How to configure IPv6 IPMP

IPMP enable to recover from network path failures. If a failure occurs in one network link and an alternate link is configured, IP address can fails over. So network access changes automatically from the failed link to the alternate link, providing uninterrupted access to the network. Here is tips to configure IPMP with Ipv6. You need Solaris 8 10/00 as minimum.

1. Verify the solaris OS release
   # more /etc/release
   Solaris 10 5/08 s10x_u5wos_10 X86
   Copyright 2008 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
   Use is subject to license terms.
   Assembled 24 March 2008
2. In SPARC system, you must configure the host to have unique MAC address for each interface.
   # eeprom "local-mac-address?" 
   local-mac-address?=false 
   # eeprom "local-mac-address?=true" 
   # eeprom "local-mac-address?" 
   local-mac-address?=true

3. Your two interfaces are already set up using Ipv4. View your configuration. This below example shows 2 interfaces: e1000g0 and e1000g1.
   # ifconfig -a
   lo0: flags=2001000849<UP,LOOPBACK,RUNNING,MULTICAST,IPv4,VIRTUAL> mtu 8232 index 1
   inet 127.0.0.1 netmask ff000000
   e1000g0: flags=1000843<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,MULTICAST,IPv4> mtu 1500 index 2
   inet 172.16.31.242 netmask fffffc00 broadcast 172.16.31.255
   ether 8:0:27:7e:12:82
   e1000g1: flags=1000843<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,MULTICAST,IPv4> mtu 1500 index 2
   inet 172.16.31.242 netmask fffffc00 broadcast 172.16.31.255
   ether 8:0:27:7e:12:83
4. Set your interface to include IPMP. You need to edit /etc/hostname6.<interface> file. The two interfaces will be member of IPMP group. In this example, you have group jupiter-group.
   # more /etc/hostname6.e1000g0
   -failover group jupiter-group up
   # more /etc/hostname6.e1000g1
   -failover group jupiter-group up
5. Configure each interface to start using IPMP.
   # ifconfig e1000g0 group jupiter-group
   # ifconfig e1000g1 group jupiter-group
6. Confiure each interface to start use IPMP for IPv6

# ifconfig e1000g0 inet6 plumb up

# ifconfig e1000g1 inet6 plumb up

7. Configure IPv6 test address for each interface.
   # ifconfig e1000g0 inet6 -failover
   # ifconfig e1000g1 inet6 -failover
8. View your IPMP configuration
   # ifconfig -a
   lo0: flags=2001000849<UP,LOOPBACK,RUNNING,MULTICAST,IPv4,VIRTUAL> mtu 8232 index 1
   inet 127.0.0.1 netmask ff000000
   e1000g0: flags=1000843<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,MULTICAST,IPv4> mtu 1500 index 2
   inet 172.16.31.242 netmask fffffc00 broadcast 172.16.31.255
   groupname jupiter-group
   ether 8:0:27:7e:12:82
   e1000g1: flags=1000843<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,MULTICAST,IPv4> mtu 1500 index 2
   inet 172.16.31.242 netmask fffffc00 broadcast 172.16.31.255
   groupname jupiter-group

ether 8:0:27:7e:12:83
e1000g0: flags=a000841<UP,RUNNING,MULTICAST,IPv6,NOFAILOVER> mtu 1500 index 2

ether 8:0:27:7e:12:82

inet6 fe80::a00:27ff:fe7e:1282/10

groupname jupiter-group

e1000g1: flags=a000841<UP,RUNNING,MULTICAST,IPv6,NOFAILOVER> mtu 1500 index 2

ether 8:0:27:7e:12:83

inet6 fe80::a00:27ff:fe7e:1283/10

groupname jupiter-group

9. Check that mpathd daemon is running. If not running, start this daemon.
   # /sbin/in.mpathd