Chapter 22: Spanning Tree and Rapid Spanning Tree Protocols
246
Section V: Spanning Tree Protocols
Spanning Tree and VLANs
The spanning tree implementation in the AT-S63 Management Software is
a single-instance spanning tree. The switch supports just one spanning
tree. You cannot define multiple spanning trees.
The single spanning tree encompasses all ports on the switch. If the ports
are divided into different VLANs, the spanning tree crosses the VLAN
boundaries. This point can pose a problem in networks containing multiple
VLANs that span different switches and are connected with untagged
ports. In this situation, STP blocks a data link because it detects a data
loop. This can cause fragmentation of your VLANs.
This issue is illustrated in Figure 25. Two VLANs, Sales and Production,
span two AT-9400 Switches. Two links consisting of untagged ports
connect the separate parts of each VLAN. If STP or RSTP is activated on
the switches, one of the links is disabled. In the example, the port on the
top switch that links the two parts of the Production VLAN is changed to
the block state. This leaves the two parts of the Production VLAN unable
to communicate with each other.
Figure 25. VLAN Fragmentation
You can avoid this problem by not activating spanning tree or by
connecting VLANs using tagged instead of untagged ports. (For
information on tagged and untagged ports, refer to Chapter 24, “Port-
based and Tagged VLANs” on page 269.)
Sales
VLAN
Production
VLAN
Production
VLAN
Sales
VLAN
Blocked Port
Blocked Data Link
FAULT
RPS
MASTER
POWER
CLASS 1
LASER PRODUCT
STATUS
TERMINAL
PORT
1
3
5
7
9
11
2
4
6
8
10
12
13
15
17
19
21
23R
14
16
18
20
22
24R
AT-9424T/SP
Gigabit Ethernet Switch
1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
17
19
21
23R
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
24R
23
24
L/A
D/C
D/C
L/A
D/C
L/A
1000 LINK / ACT
HDX / COL
FDX
10/100 LINK / ACT
PORT ACTIVITY
L/A
1000 LINK / ACT
SFP
SFP
24
SFP
23
FAULT
RPS
MASTER
POWER
CLASS 1
LASER PRODUCT
STATUS
TERMINAL
PORT
1
3
5
7
9
11
2
4
6
8
10
12
13
15
17
19
21
23R
14
16
18
20
22
24R
AT-9424T/SP
Gigabit Ethernet Switch
1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
17
19
21
23R
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
24R
23
24
L/A
D/C
D/C
L/A
D/C
L/A
1000 LINK / ACT
HDX / COL
FDX
10/100 LINK / ACT
PORT ACTIVITY
L/A
1000 LINK / ACT
SFP
SFP
24
SFP
23
Summary of Contents for AT-S63
Page 14: ...Figures 14 ...
Page 18: ...Tables 18 ...
Page 28: ...28 Section I Basic Operations ...
Page 58: ...Chapter 1 Overview 58 ...
Page 76: ...Chapter 2 AT 9400Ts Stacks 76 Section I Basic Operations ...
Page 96: ...Chapter 5 MAC Address Table 96 Section I Basic Operations ...
Page 114: ...Chapter 8 Port Mirror 114 Section I Basic Operations ...
Page 116: ...116 Section II Advanced Operations ...
Page 146: ...Chapter 12 Access Control Lists 146 Section II Advanced Operations ...
Page 176: ...Chapter 14 Quality of Service 176 Section II Advanced Operations ...
Page 196: ...196 Section III Snooping Protocols ...
Page 204: ...Chapter 18 Multicast Listener Discovery Snooping 204 Section III Snooping Protocols ...
Page 216: ...Chapter 20 Ethernet Protection Switching Ring Snooping 216 Section III Snooping Protocols ...
Page 218: ...218 Section IV SNMPv3 ...
Page 234: ...234 Section V Spanning Tree Protocols ...
Page 268: ...268 Section VI Virtual LANs ...
Page 306: ...Chapter 27 Protected Ports VLANs 306 Section VI Virtual LANs ...
Page 320: ...320 Section VII Internet Protocol Routing ...
Page 360: ...Chapter 30 BOOTP Relay Agent 360 Section VII Routing ...
Page 370: ...Chapter 31 Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol 370 Section VII Routing ...
Page 372: ...372 Section VIII Port Security ...
Page 402: ...Chapter 33 802 1x Port based Network Access Control 402 Section VIII Port Security ...
Page 404: ...404 Section IX Management Security ...
Page 436: ...Chapter 36 PKI Certificates and SSL 436 Section IX Management Security ...
Page 454: ...Chapter 38 TACACS and RADIUS Protocols 454 Section IX Management Security ...
Page 462: ...Chapter 39 Management Access Control List 462 Section IX Management Security ...
Page 532: ...Appendix D MIB Objects 532 ...