User guide

September 2009
Page 22 of 79 OmniSwitch 6400/6850/6855/9000/9000E—Release 6.4.2.R01
Feature Descriptions
802.1AB MED Extensions
The Link Layer Discovery Protocol-Media Endpoint Discover (LLDP-MED) is designed to extend
IEEE 802.1AB functionality to exchange nformation such as VLANs and power capabilities. 802.1AB
MED adds support for Network Policy and Inventory Management.
31-Bit Network Mask Support
Adds support for a 31-bit netmask to allow for a point-to-point Ethernet network between two routers.
802.1Q
802.1Q is an IEEE standard for sending frames through the network tagged with VLAN identification.
802.1Q tagging is the IEEE version of VLANs. It is a method of segregating areas of a network into
distinct VLANs. By attaching a label, or tag, to a packet, it can be identified as being from a specific
area or identified as being destined for a specific area.
When a port is enabled to accept tagged traffic, by default both 802.1Q tagged and untagged traffic is
automatically accepted on the port. Configuring the port to accept only tagged traffic is also supported.
802.1Q 2005 (MSTP)
802.1Q 2005 (Q2005) is a version of Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol (MSTP) that is a combination of
the 802.1D 2004 and 802.1S protocols. This implementation of Q2005 also includes improvements to
edge port configuration and provides administrative control to restrict port role assignment and the
propagation of topology change information through bridge ports.
Access Guardian
Captive Portal
Captive Portal authentication is a configurable option within Access Guardian that allows Web browser
clients to authenticate through the switch using 802.1x or MAC authentication via a RADIUS server.
When the Captive Portal option is invoked, a Web page is presented to the user device to prompt the
user to enter login credentials. If authentication returns a VLAN ID, the device is assigned to that
VLAN. If a VLAN ID is not returned or authentication fails, a separate Captive Portal policy then
determines the network access control for the supplicant or non-supplicant.
Captive Portal Web Pages
Customizing the following Captive Portal Web page components is allowed. These components are
incorporated and displayed when the Web-based login page is presented to the user.
• Logo
• Welcome text
• Background image
• User Acceptable Policy text
• Login help page
Captive Portal checks the local switch for any customized files before presenting the login Web page to
the user. If any such files exist, they are incorporated into the Web page display. If no such files exist,
the default Web page components are used.