Optimizing Traffic Flow with Port Controls, Port Trunking, and Filters

Port Trunking

Spanning Tree: Spanning Tree operates as a global setting on the switch (one instance of Spanning Tree per switch). However, you can adjust Spanning Tree parameters on a per-port basis. A static trunk of any type appears in the Spanning Tree configuration display, and you can configure Spanning Tree parameters for a static trunk in the same way that you would configure Spanning Tree parameters on a non-trunked port. (Note that the switch lists the trunk by name—such as Trk1—and does not list the individual ports in the trunk.) For example, if ports C1 and C2 are configured as a static trunk named Trk1, they are listed in the Spanning Tree display as Trk1 and do not appear as individual ports in the Spanning Tree displays.

In this example showing part of the show spanning- tree listing, ports C1 and C2 are members of TRK1 and do not appear as individual ports in the port configuration part of the listing.

When Spanning Tree forwards on a trunk, all ports in the trunk will be forwarding. Conversely, when Spanning Tree blocks a trunk, all ports in the trunk are blocked.

Note: A dynamic LACP trunk operates only with the default Spanning Tree settings and does not appear in the Spanning Tree configuration display or show ip igmp listing.

If you remove a port from a static trunk, the port retains the same Spanning Tree settings that were configured for the trunk.

IP Multicast Protocol (IGMP): A static trunk of any type appears in the IGMP configuration display, and you can configure IGMP for a static trunk in the same way that you would configure IGMP on a non-trunked port. (Note that the switch lists the trunk by name—such as Trk1—and does not list the individual ports in the trunk.) Also, creating a new trunk automatically places the trunk in IGMP Auto status if IGMP is enabled for the default VLAN. A dynamic LACP trunk operates only with the default IGMP settings and does not appear in the IGMP configuration display or show ip igmp listing.

VLANs: Creating a new trunk automatically places the trunk in the DEFAULT_VLAN, regardless of whether the ports in the trunk were in another VLAN. Similarly, removing a port from a trunk group automatically places the port in the default VLAN. You can configure a static trunk in the same way that you configure a port for membership in any VLAN.

Note: For a dynamic trunk to operate in a VLAN other than the default VLAN (DEFAULT_VLAN), GVRP must be enabled. See “Trunk Group Operation Using LACP” on page 9-25.

Port Security: Trunk groups (and their individual ports) cannot be configured for port security, and the switch excludes trunked ports from the show port-securitylisting. If you configure non-default port security settings for a port, then subsequently try to place the port in a trunk, you will see the following message and the command will not be executed:

<port-list > Command cannot operate over a logical port.

Monitor Port:

Note: A trunk cannot be a monitor port. A monitor port can monitor a static trunk but cannot monitor a dynamic LACP trunk.

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