Network interface card (NIC) bonding with Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) in OpenShift deployments requires careful consideration of transmit hash algorithms. Layer2/Layer2+3 modes are 802.3ad compliant but may favor one interface due to MAC address generation patterns. Layer3+4 mode can achieve higher throughput (160+ Gbps) with multiple streams but isn't fully compliant and may cause out-of-order packet delivery. Performance testing shows Layer3+4 excels with high parallelism while Layer2 modes work better for many-pod scenarios. The optimal bonding configuration depends on application architecture and network usage patterns.
Table of contents
Quick hits: What you need to knowWhy should you care about xmit-hash?What we're working with: The test setupHashing: Layer2 (the default)Layer2 resultsLayer2+3 hashingLayer2+3 resultsLayer3+4 hashingLayer3+4 resultsWrap upSort: