Spanning Tree - HP 1820 Management And Configuration Manual

Switching Features

Spanning Tree

Spanning Tree
Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) is a Layer 2 protocol that provides a tree topology for switches on a bridged LAN.
STP allows a network to have redundant paths without the risk of network loops. STP uses the spanning-tree
algorithm to provide a single path between end stations on a network. When STP is enabled, bridges on a network
exchange bridge protocol data units (BPDUs) to communicate changes in the network topology and to provide
information that helps determine the optimal paths between network segments.
HP 1820 series switches support STP versions IEEE 802.1D (STP), and 802.1w (Rapid STP, or RSTP). RSTP
reduces the convergence time for network topology changes to about 3 to 5 seconds from the 30 seconds or
more for the IEEE 802.1D STP standard. RSTP is intended as a complete replacement for STP, but can still
interoperate with switches running the STP protocol by automatically reconfiguring ports to STP-compliant
mode if they detect STP protocol messages from attached devices.
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