5–1
5
Applications
Overview
The EtherWORKS Switch 8T/TX provides a segmented network architecture. Any port can
be attached to a shared collision domain or provide a dedicated link to a single network
device. When a port on the switch is connected to an Ethernet hub (such as a 10 Mb/s or
100 Mb/s repeater), the bandwidth provided by that port is shared by all the devices
connected to the attached hub. When a port is connected to an end node or to a device that
divides the collision domain (such as a bridge, router, or another switch), the attached
device has access to the full bandwidth provided by that port.
DEL8X Functions
The DEL8X provides the following functions:
•
Bridging
³The fully transparent bridging functions automatically learn node
addresses, which are subsequently used to filter and forward all traffic based on the
destination address. When traffic passes between devices attached to the same shared
collision domain, those packets are filtered from the switch. When traffic must be
passed between unique segments (different ports on the switch), a temporary link is set
up between the switch ports that need to pass this traffic by using the high
²speed
switching fabric.
•
Switching
³When the switch forwards traffic, the scheme used to process data is
automatically adjusted both to enhance data integrity and optimize system
performance. Cut
²through or fragment²free cut²through switching methods are used,
depending on the current CRC error rate. (Refer to the Switching Methods section in
Chapter 1 for further information on these processing methods.)