Lldp Overview - Lenovo ThinkSystem NE2552E Application Manual

LLDP Overview

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NE2552E Application Guide for ENOS 8.4
Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) is an IEEE 802.1AB‐2005 standard for
discovering and managing network devices. LLDP uses Layer 2 (the data link
layer), and allows network management applications to extend their awareness of
the network by discovering devices that are direct neighbors of already known
devices.
With LLDP, the NE2552E can advertise the presence of its ports, their major
capabilities, and their current status to other LLDP stations in the same LAN.
LLDP transmissions occur on ports at regular intervals or whenever there is a
relevant change to their status. The switch can also receive LLDP information
advertised from adjacent LLDP‐capable network devices.
In addition to discovery of network resources, and notification of network changes,
LLDP can help administrators quickly recognize a variety of common network
configuration problems, such as unintended VLAN exclusions or mis‐matched
port aggregation membership.
The LLDP transmit function and receive function can be independently configured
on a per‐port basis. The administrator can allow any given port to transmit only,
receive only, or both transmit and receive LLDP information.
The LLDP information to be distributed by the NE2552E ports, and that which has
been collected from other LLDP stations, is stored in the switch's Management
Information Base (MIB). Network Management Systems (NMS) can use Simple
Network Management Protocol (SNMP) to access this MIB information.
LLDP‐related MIB information is read‐only.
Changes, either to the local switch LLDP information or to the remotely received
LLDP information, are flagged within the MIB for convenient tracking by
SNMP‐based management systems.
For LLDP to provide expected benefits, all network devices that support LLDP
should be consistent in their LLDP configuration.