Hi Mark,
Directly from the
HPE FlexFabric 7900 Switch Series Layer 2 - LAN Switching Command Reference guide (valid since R215x release)...available
here:
port link-mode
Use port link-mode to change the link mode of an Ethernet interface.
Use undo port link-mode to restore the default.
Syntax
port link-mode {bridge|route}
undo port link-mode
Default
Ethernet interfaces operate in bridge mode.
Views
Ethernet interface view
Predefined user roles
network-admin
mdc-admin
Parameters
bridge: Specifies the Layer 2 mode.
route: Specifies the Layer 3 mode.
Usage guidelines
On the switch, Ethernet interfaces can operate either as Layer 2 or Layer 3 Ethernet interfaces (you can use commands to set the link mode to bridge or route).
Each of the Layer 3 interfaces and subinterfaces use one VLAN interface resource. Before configuring an Ethernet interface to operate in route mode, use the reserve-vlan-interface command to reserve a VLAN interface resource for the interface. Otherwise, the operation might fail. For example, before configuring four Layer 2 interfaces to operate in route mode, you must reserve four VLAN interface resources by using the reserve-vlan-interface command.
To reserve global VLAN interface resources, specify the global keyword in the reserve-vlan-interface command. To reserve local VLAN interface resources, do not specify the global keyword. Reserved VLAN interface resources are local in this chapter.
For more information about reserving VLAN interface resources, see Layer 2 - LAN Switching Configuration Guide (cited above).
After you change the link mode of an Ethernet interface, all the commands (except the shutdown command) on the Ethernet interface are restored to their defaults in the new link mode.
Examples
# Configure FortyGigE 1/0/1 to operate in bridge mode.
<Sysname> system-view
[Sysname] interface fortygige 1/0/1
[Sysname-FortyGigE1/0/1] port link-mode bridge
# Configure FortyGigE 1/0/1 to operate in route mode.
<Sysname> system-view
[Sysname] reserve-vlan-interface 3000
[Sysname] interface fortygige 1/0/1
[Sysname-FortyGigE1/0/1] port link-mode route
So maybe (if Enhanced IRF is not a stopper for the port link-mode feature to work [*]) the VLAN interface resource reservation could be the key point for a successfull port link-mode implementation.
[*] I recall I've read on H3C Documentation of H3C S12500 Switch Series (OK, it's another iron and another brand) that Ethernet interfaces do not support switching the operating mode when they are member ports of/used into/ports of a Switch:
- Aggregation groups.
- Reflector port of a remote source mirroring group.
- operating in IRF mode and with enhanced IRF enabled.