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Overview of the Spanning Tree Protocol 7-3
If the link through Bridge C fails, as shown in Figure 7-3, the STP
system reconfigures the network so that traffic from segment 2 flows
through Bridge B.
Figure 7-3 Traffic flowing through Bridge B
How STP Works STP has the following three stages of operation:
■ Initialization
■ Stabilization
■ Reconfiguration
Initialization
Initially, the STP system requires the following before it can configure
the network:
■ All bridges exchange information by way of Bridge Protocol Data
Units (BPDUs), which are transmitted in packets with a known
multicast address
■ To determine a single root bridge as a result of BPDU exchange
The Root Bridge is selected on the basis of it having the lowest Bridge
Identifier value. This value is a combination of the unique MAC address
of the bridge and a priority component defined for the bridge.
SW3800.BK Page 3 Tuesday, May 5, 1998 5:20 PM