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Bandwidth
Cost
10 Mbps
2000000
100 Mbps
200000
1 Gbps
20000
2000
100 Gbps
200
The `Spanning Tree Protocol` uses its own terminology that we illustrate in the figure above. A switch port can be in three different states : `Root`, `Designated` and `Blocked`. All the ports of the `root` switch are in the `Designated` state. The state of the ports on the other switches is determined based on the `BPDU` received on each port.
The `Spanning Tree Protocol` uses the ordering relationship to build the spanning tree. Each switch listens to `BPDUs` on its ports. When `BPDU = <R,c,T,p>` is received on port `q`, the switch computes the port's `root priority vector`: `V[q] = <R,c+cost[q],T,p,q>` , where `cost[q]` is the cost associated to the port over which the `BPDU` was received. The switch stores in a table the last `root priority vector` received on each port. The switch then compares its own `identifier` with the smallest `root identifier` stored in this table. If its own `identifier` is smaller, then the switch is the root of the spanning tree and is, by definition, at a distance `0` of the root. The `BPDU` of the switch is then `<R,0,R,p>`, where `R` is the switch `identifier` and `p` will be set to the port number over which the `BPDU` is sent.
Otherwise, the switch chooses the best priority vector from its table, `bv = <R,c+cost[q'],T,p,q'>`. The port `q'`, over which this best root priority vector was learned, is the switch port that is closest to the `root` switch. This port becomes the `Root` port of the switch. There is only one `Root` port per switch (except for the `Root` switches whose ports are all `Designated`). The switch can then compute its own `BPDU` as `BPDU = <R,c',S,p>` , where `R` is the `root identifier`, `c'` the cost of the best root priority vector, `S` the identifier of the switch and `p` will be replaced by the number of the port over which the `BPDU` will be sent.
To determine the state of its other ports, the switch compares its own `BPDU` with the last `BPDU` received on each port. Note that the comparison is done by using the `BPDUs` and not the `root priority vectors`. If the switch's `BPDU` is better than the last `BPDU` of this port, the port becomes a `Designated` port. Otherwise, the port becomes a `Blocked` port.
The state of each port is important when considering the transmission of `BPDUs`. The root switch regularly sends its own `BPDU` over all of its (`Designated`) ports. This `BPDU` is received on the `Root` port of all the switches that are directly connected to the `root switch`. Each of these switches computes its own `BPDU` and sends this `BPDU` over all its `Designated` ports. These `BPDUs` are then received on the `Root` port of downstream switches, which then compute their own `BPDU`, etc. When the network topology is stable, switches send their own `BPDU` on all their `Designated` ports, once they receive a `BPDU` on their `Root` port. No `BPDU` is sent on a `Blocked` port. Switches listen for `BPDUs` on their `Blocked` and `Designated` ports, but no `BPDU` should be received over these ports when the topology is stable. The utilization of the ports for both `BPDUs` and data frames is summarized in the table below.
Port state
Receives BPDUs
Sends BPDU
Handles data frames
Blocked
yes
no
Root
Designated
To illustrate the operation of the `Spanning Tree Protocol`, let us consider the simple network topology in the figure below.
A simple Spanning tree computed in a switched Ethernet network
Assume that `Switch4` is the first to boot. It sends its own `BPDU = <4,0,4,1>` (resp. `BPDU = <4,0,4,2>`) on port 1 (resp. port 2). When `Switch1` boots, it sends `BPDU = <1,0,1,1>`. This `BPDU` is received by `Switch4`, which updates its `BPDU` and root priority vector tables and computes a new `BPDU = <1,3,4,1>` (resp. `BPDU = <1,3,4,2>`) on port 1 (resp. port 2). Indeed, there is only one root priority vector and hence, it is the best one. Port 1 of `Switch4` becomes the `Root` port while its second port is still in the `Designated` state.
Assume now that `Switch9` boots and immediately receives `Switch1` 's `BPDU` on port 1. `Switch9` computes its own `BPDU = <1,1,9,1>` (resp. `BPDU = <1,1,9,2>`) on port 1 (resp. port 2) and port 1 becomes the `Root` port of this switch. The `BPDU` is sent on port 2 of `Switch9` and reaches `Switch4`. `Switch4` compares the priority vectors. It notices that the last computed vector (i.e., `V[2] = <1,2,9,2,2>`) is better than `V[1] = <1,3,1,1,1>`. Thus, `Switch4`'s `BPDU` is recomputed and port 2 becomes the `Root` port of `Switch4`. `Switch4` compares its new `BPDU = <1,2,4,p>` with the last `BPDU` received on each port (except for the `Root` port). Port 1 becomes a `Blocked` port on `Switch4` because the `BPDU=<1,0,1,1>` received on this port is better.
During the computation of the spanning tree, switches discard all received data frames, as at that time the network topology is not guaranteed to be loop-free. Once that topology has been stable for some time, the switches again start to use the MAC learning algorithm to forward data frames. Only the `Root` and `Designated` ports are used to forward data frames. Switches discard all the data frames received on their `Blocked` ports and never forward frames on these ports.
Switches, ports and links can fail in a switched Ethernet network. When a failure occurs, the switches must be able to recompute the spanning tree to recover from the failure. The `Spanning Tree Protocol` relies on regular transmissions of the `BPDUs` to detect these failures. A `BPDU` contains two additional fields : the `Age` of the `BPDU` and the `Maximum Age`. The `Age` contains the amount of time that has passed since the root switch initially originated the `BPDU`. The root switch sends its `BPDU` with an `Age` of zero and each switch that computes its own `BPDU` increments its `Age` by one. The `Age` of the `BPDUs` stored on a switch's table is also incremented every second. A `BPDU` expires when its `Age` reaches the `Maximum Age`. When the network is stable, this does not happen as `BPDU` s are regularly sent by the `root` switch and downstream switches. However, if the `root` fails or the network becomes partitioned, `BPDU` will expire and switches will recompute their own `BPDU` and restart the `Spanning Tree Protocol`. Once a topology change has been detected, the forwarding of the data frames stops as the topology is not guaranteed to be loop-free. Additional details about the reaction to failures may be found in [IEEE802.1d]_.
Component Translation Difference to current string
This translation Propagated Read only cnp3-ebook/protocols/ethernet
The following string has the same context and source.
Propagated Read only cnp3-ebook/protocols/lan

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String information

Flags
read-only
Source string location
../../protocols/ethernet.rst:370
String age
3 years ago
Source string age
3 years ago
Translation file
locale/pot/protocols/ethernet.pot, string 95