Switch Meshing

Operating Notes for Switch Meshing

Switch

2

Switch

Switch

1

3

Switch

 

Switch

5

 

4

 

 

 

Figure 14-21. Example of the Maximum Meshed Switch Hop Count

Connecting Mesh Domains: To connect two separate switch meshing domains, you must use non-meshed ports. (The non-meshed link can be a port trunk or a single link.) Refer to figure 14-3on page 14-7.

Fast EtherChannel® (FEC): This cannot be configured on a meshed port. (You can configure FEC on non-meshed ports in a switch that also has meshed ports.)

Multiple Links Between Meshed Switches: Multiple mesh ports can be connected between the same two switches, to provide higher band- width. Each port that you want in the mesh domain should be configured as Mesh (and not as a trunk—Trk). Note that if you configure a port as Mesh, there is no “Type” selection for that port.

Automatic Broadcast Control: Series 5300XL switches do not offer this feature. Thus, in a switch mesh comprised of Series 5300XL switches and any of the 1600M/2400M/2424M/4000M/8000M switches, ABC must be disabled (the default setting) on the 1600M/2400M/2424M/4000M/8000M switches.

Network Monitor Port: If a network monitor port is configured, broadcast packets may be duplicated on this port if more than one port is being monitored and switch meshing is enabled.

Compatibility with Older Switches: Each entry in a Series 5300XL switch MAC-address table consists of a MAC address and a VLAN ID (VID). In older switches there is no VID; just a MAC address. The older switches will therefore see indistinguishable, duplicate addresses where the Series 5300XL switches will see multiple different addresses consist­ ing on the same MAC address and different VIDs. In a switch mesh that includes any 1600M/2400M/2424M/4000M/8000M switches, duplicate MAC addresses entering the mesh on different switches are not allowed. (These older switches do not recognize multiple instances of a particular MAC address on different VLANs.) If you try to add one of these switches to a mesh comprised entirely of Series 5300XL switches, and any of the

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