In Linux, there are several types of NIC bonding that can be configured. The most common types are:
- Active-Backup: This type of bonding sets one of the NICs as the active NIC, and the others as backups. If the active NIC fails, one of the backup NICs takes its place. This ensures that there is always a working NIC available, but it does not increase the available bandwidth.
- Balance-Round Robin: This type of bonding distributes network traffic evenly across all NICs in a round-robin fashion. It increases available bandwidth by allowing more NICs to handle traffic simultaneously.
- Balance-XOR: This type of bonding uses a XOR (exclusive or) algorithm to distribute network traffic. It increases available bandwidth by allowing more NICs to handle traffic simultaneously.
- Broadcast: This type of bonding sends all network traffic to all NICs. It increases available bandwidth by allowing more NICs to handle traffic simultaneously.
- 802.3ad: This type of bonding, also known as Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP), is based on the IEEE 802.3ad standard. It allows NICs to automatically negotiate and configure link aggregation with other devices on the network. It increases available bandwidth by allowing more NICs to handle traffic simultaneously.
- Balance-TLB: This type of bonding is similar to balance-XOR, but it also includes a transmit load balancing (TLB) feature which improves performance in high-speed networks.
It is important to note that the performance and stability of the bond may vary depending on the network environment and the type of the bond you choose. It is always recommended to test the bond and monitor the network performance before implementing it in a production environment.