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Cisco IE 2000 Switch Software Configuration Guide
OL-25866-01
Chapter 20 Configuring STP
Information About Configuring STP
The switch supports the IEEE 802.1t spanning-tree extensions, and some of the bits previously used for
the switch priority are now used as the VLAN identifier. The result is that fewer MAC addresses are
reserved for the switch, and a larger range of VLAN IDs can be supported, all while maintaining the
uniqueness of the bridge ID. As shown in Table 20-1, the 2 bytes previously used for the switch priority
are reallocated into a 4-bit priority value and a 12-bit extended system ID value equal to the VLAN ID.
Spanning tree uses the extended system ID, the switch priority, and the allocated spanning-tree MAC
address to make the bridge ID unique for each VLAN.
Support for the extended system ID affects how you manually configure the root switch, the secondar y
root switch, and the switch priority of a VLAN. For example, when you c hange the switch priority value,
you change the probability that the switch will be elected as the root switch. Configuring a higher value
decreases the probability; a lower value increases the probability. For more information, see the
“Configuring the Root Switch” section on page 20-15, the “Configuring a Secondary Root Switch”
section on page 20-16, and the “Configuring Optional STP Parameters” section on page 20-17.
Spanning-Tree Interface States
Propagation delays can occur when protocol information passes through a switched LAN. As a result,
topology changes can take place at different times and at different places in a switched net work. When
an interface transitions directly from nonparticipation in the spanning-tree topology to the forwarding
state, it can create temporary data loops. Interfaces must wait for new topology information to pr opagate
through the switched LAN before starting to forward frames. They must allow the frame lifetime to
expire for forwarded frames that have used the old topology.
Each Layer 2 interface on a switch using spanning tree exists in one of these states:
• Blocking—The interface does not participate in frame forwarding.
• Listening—The first transitional state after the blocking state when the spanning tree decides that
the interface should participate in frame forwarding.
• Learning—The interface prepares to participate in frame forwarding.
• Forwarding—The interface forwards frames.
• Disabled—The interface is not participating in spanning tree because of a shutdown port, no link on
the port, or no spanning-tree instance running on the po rt.
An interface moves through these states:
• From initialization to blocking
• From blocking to listening or to disabled
• From listening to learning or to disabled
• From learning to forwarding or to disabled
• From forwarding to disabled
Tab l e 20-1 Switch Priority Value and Extended System ID
Switch Priority Value Extended System ID (Set Equal to the VLAN ID)
Bit 16 Bit 15 Bit 14 Bit 13 Bit 12 Bit 11 Bit 10 Bit 9 Bit 8 Bit 7 Bit 6 Bit 5 Bit 4 Bit 3 Bit 2 Bit 1
32768 16384 8192 4096 2048 1024 512 256 128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1