Interface Types

Switch interfaces are used to exchange data. Physical interfaces (excluding management interfaces) transmit services. Interfaces are classified into physical interfaces and logical interfaces.

• Physical interfaces

  Physical interfaces exist on interface cards and transmit service data. Physical interfaces are classified into the following types:

  • LAN-side interface: used by the switch to exchange data with network devices on LANs.
  • Management interface: is used to log in to switches for configuration and management purposes.
  • USB interface: is a data transmission interface. You can perform USB-based deployment on a switch through this interface.
  • Monitoring Interface: is used to monitor a switch's components, including the cabinet door, power supply, and backup power supply. Only the S5720I-12X-SI-AC, S5720I-12X-PWH-SI-DC, S5720I-28X-SI-AC, or S5720I-28X-PWH-SI-AC support monitoring interfaces.
  

  Physical interfaces are sometimes called ports. This document uses the term interface.

  Table 1 describes the physical interfaces that the switch supports.

  Table 1 Description of LAN-side interfaces

  Interface	Description
  Fast Ethernet (FE) interface	A LAN-side FE interface works at the data link layer, provides a maximum transmission rate of 100 Mbit/s, processes Layer 2 protocol packets, and implements Layer 2 forwarding. NOTE: Only S2720-EI supports FE interfaces.
  Gigabit Ethernet (GE) interface	A LAN-side GE interface works at the data link layer, provides a maximum transmission rate of 1000 Mbit/s, processes Layer 2 protocol packets, and implements Layer 2 forwarding.
  10GE interface	A LAN-side 10GE interface works at the data link layer, provides a maximum transmission rate of 10 Gbit/s, processes Layer 2 protocol packets, and implements Layer 2 forwarding.
  MultiGE interface	A LAN-side MultiGE interface works at the data link layer, provides a maximum transmission rate of 10000 Mbit/s, processes Layer 2 protocol packets, and implements Layer 2 forwarding. NOTE: A MultiGE interface is an Ethernet electrical interface that can work at the rate of 100 Mbit/s, 1000 Mbit/s, 2500 Mbit/s, 5000 Mbit/s, or 10000 Mbit/s. For information about devices that can connect to switches providing MultiGE interfaces, see Licensing Requirements and Limitations for Ethernet Interfaces. Only the S5720-14X-PWH-SI-AC, S5720-28X-PWH-LI-AC, S5720-28X-PWH-LI-ACF, S5732-H24UM2CC, S5732-H48UM2CC, S6720-32C-SI-AC, S6720-32C-SI-DC, S6720-32C-PWH-SI-AC, S6720-52X-PWH-SI, S6720-56C-PWH-SI-AC, S6720-56C-PWH-SI, and S6720-32C-PWH-SI provide MultiGE interfaces. By default, the MultiGE interfaces on the S5720-14X-PWH-SI-AC have fixed numbers MultiGE0/0/1 to MultiGE0/0/4. The MultiGE interfaces on the S5720-28X-PWH-LI-AC, S5720-28X-PWH-LI-ACF have fixed numbers MultiGE0/0/1 to MultiGE0/0/8. The MultiGE interfaces on the S5732-H24UM2CC, S6720-32C-SI-AC, S6720-32C-SI-DC, S6720-32C-PWH-SI-AC, and S6720-32C-PWH-SI have fixed numbers MultiGE0/0/1 to MultiGE0/0/24. The MultiGE interfaces on the S5732-H48UM2CC and S6720-52X-PWH-SI have fixed numbers MultiGE0/0/1 to MultiGE0/0/48. The MultiGE interfaces on the S6720-56C-PWH-SI-AC and S6720-56C-PWH-SI have fixed numbers MultiGE0/0/1 to MultiGE0/0/16. For details, see the chassis section in the Hardware Description. MultiGE interfaces on the S5720-14X-PWH-SI-AC or S5720-28X-PWH-LI-AC can only work at the rate of 100 Mbit/s, 1000 Mbit/s, or 2500 Mbit/s.
  25GE interface	A LAN-side 25GE interface works at the data link layer, provides a maximum transmission rate of 25 Gbit/s, processes Layer 2 protocol packets, and implements Layer 2 forwarding. NOTE: The S5732-H24UM2CC, S5732-H48UM2CC, and S7Y08000 cards support 25GE ports. You can run the set card port-config-mode 25g-port enable command to set the working mode of interfaces on the S7X08000 card to 25GE.
  40GE interface	A LAN-side 40GE interface works at the data link layer, provides a maximum transmission rate of 40 Gbit/s, processes Layer 2 protocol packets, and implements Layer 2 forwarding. A 40GE interface can work as an independent interface or be split into four 10GE interfaces.
  100GE interface	A LAN-side 100GE interface works at the data link layer, provides a maximum transmission rate of 100 Gbit/s, processes Layer 2 protocol packets, and implements Layer 2 forwarding. A 100GE interface can work as an independent interface or be split into two 40GE interfaces.
  Combo interface	A combo interface consists of an optical Ethernet port and an electrical Ethernet port on the panel. Each combo interface matches only one internal forwarding port. The electrical and optical ports of a combo interface are multiplexed, and only one of them can work at a time. NOTE: For details about the combo interface supported by the switch, see the Hardware Description or click Hardware Query Tool.

  Table 2 describes the management interfaces that the switch supports.

  Table 2 Description of management interfaces

  Interface	Description
  Console interface	A data connection equipment (DCE) interface that complies with the EIA/TIA-232 standard. The console interface is connected to the COM serial interface of a configuration terminal to set up an on-site configuration environment.
  MEth interface	Complies with the 10/100BASE-TX standard. The MEth interface can be connected to a network interface of a configuration terminal or network management workstation to set up an on-site or remote configuration environment.
  Mini USB interface	A Mini USB interface is connected to the USB interface of a PC to perform basic configuration and management of the device that is powered on for the first time. When both the Mini USB and console interfaces have a cable connected, only the Mini USB interface works. NOTE: Only the S5720-HI and S5720-EI support login through the Mini USB interface. Among S5720-EI series switches, the S5720-50X-EI-AC, S5720-50X-EI-DC, S5720-50X-EI-46S-DC, and S5720-50X-EI-46S-AC do not support login through the Mini USB interface.

• Logical interfaces

  Logical interfaces do not physically exist. They are manually configured and can be used to exchange data and transmit service data.

  Table 3 describes the logical interfaces that the switch supports.

  Table 3 Description of logical interfaces

  Interface	Description
  Eth-Trunk	An Eth-Trunk has Layer 2 and Layer 3 features and is formed by binding multiple Ethernet interfaces to provide more bandwidth and higher transmission reliability.
  Tunnel interface	A tunnel interface has Layer 3 features, transmits packets, and identifies and processes packets transmitted over a tunnel.
  VLANIF interface	A VLANIF interface has Layer 3 features and enables VLANs to communicate after being assigned an IP address.
  Ethernet sub-interface	An Ethernet sub-interface is configured on a main interface to allow the local device to communicate with multiple remote devices. NOTE: Only the S5720-EI, S5720-HI, S5730-HI, S5731-H, S5731-S, S5731S-H, S5731S-S, S5732-H, S6720-EI, S6720-HI, S6720S-EI, S6730-H, S6730S-H, S6730-S, and S6730S-S support Ethernet sub-interfaces.
  Loopback interface	A loopback interface is always Up and can be configured with a 32-bit subnet mask.
  NULL interface	A null interface is used to filter routes because any data packets received by the null interface are discarded.
  NVE interface	An NVE interface is the logical interface to establish VXLAN tunnels with other NVE devices. NOTE: Only the S5720-HI, S5730-HI, S5731-H, S5731-S, S5731S-H, S5731S-S, S5732-H, S6720-EI, S6720-HI, S6720S-EI, S6730-H, S6730S-H, S6730-S, and S6730S-S support NVE interfaces.
  VBDIF interface	A VBDIF interface is the virtual interface based on a BD to support Layer 3 features and implement communication between different BDs, between BD and non-BD networks, and between BDs and Layer 3 networks. NOTE: Only the S5720-HI, S5730-HI, S5731-H, S5731-S, S5731S-H, S5731S-S, S5732-H, S6720-EI, S6720-HI, S6720S-EI, S6730-H, S6730S-H, S6730-S, and S6730S-S support VBDIF interfaces.
  Virtual Ethernet (VE) interface	A VE interface is used when other data link layer protocols need to be carried by the Ethernet protocol. A VE sub-interface can be created to allow an L2VPN to access to an L3VPN. NOTE: Only the S5720-HI, S5730-HI, S5731-H, S5731-S, S5731S-H, S5731S-S, S5732-H, S6720-HI, S6730-H, S6730S-H, S6730-S, and S6730S-S support VE interfaces.