## 5.2 Network access 

This section includes a short description of virtualization features, protocols, adapters, access methods, and devices that are available to get network access. 

## 5.2.1 Dedicated adapters 

AIX has native  support for physical Ethernet network adapters that have four ports and speeds of 1, 10, 25, 40, and 100 Gb. 

## 5.2.2 Virtual Ethernet adapters 

With this type of virtual adapter, AIX LPARs can send and receive network traffic without having a physical Ethernet adapter. The PHYP provides a software implementation of an Ethernet switch that is compliant with standard IEEE 802.1Q. This switch allows operating systems (OSs) running in LPARs to communicate by using standard networking protocols. 

LPARs can have multiple Virtual Ethernet adapters. Each Virtual Ethernet adapter is connected to a PHYP software switch. The PHYP is started for the transmission of each Ethernet frame and copies the data between LPAR memory areas. Virtual Ethernet adapters and the PHYP switch provide the means for efficient inter-partition communication at memory speed. Because the virtual switch functions are provided by the PHYP, communication between LPARs does not require configuration of a VIOS. 

## 5.2.3 VIOS Shared Ethernet Adapter 

The VIOS Shared Ethernet Adapter (SEA) function provides connectivity to external networks for LPARs that have only Virtual Ethernet adapters. The SEA acts like a layer 2 bridge to the physical adapters. 

## 5.2.4 Virtual Network Interface Cards 

This type of virtual adapter allows AIX LPARs to send and receive network traffic by using virtual functions that are incorporated in single root input/output virtualization (SR-IOV) capable physical network adapters. This advanced type of virtual adapter supports quality of service (QoS), and you can define a maximum of six backing physical adapters. 

AIX can have redundant  network access by using the methods that are described in the following sections. 

## Network Interface Backup 

This method combines one primary and one backup adapter. When the primary interface fails, the traffic is rerouted to the backup adapter. The adapters that are used for network interface backup (NIB) can be physical, virtual, or a combination of both. 

## Etherchannel and IEEE 802.3ad link aggregation 

These network port aggregation technologies allow multiple Ethernet adapters to be grouped to form a single pseudo Ethernet device. The pseudo Ethernet device has the network bandwidth of all aggregated adapters and continues to be operational if individual adapters fail. 

