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Catalyst2950 and Catalyst2955 Switch Software Configuration Guide
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Chapter16 Configuring Optional Spanning-Tree Features
Configuring Optional Spanning-Tree Features
Figure 16-10Root Guard in a Ser vice-Provider Network

Understanding Loop Guard

You can use loop guard to prevent alternate or root ports from becoming designated ports b eca use o f a
failure that leads to a unidirectional link. This feature is most effective when it is conf igured on th e entire
switched network.
You can enable this feature by using the spanning-tree loopguard default global configuration
command.
When the switch is operating in PVST+ or rapid-PVST+ mode, loop gu ard prevents alter nate a nd root
ports from becoming designated ports, and spanning tree does not send BPDUs on root or alternate ports.
When the switch is operating in MST mode, BPDUs are not sent on nonboundary ports only if th e p ort
is blocked by loop guard in all MST instances. On a boundary port, loop guard bloc ks the port in all MST
instances.
Configuring Optional Spanning-Tree Features
These sections describe how to configure optional spanning-tree feature s:
Default Optional Spanning-Tree Configuration, page 16-13
Optional Spanning-Tree Configuration Guidelines, page 16-13
Enabling Port Fast, page 16-13 (optional)
Enabling BPDU Guard, page 16-14 (optional)
Enabling BPDU Filtering, page 16-15 (optional)
Enabling UplinkFast for Use with Redundant Links, page 16 -1 6 ( optional)
Enabling Cross-Stack UplinkFast, page 16-17 (optional)
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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