What does LAG stand for in the context of network communication?

LAG stands for Link Aggregation Group in the context of network communication. This term refers to a method of combining multiple network connections in parallel to increase the overall bandwidth between devices while providing redundancy. Link aggregation can help improve network performance by allowing multiple connections to be used simultaneously, which can help balance the load across those connections. It also enhances reliability; if one of the links fails, traffic can seamlessly continue over the remaining links without interrupting the network services.

Using link aggregation, devices can achieve much higher throughput than would be possible with a single connection. This technique is commonly implemented in Ethernet networks, where it is often referred to in the context of standards such as IEEE 802.3ad, which specifies how to negotiate and maintain these aggregated links.