HP procurve 8000M User Manual page 3

Page 6-38; Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) Fast Mode. STP convergence time can take up to 30
seconds. During this time, end nodes that detect a network connection and are configured to
automatically try to access a network server may fail to establish a server connection. (This can occur
if server access is attempted while the switch port is negotiating its STP state.) To support end nodes
attempting this automatic access, the switch offers a Fast mode configuration option that causes the
switch port to skip the standard STP startup sequence and put the port directly into the ''Forwarding''
state, thus allowing the server access request to be forwarded when the end node needs it.
Caution
Fast mode should be used only on switch ports connected to end nodes. Using Fast on ports
connected to hubs, other switches, or routers may cause loops in your network that STP may
not be able to immediately detect. (However, after the Fast startup sequence, the switch
ports operate according to the STP standard, and will adjust their state to eliminate any
continuing network loops.)
The STP Mode Option
(Default: Norm)
Example of the Console STP Screen with Fast Mode Configured on Port A1
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