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CCNATrainingRapidSpanningTreeProtocolRSTPTutorial

Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol RSTP Tutorial

June5th,2011

Gotocomments

Note:BeforereadingthisarticleyoushouldunderstandhowSTPworks.SoifyouarenotsureaboutSTP,
pleasereadmyarticleaboutSpanningTreeProtocoltutorialfirst.
RapidSpanningTreeProtocol(RSTP)
OnebigdisadvantageofSTPisthelowconvergencewhichisveryimportantinswitchednetwork.To
overcomethisproblem,in2001,theIEEEwithdocument802.1wintroducedanevolutionoftheSpanning
TreeProtocol:RapidSpanningTreeProtocol(RSTP),whichsignificantlyreducestheconvergencetimeaftera
topologychangeoccursinthenetwork.WhileSTPcantake30to50secondstotransitfromablockingstate
toaforwardingstate,RSTPistypicallyabletorespondlessthan10secondsofaphysicallinkfailure.
RSTPworksbyaddinganalternativeportandabackupportcomparedtoSTP.Theseportsareallowedto
immediatelyentertheforwardingstateratherthanpassivelywaitforthenetworktoconverge.
RSTPbridgeportroles:
*RootportAforwardingportthatistheclosesttotherootbridgeintermsofpathcost
*DesignatedportAforwardingportforeveryLANsegment
*AlternateportAbestalternatepathtotherootbridge.Thispathisdifferentthanusingtherootport.
Thealternativeportmovestotheforwardingstateifthereisafailureonthedesignatedportforthe
segment.
*BackupportAbackup/redundantpathtoasegmentwhereanotherbridgeportalreadyconnects.The
backupportappliesonlywhenasingleswitchhastwolinkstothesamesegment(collisiondomain).Tohave
twolinkstothesamecollisiondomain,theswitchmustbeattachedtoahub.
*DisabledportNotstrictlypartofSTP,anetworkadministratorcanmanuallydisableaport
Nowletsseeanexampleofthreeswitchesbelow:

SupposealltheswitcheshavethesamebridgeprioritysotheswitchwithlowestMACaddresswillbecome
rootbridge>Sw1istherootbridgeandthereforeallofitsportswillbeDesignatedports(forwarding).
Twoportsfa0/0onSw2&Sw3areclosesttotherootbridge(intermsofpathcost)sotheywillbecomeroot
ports.
OnthesegmentbetweenSw2andSw3,becauseSw2haslowerMACthanSw3soitwilladvertisebetter
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BPDUonthissegment>fa0/1ofSw2willbeDesignatedportandfa0/1ofSw3willbeAlternativeport.

Nowforthetwoportsconnectingtothehub,weknowthattherewillhaveonlyoneDesignatedportfor
eachsegment(noticethatthetwoportsfa0/2&fa0/3ofSw2areonthesamesegmentastheyare
connectedtoahub).TheotherportwillbeBackupportaccordingtothedefinitionofBackupportabove.But
howdoesSw2selectitsDesignatedandBackupport?Thedecisionprocessinvolvesthefollowingparameters
insidetheBPDU:
*LowestpathcosttotheRoot
*LowestSenderBridgeID(BID)
*LowestPortID
Well,bothfa0/2&fa0/3ofSw2hasthesamepathcosttotherootandsenderbridgeIDsothethird
parameterlowestportIDwillbeused.Becausefa0/2isinferiortofa0/3,Sw2willselectfa0/2asits
Designatedport.

Note:AlternativePortandBackupPortareindiscardingstate.
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RSTPPortStates:
ThereareonlythreeportstatesleftinRSTPthatcorrespondtothethreepossibleoperationalstates.The
802.1Ddisabled,blocking,andlisteningstatesaremergedintothe802.1wdiscardingstate.
*Discardingtheportdoesnotforwardframes,processreceivedframes,orlearnMACaddressesbutit
doeslistenforBPDUs(liketheSTPblockingstate)
*LearningreceivesandtransmitsBPDUsandlearnsMACaddressesbutdoesnotyetforwardframes
(sameasSTP).
*Forwardingreceivesandsendsdata,normaloperation,learnsMACaddress,receivesandtransmits
BPDUs(sameasSTP).

STPState(802.1d)

RSTPState(802.1w)

Blocking

Discarding

Listening

Discarding

Learning

Learning

Forwarding

Forwarding

Disabled

Discarding

AlthoughthelearningstateisalsousedinRSTPbutitonlytakesplaceforashorttimeascomparedtoSTP.
RSTPconvergeswithallportseitherinforwardingstateordiscardingstate.
RSTPQuickSummary:
RSTPprovidesfasterconvergencethan802.1DSTPwhentopologychangesoccur.
*RSTPdefinesthreeportstates:discarding,learning,andforwarding.
*RSTPdefinesfiveportroles:root,designated,alternate,backup,anddisabled.
Note:RSTPisbackwardcompatiblewithlegacySTP802.1D.IfaRSTPenabledportreceivesa(legacy)
802.1dBPDU,itwillautomaticallyconfigureitselftobehavelikealegacyport.Itsendsandreceives802.1d
BPDUsonly.

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