SMC Networks SMC7816M, SMC7816VSW T, A, 12-2

S PANNING T REE A LGORITHM
12-2
Once a stable network topology has been established, all bridges listen for
Hello BPDUs (Bridge Protocol Data Units) transmitted from the Root
Bridge. If a bridge does not get a Hello BPDU after a predefined interval
(Maximum Age), the bridge assumes that the link to the Root Bridge is
down. This bridge will then initiate negotiations with other bridges to
reconfigure the network to reestablish a valid network topology.
RSTP – RSTP is designed as a general replacement for the slower, legacy
STP. RSTP is also incorporated into MSTP. RSTP achieves must faster
reconfiguration (i.e., around 1 to 3 seconds, compared to 30 seconds or
more for STP) by reducing the number of state changes before active ports
start learning, predefining an alternate route that can be used when a node
or port fails, and retaining the forwarding database for ports insensitive to
changes in the tree structure when reconfiguration occurs.
MSTP – When using STP or RSTP, it may be difficult to maintain a stable
path between all VLAN members. Frequent changes in the tree structure
can easily isolate some of the group members. MSTP (which is based on
RSTP for fast convergence) is designed to support independent spa nning
trees based on VLAN groups. Using multiple spanning trees can provide
multiple forwarding paths and enable load balancing. One or more VLANs
can be grouped into a Multiple Spanning Tree Instance (MSTI). MSTP
builds a separate Multiple Spanning Tree (MST) for each instance to