Spanning Tree (STP) Feature Overview and Configuration Guide

Where a LAN’s topology results in more than one path existing between bridges, there is always a risk of the packet storm scenario. Therefore, network designers face a problem - multiple paths are desired for resiliency purposes, but multiple paths can lead to broadcast storms. A solution to this problem is to eliminate some physical paths from the active forwarding topology, so that the active forwarding topology has only one path between any two locations. The loop-free active forwarding topology is referred to as a Spanning Tree (STP), as it is a tree topology that spans the whole network. STP can run in one of three modes: STP, RSTP or MSTP. This guide describes and provides configuration procedures for each mode using AlliedWare Plus.