User guide

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8-1
8
Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)
This chapter covers the following topic:
• Overview of the Spanning Tree Protocol on page 8-1
• Spanning Tree Domains on page 8-2
• STP Configurations on page 8-3
• Configuring STP on the Switch on page 8-6
• Displaying STP Settings on page 8-8
• Disabling and Resetting STP on page 8-9
Using the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) functionality of the switch makes your network
more fault tolerant. The following sections explain more about STP and the STP features
supported by ExtremeWare.
STP is a part of the 802.1D bridge specification defined by the IEEE Computer
Society. To explain STP in terms used by the 802.1D specification, the Summit
switch and the BlackDiamond switch will be referred to as a bridge.
O
VERVIEW OF THE
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PANNING
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REE
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ROTOCOL
STP is a bridge-based mechanism for providing fault tolerance on networks. STP allows
you to implement parallel paths for network traffic, and ensure that:
• Redundant paths are disabled when the main paths are operational.
• Redundant paths are enabled if the main path fails.