

Important

You must complete all port trunking configurations on both nodes before you create the HA cluster.
After the cluster is created, you cannot configure or modify the port trunking settings.
You must configure port trunking on the same ports on both nodes of the cluster, and the setup order must be identical.

Configure port trunking on one node.
1. Log into a node as an administrator.
2. Go to Network & Virtual Switch > Network > Interfaces.
3. Click + Port Trunking, and then click Add.
  The Port Trunking (Add) window opens.
4. Select two or more network interfaces to add to the trunking group, and then click Next.
5. Select a switch type, click Next, and then select a trunking mode.
  Important
  You cannot use the following port trunking modes:
  - For the cluster connection: Balance-alb or Balance-tlb
  - For the heartbeat connection: Active-Backup, Balance-alb, or Balance-tlb
6. Click Apply, and then click Close.
7. Optional: Create another trunking group.
Configure port trunking on the other node, using the same steps and settings.
Make sure the port trunking configurations match exactly between the nodes.
Select port trunking interfaces during HA setup.
1. Go to the active node.
2. Open High Availability Manager.
3. Click Create a Cluster Now, and then click Next.
4. Select port trunking interfaces for the cluster and heartbeat connections.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the cluster creation process.

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Concept

Procedure

Further Reading