Flex links is a

network switch A network switch (also called switching hub, bridging hub, and, by the IEEE, MAC bridge) is networking hardware that connects devices on a computer network by using packet switching to receive and forward data to the destination device. A netw ...

feature in

Cisco Cisco Systems, Inc., commonly known as Cisco, is an American-based multinational corporation, multinational digital communications technology conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation headquartered in San Jose, California. Cisco develo ...

equipment which enables redundancy and load balancing at the

layer 2 The data link layer, or layer 2, is the second layer of the seven-layer OSI model of computer networking. This layer is the protocol layer that transfers data between nodes on a network segment across the physical layer. The data link layer ...

level. The feature serves as an alternative to

Spanning Tree Protocol The Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) is a network protocol that builds a loop-free logical topology for Ethernet networks. The basic function of STP is to prevent bridge loops and the broadcast radiation that results from them. Spanning tree also ...

link aggregation In computer networking, link aggregation is the combining ( aggregating) of multiple network connections in parallel by any of several methods, in order to increase throughput beyond what a single connection could sustain, to provide redundan ...

. A pair of layer 2 interfaces, such as switch ports or port channels has one interface configured as a backup to the other. If the primary link fails, the backup link takes over traffic forwarding. At any point of time only one interface will be in linkup state and actively forwarding traffic. If the primary link shuts down, the standby link takes up the duty and starts forwarding traffic and becomes the primary link. When the failing link comes back up active, it goes into standby mode and does not participate in traffic forwarding and becomes the backup link. This behaviour can be changed with pre-emption mode which makes the failed link the primary link when it becomes available again. Load balancing in Flex links work at

VLAN A virtual local area network (VLAN) is any broadcast domain that is partitioned and isolated in a computer network at the data link layer ( OSI layer 2).IEEE 802.1Q-2011, ''1.4 VLAN aims and benefits'' In this context, virtual, refers to a phys ...

level. Both the ports in the Flex link pair can be made to forward traffic simultaneously. One port in the flex links pair can be configured to forward traffic belonging to VLANs 1-50 and the other can forward traffic for VLANs 51-100. Mutually exclusive VLANs are load sharing the traffic between the Flex link pairs. If one of the ports fails, the other active link forwards all the traffic.

References

Computer networks {{network-stub