Administrator Guide

Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP)

Dell Networking OS supports rapid spanning tree protocol (RSTP).

Protocol Overview

RSTP is a Layer 2 protocol — specified by IEEE 802.1w — that is essentially the same as spanning-tree

protocol (STP) but provides faster convergence and interoperability with switches configured with STP and

multiple spanning tree protocol (MSTP).

The Dell operating system (OS) supports three other variations of spanning tree, as shown in the following

table.

Table 57. Spanning Tree Variations Dell Networking OS Supports

Dell Networking Term IEEE Specification

Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) 802.1d

Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) 802.1w

Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol (MSTP) 802.1s

Per-VLAN Spanning Tree Plus (PVST+) Third Party

Configuring Rapid Spanning Tree

Configuring RSTP is a two-step process.

1 Configure interfaces for Layer 2.

2 Enable the rapid spanning tree protocol.

Related Configuration Tasks

• Adding and Removing Interfaces

• Modifying Global Parameters

• Enable BPDU Filtering Globally

• Modifying Interface Parameters

• Configuring an EdgePort

• Prevent Network Disruptions with BPDU Guard

• Influencing RSTP Root Selection

Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) 773