Description of Software Features

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Traffic Prioritization – This switch prioritizes each packet based on the required
level of service, using four priority queues with strict or Weighted Round Robin
Queuing. It uses IEEE 802.1p and 802.1Q tags to prioritize incoming traffic based on
input from the end-station application. These functions can
be used to provide
independent priorities for delay-sensitive data and best-effort data.
This switch also supports several common methods of prioritizing layer 3/4 traffic to
meet application requirements. Traffic can be prioritized based on the priority bits in
the IP frame’s Type of Service (ToS) octet or the number of the TCP/UDP port.
When these services are enabled, the priorities are mapped to a Class of Service
value by the switch, and the traffic then sent to the corresponding output queue.
Quality of Service – Differentiated Services (DiffServ) provides policy-based
management mechanisms used for prioritizing network resources to meet the
requirements of specific traffic types on a per-hop basis. Each packet is classified
upon entry into the network based on access lists, IP Precedence or DSCP values,
or VLAN lists. Using access lists allows you select traffic based on Layer 2, Layer 3,
or Layer 4 information contained in each packet. Based on network policies, different
kinds of traffic can be marked for different kinds of forwarding.
Multicast Filtering – Specific multicast traffic can be assigned to its own VLAN to
ensure that it does not interfere with normal network traffic and to guarantee
real-time delivery by setting the required priority level for the designated VLAN. The
switch uses IGMP Snooping and Query to manage multicast group registration. It
also supports Multicast VLAN Registration (MVR) which allows common multicast
traffic, such as television channels, to be transmitted across a single network-wide
multicast VLAN shared by hosts residing in other standard or private VLAN groups,
while preserving security and data isolation for normal traffic.
IEEE 802.1Q Tunneling (QinQ) – This feature is designed for service providers
carrying traffic for multiple customers across their networks. QinQ tunneling is used
to maintain customer-specific VLAN and Layer 2 protocol configurations even when
different customers use the same internal VLAN IDs. This is accomplished by
inserting Service Provider VLAN (SPVLAN) tags into the customer’s frames when
they enter the service provider’s network, and then stripping the tags when the
frames leave the network.