DELL 9.7(0.0) User Manual

Page of 1039
Figure 127. Enhanced VLT
VLT Terminology
The following are key VLT terms.
• Virtual link trunk (VLT) — The combined port channel between an attached device and the VLT peer 
switches.
• VLT backup link — The backup link monitors the vitality of VLT peer switches. The backup link sends 
configurable, periodic keep alive messages between the VLT peer switches.
• VLT interconnect (VLTi) — The link used to synchronize states between the VLT peer switches. Both 
ends must be on 10G or 40G interfaces.
• VLT domain — This domain includes both the VLT peer devices, VLT interconnect, and all of the port 
channels in the VLT connected to the attached devices. It is also associated to the configuration 
mode that you must use to assign VLT global parameters.
• VLT peer device — One of a pair of devices that are connected with the special port channel known 
as the VLT interconnect (VLTi).
VLT peer switches have independent management planes. A VLT interconnect between the VLT chassis 
maintains synchronization of L2/L3 control planes across the two VLT peer switches. The VLT 
interconnect uses either 10G or 40G user ports on the chassis.
A separate backup link maintains heartbeat messages across an out-of-band (OOB) management 
network. The backup link ensures that node failure conditions are correctly detected and are not 
confused with failures of the VLT interconnect. VLT ensures that local traffic on a chassis does not 
traverse the VLTi and takes the shortest path to the destination via directly attached links.
944
Virtual Link Trunking (VLT)