Specifications

ALAXALA Ring Configuration Guide (Edition 1)
Copyright © 2008, ALAXALA Networks Corporation. All rights reserved.
18
2.5 Operation when the Ring Protocol and GSRP are used together
The Ring Protocol supports combined use with GSRP.
GSRP provides redundancy by securing a communication path via another switch in the same network even if
one switch has a fault.
To build a network that uses both Ring Protocol and GSRP, you use the virtual link described in section 2.4,
which allows combined use of the Ring Protocol and STP. The Ring Protocol and GSRP work together by using
the virtual link to associate the VLAN mapping for the Ring Protocol with VLAN information of the VLAN
group in GSRP.
You can build a network that uses the Ring Protocol and GSRP in the following two ways:
(1) Configure the ring network between ring nodes neighboring as GSRP nodes by using LA to create a direct
link
(2) Connect directly between ring nodes not neighboring as GSRP nodes by using LA to create a direct link
2.5.1 Failure operation in a network that uses the Ring Protocol and GSRP together
Failure operations in a network using both Ring Protocol and GSRP can be categorized into the following
types:
(1) When a line failure occurs in the ring
A failure operation is performed in the ring, so the GSRP operation is not affected.
The failure operation in this case is the same as the one in a single ring and multi-ring.
(2) When a line failure occurs in the GSRP group
GSRP performs a failure operation, and flush frames are sent in the ring after the master node change.
The following steps apply when such a failure occurs:
1. A fault occurs on the GSRP master switch or a failure occurs on a line connected to the master switch.
2. GSRP detects the fault or failure and switches the master and backup nodes.
3. The new master switch sends GSRP Flush request frames to connected switches to clear the MAC
address tables in the GSRP-configured nodes.
4. The new master node sends flush frames into the ring network through the virtual link VLAN.
These flush frames clear the MAC address tables on the nodes in the ring network.
5. The MAC address tables in all the nodes are updated, restoring communication.
GSRP
Management
VLAN
GR R R
GR R R
G
Direct link
R:
Ring node
G: GSRP node (aware/unaware)
GR: Ring-GSRP node
: Virtual link
: Ring BLK port
: GSRP BLK port
GSRP
group
R GR R
G
RR GR
GSRP Management
VLAN
Direct link
R:
Ring node
G: GSRP node (aware/unaware)
GR: Ring-GSRP node
: Virtual link
: Ring BLK port
: GSRP BLK port
GSRP
group