Administrator Guide

Port Extenders (PEs)
IEEE 802.1BR
The IEEE 802.1BR protocol allows a controlling bridge to use IEEE LAN technologies to discover and manage port extenders.
The following illustration shows how a controlling bridge connects through an automatically established port channel (auto-LAG) to an
uplink port on one or more port extenders.
Figure 107. Controlling Bridge with Port Extenders
1.
Controlling Bridge (C9010) 2. Cascade ports on controlling bridge
3. 10GbE uplink ports on PEs 4. Standalone PE
5. PE stack 6. Cable connections in a ring topology
802.1BR Terms and Definitions
The 802.1BR protocol uses the following terms to describe the operation of a controlling bridge and attached port extenders.
802.1BR Term
Definition
Cascade port A port on a controlling bridge or bridge port extender that connects to an upstream port. In the case of the
connection between two bridge port extenders, the cascade port is the port closest to the controlling bridge.
Controlling bridge A bridge that supports one or more bridge port extenders.
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664 Port Extenders (PEs)