Cisco Systems 2950, 2955 Understanding BackboneFast

15-9
Catalyst 2950 and Catalyst 2955 Switch Software Configuration Guide
OL-10101-02
Chapter 15 Configuring Optional Spanning-Tree Features
Understanding Optional Spanning-Tree Features
Figure 15-6 GigaStack GBIC Module Connections and Spanning-Tree Convergence
Understanding BackboneFast
BackboneFast detects indirect failures in the core of the backbone. BackboneFast is a complementary
technology to the UplinkFast feature, which responds to failures on links directly connected to access
switches. BackboneFast optimizes the maximum-age timer, which determines the amount of time the
switch stores protocol information received on an interface. When a switch receives an inferior BPDU
from the designated port of another switch, the BPDU is a signal that the other switch might have lost
its path to the root, and BackboneFast tries to find an alternate path to the root.
BackboneFast, which is enabled by using the spanning-tree backbonefast global configuration
command, starts when a root port or blocked port on a switch receives inferior BPDUs from its
designated switch. An inferior BPDU identifies a switch that declares itself as both the root bridge and
the designated switch. When a switch receives an inferior BPDU, it means that a link to which the switch
is not directly connected (an indirect link) has failed (that is, the designated bridge has lost its connection
Catalyst 2950G-24
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Catalyst 3500 XL
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3
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2 34 5 6 78 9 10 1112
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Catalyst 3508G XL
GigaStack GBIC connection for fast convergence
GigaStack GBIC connection for normal convergence
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2 34 5 6 78 9 10 1112 1314 1516 1718 19 20 21 22 2324
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2 34 5 6 7 8 910 1112
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Catalyst 2950G-24
Catalyst 2950G-48
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Catalyst 2950G-48
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2 34 5 6 78 9 10 1112 1314 1516 1718 1920 21 22 2324
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TUTILDUPLXSPEED
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2 34 56 7 8 910 910 910 910
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2 3 4 5 6 7 8 910 910 910 910 1
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2 34 5 6 78 9 10 1112 1314 1516 1718 1920 21 22 2324
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Catalyst 2950
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