How to Configure an Active-Active IPMP Group

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The following procedure describes how to manually configure an active-active IPMP group. In this procedure, Steps 1-4 describe how to configure a link-based active-active IPMP group. Step 5 describes how to make the link-based configuration probe-based.

Before You Begin

Ensure that the IP interfaces that will be in the prospective IPMP group are correctly configured over the system's network datalinks. For instructions see How to Configure an IPv4 Interface in Configuring and Administering Network Components in Oracle Solaris 11.2 . You can create an IPMP interface even if the underlying IP interfaces do not yet exist. However, subsequent configurations on the IPMP interface will fail.

Additionally, if you are using a SPARC based system, configure a unique MAC address for each interface. See How to Ensure That the MAC Address of Each Interface Is Unique in Configuring and Administering Network Components in Oracle Solaris 11.2 .

Become the root role.

Create an IPMP interface.
```
# ipadm create-ipmp ipmp-interface
```
where ipmp-interface specifies the name of the IPMP interface. You can assign any meaningful name to the IPMP interface. As with any IP interface, the name consists of a string and a number, for example, ipmp0.
Add the underlying IP interfaces to the group.
```
# ipadm add-ipmp -i under-interface1 [-i underinterface2 ...] ipmp-interface
```
where under-interface refers to the underlying interface of the IPMP group. You can add as many IP interfaces as are available on the system.

Note - In a dual-stack environment, placing the IPv4 instance of an interface under a particular group automatically places the IPv6 instance under the same group.
Add the data addresses to the IPMP interface.
```
# ipadm create-addr -a address ipmp-interface
```
where address can be in CIDR notation.

Note - Only the DNS address of the IPMP group name or IP address is required.
If you use probe-based failure detection with test addresses, add the test addresses on the underlying interfaces.
```
# ipadm create-addr -a address under-interface
```
where address can be in CIDR notation. All test IP addresses in an IPMP group must belong to a single IP subnet and therefore using same network prefix.