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Catalyst 2940 Switch Software Configuration Guide
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Chapter12 Configuring Optional Spanning-Tree Features
Understanding Optional Spanning-Tree Features
If the switch detects a misconfiguration on the other device, EtherChannel guard places the switch
interfaces in the error-disabled state, and this error message appears:
PM-4-ERR_DISABLE: Channel-misconfig error detected on [chars], putting [chars] in
err-disable state.
If your switch is running PVST+, you can enable this feature by using the spanning-tree etherchannel
guard misconfig global configuration command.
Understanding Root Guard
The Layer 2 network of a service provider (SP) can include many connections to switches that are not
owned by the SP. In such a topology, the spanning tree can reconfigure itself and select a customer switch
as the root switch, as shown in Figure 12-8. You can avoid this situation by enabling root guard on SP
switch interfaces that connect to switches in your customer’s network. If spanning-tree calculations
cause an interface in the customer network to be selected as the root port, root guard then plac es the
interface in the root-inconsistent (blocked) state to prevent the customer’s switch from becoming the
root switch or being in the path to the root.
If a switch outside the SP network becomes the root switch, the interface is blocked (root-inconsistent
state), and spanning tree selects a new root switch. The customer’s switch does not become the root
switch and is not in the path to the root.
Root guard enabled on an interface applies to all the VLANs to which the interface belongs.
If your switch is running PVST+, you can enable this feature by using the spanning-tree guard root
interface configuration command.
Caution Misuse of the root-guard feature can cause a loss of connectivity.
Figure 12-8 Root Guard in a Service-Provider Network
Customer network
Potential
spanning-tree root without
root guard enabled
Enable the root-guard feature
on these interfaces to prevent
switches in the customer
network from becoming
the root switch or being
in the path to the root.
Desired
root switch
Service-provider network
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