Product guide

Switch Meshing
Switch Meshing Fundamentals
Switch 3
Switch 1
Switch 2
Switch Mesh
Domain
This topology forms a
broadcast loop unless
you configure STP or
RSTP on the network.
Backward
Compatibility Note
Figure 7-4. Example of an Unsupported Topology
• The switch blocks traffic on a meshed port connected to a non-
meshed port on another switch.
• Switch meshing does not allow trunked links (LACP or Trunk)
between meshed ports.
Linking a non-mesh device or port into the mesh causes the meshed switch
port(s) connected to that device to shut down.
The ProCurve 3400cl, 6400cl, and 5300xl switches can interoperate with older
devices in a switch mesh only after being placed in backwards compatibility
mode. This is done with the mesh backward-compat command.
Using a Heterogeneous Switch Mesh
You can use 3400cl, 6400cl, and 5300xl switches together with any of the older
ProCurve Switch 1600M/2400M/2424M/4000M/8000M models. These restric-
tions also apply:
■ All 3400cl, 6400cl, and 5300xl switches in the mesh must be placed in
backward-compatible mode. This is done with the mesh backward-compat
command.
■ The older models cannot be used in a mesh environment with 3400cl,
6400cl, and 5300xl switches where there is a duplicate MAC address on
multiple switches and different VLANs. If you add an older model switch
in this environment after the mesh is established, this switch will not be
admitted to the mesh. If an older model switch is operating in a mesh with
3400cl, 6400cl, and/or 5300xl switches and you introduce a topology that
creates a duplicate MAC address on multiple switches, the device
accessed by these multiple switches will be blocked. For example:
7-8