Managing Switches

Configuring Switch Features

 

Figure 13-8. Class of Service showing the IP Address Priority Page

 

 

N o t e

The Quality of Service features available in HP TopTools for Hubs & Switches

 

includes the ability to set up consistent traffic prioritization (Class of Service)

 

policies across the Procurve switches in your network. The Class of Service

 

features can also be configured on an individual switch using the switch's

 

console or web browser interface. HP Procurve documentation uses Quality

 

of Service (QoS) to refer to HP TopTools (network-wide) prioritization, and

 

Class of Service (CoS) to refer to prioritization configured on an individual

 

switch (using the switch's web browser or console interface).

 

Using VLANs to Maximize the CoS Benefit

 

 

Without an 802.1Q tagged VLAN environment, CoS can prioritize only the

 

movement of outbound traffic through individual Procurve switches in your

 

network. Using 802.1Q tagged VLANs provides the maximum advantage by

 

allowing CoS to set priorities that are supported by downstream devices. This

 

means that CoS can support improved performance for present traffic levels

 

as well as future traffic growth while optimizing the use of existing resources

 

and delaying the need for further investments in equipment and services. That

 

is, CoS enables you to:

 

Specify which traffic in the switch has higher or lower priority, regardless

 

of current network bandwidth or the relative priority setting of the traffic

 

when it is received on the switch.

 

Change (upgrade or downgrade) the priority of outbound traffic.

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