Linux IP Address Bonding

Bonding refers to the process to binding an IP Address interface to one or more interface for redundancy purpose.

Here I have posted how to creating a bonded interface by binding eth0 and eth1 together.

Steps to create IP Address Bonding in Linux :

1) # cd /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/

2) # touch ifcfg-bond0          /* Creating a IP address configuration file for Bonding inteface */

3) # vi ifcfg-bond0 and add the following information:

DEVICE = bond0
IPADDR = IP address of your interface
NETMASK = Corresponding netmask
GATEWAY = Gateway address
BOOTPROTO = none
ONBOOT = Yes

If you find difficult in typing this information, these informations could be copies from one of the configuration files like "ifcfg-eth#" and it can be edited.

4) Similarly edit, # vi ifcfg-eth0 and ifcfg-eth1

Ensure you  have only the below informations on both the files.

DEVICE = eth#
BOOTPROTO = yes
ONBOOT = yes
MASTER = bond0
SLAVE = yes

This ensures that the bond0 is used as a primary interface and eth0 and 1 act as a secondary interface.

5) Edit /etc/modprobe.conf

alias bond0 bonding
alias bond0 mode=balance_alb miimon=100

6) # modprobe bonding

7) # service network restart

8) # chkconfig network on

9) Restart the machine.

10) Finally verify the bonded interface in  # ifconfig -a

11) Can also be verified in  /proc/net/bonding/bond0.