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Definition: 802.3ad


An IEEE standard for using multiple transmission paths between servers, switches and routers in order to increase Ethernet transmission speed. It also adds resilience to the network so that if one line or port fails, the others continue to be available.

Commonly known as "link aggregation," the server requires multiple network adapters (NICs) or adapters with multiple ports. Also called " port trunking" "link bundling," "Ethernet bonding" and "multilink trunking." See port aggregation.




A Fatter Pipe
The 802.3ad standard supports a wider transmission path between network devices. In this example, three multiport network adapters in the server are connected to a switch. The red cylinder in the center depicts a "fat pipe," which is conceptual, because each line is a separate path between the devices.







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