EXOS: use case for "port groups"

[M_Nees]

Today i stumple about the following EXOS cli command:

create ports group port_group
CLI Reference mention this:
This command creates a generic port-group name that can be associated with a list of ports. The port_group option could be implemented in configure or show commands that currently accept a port_list.

Good Question: Which commands associate with a port_list ???

I do test on my EXOS Lab Switch (EXOS 22.2):
* TEST-SW.7 # configure ports "Uplink" ?
add Add ports to port group
delete Remove ports from port group
rate-limit Rate limiting
* TEST-SW.7 #
* TEST-SW.7 # sh port group "Uplink"
Group Name Ports
-------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------
Uplink 49-52
* TEST-SW.8 #
I hope port group is a feature the does the same like "port range" at other vendors CLI... but i fear i am wrong.

How can i use port groups meaningful ?? What are the use cases for this command?

[FredrikB]

You’re welcome 🙂 /Fredrik

[M_Nees · Accepted solution]

Today i am faced again with above demand!

Fortunately another guy have the same demand AND found a solution for this:

https://community.extremenetworks.com/extremeswitching-exos-233219/using-variables-in-alias-definiti...

Thanks to him!

[M_Nees]

Unfortunately yesterday i only have a look into CLI Reference - this does not help. But EXOS User Guide helps: Port groups allow the user to define ports by similar functionality or role. The user can create port groups and use them to configure QoS profiles, ingress meters and flood rate-limiters for ports that share the same role. In addition, Extreme Management Center will create and manipulate port groups through the CoS MIB via SNMP. Pity! This command sound to me to get another functionality - i mention the same usecase like eric. But it does not - only qos, meters and rate-limits. From my side this command have potential for upgrade ...

[M_Nees]

Hi Eric,
thanks for that explanation.

But it seem the implementation is bad or insufficient - see here:

* SW-KA.6 # show port "Uplink" ?
rate-limit Displays rate-limit discard statistics
* SW-KA.6 #The only possible command is rate-limit - no other possible command.

Same try with a real port list:
* SW-KA.7 # sh port 49-52 ?
Execute the command
anomaly anomaly statistics
buffer Show packet buffering information
collisions Displays collision statistics
configuration Display the port configuration
congestion Display congestion statistics
debounce Display amount of time to delay link down detection
description Displays description associated with the port
eee Display EEE statistics
flow-control Displays pause frames received or transmitted
information Displays port information
ip-fix Displays IP Flow Information Export (IPFIX) statistics
no-refresh Page by page display without continuous refresh
packet histogram of packet statistics
protocol Protocol filter
qosmonitor QOS
rate-limit Displays rate-limit discard statistics
refresh Continuous refresh of output
rxerrors receive error statistics
sharing Load sharing
statistics Port statistics
transceiver DDMI info
txerrors Displays transmit error statistics
utilization Port utilization information
vid VLANs in VID order
vlan VLAN
wred Display WRED statistics
| Filter the output of the command
* SW-KA.7 #Where is the use case of this command ? What does developer and PLM want to address with this command ?