Spanning-Tree Address Management; Accelerated Aging To Retain Connectivity - Cisco WS-CBS3032-DEL Software Configuration Manual

Chapter 18 Configuring STP
Figure 18-4
You can also create redundant links between switches by using EtherChannel groups. For more
information, see

Spanning-Tree Address Management

IEEE 802.1D specifies 17 multicast addresses, ranging from 0x00180C2000000 to 0x0180C2000010, to
be used by different bridge protocols. These addresses are static addresses that cannot be removed.
Regardless of the spanning-tree state, each switch in the stack receives but does not forward packets
destined for addresses between 0x0180C2000000 and 0x0180C200000F.
If spanning tree is enabled, the CPU on the switch or on each switch in the stack receives packets
destined for 0x0180C2000000 and 0x0180C2000010. If spanning tree is disabled, the switch or each
switch in the stack forwards those packets as unknown multicast addresses.

Accelerated Aging to Retain Connectivity

The default for aging dynamic addresses is 5 minutes, the default setting of the mac address-table
aging-time global configuration command. However, a spanning-tree reconfiguration can cause many
station locations to change. Because these stations could be unreachable for 5 minutes or more during a
reconfiguration, the address-aging time is accelerated so that station addresses can be dropped from the
address table and then relearned. The accelerated aging is the same as the forward-delay parameter value
(spanning-tree vlan vlan-id forward-time seconds global configuration command) when the spanning
tree reconfigures.
Because each VLAN is a separate spanning-tree instance, the switch accelerates aging on a per-VLAN
basis. A spanning-tree reconfiguration on one VLAN can cause the dynamic addresses learned on that
VLAN to be subject to accelerated aging. Dynamic addresses on other VLANs can be unaffected and
remain subject to the aging interval entered for the switch.
OL-13270-06
Spanning Tree and Redundant Connectivity
Active link
Blocked link
Chapter 38, "Configuring EtherChannels and Link-State Tracking."
Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3130 and 3032 for Dell Software Configuration Guide
Understanding Spanning-Tree Features
Blade servers
18-9