Before a shared Ethernet adapter is removed, it should be ensured that no client LPAR is still using the SEA!

The SEA to be deleted is the adapter ent42 used in all examples so far:

$ vios lssea -V ms05-vio1 ent42
SEA    LNAGG  NAME   TYPE     VSWITCH   MODE  ACTIVE  PRIORITY  PVID  VLAN_TAG_IDS
ent42  -      ent2   real     -         -     -       -         -     -
ent42  -      ent41  virtual  ETHTEST2  VEB   True    1         2     200,205,210
ent42  -      ent39  virtual  ETHTEST2  VEB   True    1         1     100,110
$

The SEA can be deleted using the command “vios rmsea” (remove SEA):

$ vios rmsea ms05-vio1 ent42
$

The command takes effect immediately. If client LPARs still use the SEA ent42, then these are now cut off from external systems, as Ethernet frames are no longer forwarded to an external network. Other LPARs of the same managed system can still be reached (unless the virtual switch uses VEPA mode).

$ vios lssea ms05-vio1
                                       TIMES   TIMES    TIMES    BRIDGE 
NAME   HA_MODE  PRIORITY  STATE       PRIMARY  BACKUP  FLIPFLOP  MODE
ent33  Sharing  1         PRIMARY_SH  1        1       0         Partial
ent34  Sharing  1         PRIMARY_SH  1        1       0         Partial
ent39  -        -         -           -        -       -         -
$

The SEA no longer appears in the list of SEAs.

However, the virtual trunking adapters are still there:

$ vios lssea -c ms05-vio1
NAME   STATUS     PHYSLOC                      PARENT  DESCRIPTION
ent3   Available  U78AA.001.VYRGU0Q-P1-C7-T4   pci1    4-Port Gigabit Ethernet PCI-Express Adapter (e414571614102004)
ent2   Available  U78AA.001.VYRGU0Q-P1-C7-T3   pci1    4-Port Gigabit Ethernet PCI-Express Adapter (e414571614102004)
ent39  Available  U8205.E6C.05E4E5Q-V1-C61-T1  vio0    Virtual I/O Ethernet Adapter (l-lan)
ent41  Available  U8205.E6C.05E4E5Q-V1-C62-T1  vio0    Virtual I/O Ethernet Adapter (l-lan)
$

The physical adapter ent2 used by the SEA ent42 is available again, as are the two trunking adapters ent39 and ent41. If the trunking adapters are no longer required, e.g. to create a new SEA, they can be removed with the command “lpar rmeth“:

$ lpar rmeth ms05-vio1 61
$ 
$ lpar rmeth ms05-vio1 62
$

A look at potential candidates for a SEA shows that the two former trunking adapters are no longer available:

$ vios lssea -c ms05-vio1
NAME   STATUS     PHYSLOC                      PARENT  DESCRIPTION
ent3   Available  U78AA.001.VYRGU0Q-P1-C7-T4   pci1    4-Port Gigabit Ethernet PCI-Express Adapter (e414571614102004)
ent2   Available  U78AA.001.VYRGU0Q-P1-C7-T3   pci1    4-Port Gigabit Ethernet PCI-Express Adapter (e414571614102004)
$