New Training: Explain Virtual Port-Channels

In this 7-video skill, CBT Nuggets trainer Jeff Kish explores virtual port-channel technology, how it’s used in the data center, and the topologies we can build with them. Watch this new Cisco training.

Learn Cisco with one of these courses:

• Data Center Networking with Cisco Nexus Switches
• Cisco CCNP Data Center

This training includes:

• 7 videos
• 51 minutes of training

You’ll learn these topics in this skill:

• Intro
• Standard Port-Channels
• Introducing VPCs
• VPC Architecture and Traffic Flow
• VPC and STP
• VPC Topologies
• Review and Quiz

What is a Virtual Port-Channel (vPC)?

A Virtual Port-Channel (vPC) is a Cisco-proprietary protocol that functions on the company's Nexus switches. Known also as a multi-chassis EtherChannel (MEC), a vPC lets you configure a Port-Channel across multiple switches.

A vPC is similar in concept to the Virtual Switch System (VSS) that operates on Cisco's Catalyst chasses. The difference between the two is that while a VSS establishes a single logical switch, along with a single control plane for both management and configuration, with a vPC, you must configure and manage each switch independently. As a consequence of this, you must create and allow your virtual LANs (VLANs) on both switches.

A vPC consists of the following components:

• A vPC Domain
• A vPC Peer Switch
• vPC Member Ports
• A vPC Peer-Keepalive Link
• A vPC Peer Link
• An Orphan Port

Once you've set up a vPC, you can check its status by issuing the following command: show vpc brief.