Cisco Systems BC-281 manual DLSw Standard, DLSw Version 2 Standard, IP Multicast, BC-282

Configuring Data-Link Switching Plus

Technology Overview

DLSw Standard

The DLSw standard, documented in RFC 1795, defines the switch-to-switch protocol between DLSw routers. The standard also defines a mechanism to terminate data-link control connections locally and multiplex the traffic from the data-link control connections to a TCP connection. The standard always calls for the transport protocol to be TCP and always requires that data-link control connections be locally terminated (the equivalent of Cisco’s local acknowledgment option). The standard also requires that the SRB RIF be terminated at the DLSw router. The standard describes a means for prioritization and flow control and defines error recovery procedures that ensure data-link control connections are appropriately disabled if any part of their associated circuits breaks.

The DLSw standard does not specify when to establish TCP connections. The capabilities exchange allows compliance to the standard, but at different levels of support. The standard does not specify how to cache learned information about MAC addresses, RIFs, or NetBIOS names. It also does not describe how to track either capable or preferred DLSw partners for either backup or load-balancing purposes. The standard does not provide the specifics of media conversion, but leaves the details up to the implementation. It does not define how to map switch congestion to the flow control for data-link control. Finally, the MIB is documented under a separate RFC.

DLSw Version 2 Standard

In the Version 1 standard, a network design requires fully meshed connectivity so that all peers were connect to every other peer. This design creates unnecessary broadcast traffic because an explorer propagates to every peer for every broadcast.

The Version 2 standard is documented in RFC 2166. It includes RFC 1795 and adds the following enhancements:

•IP Multicast, page 282

•UDP Unicast, page 283

•Enhanced Peer-on-Demand Routing Feature, page 283

•Expedited TCP Connection, page 283

Users implement DLSw Version 2 for scalability if they are using multivendor DLSw devices with an IP multicast network. DLSw Version 2 requires complex planning because it involves configuration changes across an IP network.

IP Multicast

Multicast service avoids duplication and excessive bandwidth of broadcast traffic because it replicates and propagates messages to its multicast members only as necessary. It reduces the amount of network overhead in the following ways:

•Avoids the need to maintain TCP Switch-to-Switch Protocol (SSP) connections between two DLSw peers when no circuits are available

•Ensures that each broadcast results in only a single explorer over every link

DLSw Version 2 is for customers who run a multicast IP network and do not need the advantages of border peering.