H3C LS-3100-52P-OVS-H3 Operation Manual page 244

Figure 1-3 The final calculated spanning tree
The spanning tree calculation process in this example is only simplified process.
The BPDU forwarding mechanism in STP
Upon network initiation, every switch regards itself as the root bridge, generates configuration
BPDUs with itself as the root, and sends the configuration BPDUs at a regular hello interval.
If it is the root port that received a configuration BPDU and the received configuration BPDU is
superior to the configuration BPDU of the port, the device increases the message age carried in the
configuration BPDU following a certain rule and starts a timer to time the configuration BPDU while
sending out this configuration BPDU through the designated port.
If the configuration BPDU received on a designated port has a lower priority than the configuration
BPDU of the local port, the port immediately sends out its own configuration BPDU in response.
If a path becomes faulty, the root port on this path will no longer receive new configuration BPDUs
and the old configuration BPDUs will be discarded due to timeout. In this case, the device will
generate a configuration BPDU with itself as the root and send out the BPDUs and TCN BPDUs.
This triggers a new spanning tree calculation process to establish a new path to restore the
network connectivity.
However, the newly calculated configuration BPDU will not be propagated throughout the network
immediately, so the old root ports and designated ports that have not detected the topology change
continue forwarding data along the old path. If the new root ports and designated ports begin to forward
data as soon as they are elected, a temporary loop may occur.
STP timers
STP calculation involves three important timing parameters: forward delay, hello time, and max age.
Forward delay is the delay time for device state transition.
A path failure can cause spanning tree re-calculation to adapt the spanning tree structure to the change.
However, the resulting new configuration BPDU cannot propagate throughout the network immediately.
If the newly elected root ports and designated ports start to forward data right away, a temporary loop is
likely to occur.
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