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Enhancements in Release F.04.08
Configuring Rapid Reconfiguration Spanning Tree (RSTP)
Configuring Rapid Reconfiguration Spanning Tree
(RSTP)
This section is related to the information on “Spanning Tree Protocol” in your Series 2500 Switches
Management and Configuration Guide (5969-2354), but it primarily describes the new information
associated with the new Spanning Tree standard, IEEE 802.1w (RSTP), which is supported by the
F.04.08 release of your switch software.
You are referred to the Management and Configuration Guide for general information on the
operation of Spanning Tree and for information on the older version of Spanning Tree, IEEE 802.1D
(STP), which the F.04.08 software continues to support.
Overview
As indicated in the manual, the Spanning Tree Protocol is used to ensure that only one active path at
a time exists between any two end nodes in the network in which your switch is installed. Multiple
paths cause a loop in the network over which broadcast and multicast messages are repeated
continuously, which floods the network with traffic creating a broadcast storm.
In networks where there is more than one physical path between any two nodes, enabling Spanning
Tree ensures a single active path between two such nodes by selecting the one most efficient path
and blocking the other redundant paths. If a switch or bridge in the path becomes disabled, Spanning
Tree activates the necessary blocked segments to create the next most efficient path.
RSTP Feature Default Menu CLI Web
Viewing the RSTP/STP configuration -- page 146 page 140 n/a
enable/disable RSTP/STP
(RSTP is selected as the default protocol)
disabled page 146 page 141 page 147
reconfiguring whole-switch values Protocol Version: RSTP
Force Version: RSTP-operation
Switch Priority: step 8
Hello Time: 2 seconds
Max Age: 20 seconds
Forward Delay: 15 seconds
page 146 page 142 n/a
reconfiguring per-port values Path Cost: depends on port type
Priority: step 8
Edge Port: Yes
Point-to-point: Force-true
MCheck: Yes
page 146 page 144 n/a