User`s guide

Configuring
3-3
As a bridge reads addresses from the packets it processes, it builds
an address table. In this way, it learns the addresses of connected
devices. New devices can be added to the network, addresses can
be changed, and devices can be removed from the network,
without reconfiguring the bridge.
3.1.1 Enabling Bridging Functions
The bridging functions you can enable for the ATX include:
• Transparent – End nodes take no part in routing; thus, a
transparent bridge places no burden on end nodes.
• Source Routing – IBM Source Routing requires source stations
to provide routing information within each data frame. Routing
intelligence is therefore required at each end node in a Token
Ring network.
• Source Routing Transparent – A source routing transparent
bridge can forward both source routing and transparent data
packets. It provides a uniform bridging standard for Ethernet,
Token Ring, and FDDI networks.
• Off – no bridging at all.
Note: If any function other than off is selected, then noBPDU may be
specified after the function. A BPDU is a packet the Spanning Tree
Protocol uses to communicate with other Spanning Tree compatible
devices. Suppressing BPDUs may prevent interoperability
problems with bridges that don’t conform to the Spanning Tree
Protocol. However, it will flood the networks with repetitions of
packets if there is a loop. (A loop occurs if a network is connected by
multiple bridges back to itself.)
To use LCM to enable bridging functions for a port or port range,
starting from the LCM prompt:
1. Type: bridge <port range> <functions>
For example, bridge 2 srt would enable source routing