How to Connect Juniper QFX EVPN-VXLAN and VMware ESXi using LACP

This post is about configuring LACP between Juniper QFX (EVPN-VXLAN design) and VMware ESXi hosts.

Environment

*2x Juniper QFX 5120 Switches configured with EVPN-VXLAN, the design is a Collapsed Spine Fabric as described below:

https://www.juniper.net/documentation/en_US/release-independent/solutions/topics/task/configuration/collapsed-spine-fabric-cloud-dc-configuring.html

*If you connect your ESXi hosts directly to the QFX switches, you have to use LACP in between as this EVPN-VXLAN design only supports LACP; if you have ToR switches using traditional Stacking/virtual chassis, you don’t need to use LACP here

*To configure LACP on the VMware ESXi host, you better use Distributed Switches on the VMware side as it has much more options for load balancing config etc. This is to prevent the switch side has special requirements.

Juniper QFX Configuration

You can see the ESi and LACP System ID are the same on both QFX Switches

QFX1 Port Configuration

set interfaces xe-0/0/0 description "Node1 - Corporate - NIC1"
set interfaces xe-0/0/0 ether-options 802.3ad ae21

set interfaces ae21 esi 00:00:42:42:00:42:51:00:00:24
set interfaces ae21 esi all-active
set interfaces ae21 aggregated-ether-options lacp active
set interfaces ae21 aggregated-ether-options lacp periodic slow
set interfaces ae21 aggregated-ether-options lacp system-id 00:42:51:00:00:24
set interfaces ae21 unit 0 family ethernet-switching interface-mode trunk
set interfaces ae21 unit 0 family ethernet-switching vlan members all

QFX2 Port Configuration

set interfaces xe-0/0/0 description "Nutanix Node1 - Corporate - NIC2"
set interfaces xe-0/0/0 ether-options 802.3ad ae21

set interfaces ae21 esi 00:00:42:42:00:42:51:00:00:24
set interfaces ae21 esi all-active
set interfaces ae21 aggregated-ether-options lacp active
set interfaces ae21 aggregated-ether-options lacp periodic slow
set interfaces ae21 aggregated-ether-options lacp system-id 00:42:51:00:00:24
set interfaces ae21 unit 0 family ethernet-switching interface-mode trunk
set interfaces ae21 unit 0 family ethernet-switching vlan members all

VMware ESXi Host Configuration

Note: if you want to migrate from a VMware standard switch to distributed switch, please go to the post below but ignore the switch config sections, as that post is for Juniper Switches with virtual chassis config.

How to Migrate VMware Standard Switch to Distributed Switch

====Distributed switch with aggregated interface

====Aggregated interface lag1 config

====Distributed Port Group config

Please be aware “Route based on IP hash” is the compatible config with Juniper LACP