Design Reference

Table Of Contents
Chapter 9: Spanning tree
Spanning tree prevents loops in switched networks. Virtual Services Platform 4000 supports Rapid
Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) and Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol (MSTP). This section describes
issues to consider when you configure spanning tree protocols.
For more information about spanning tree protocols, see Avaya Virtual Services Platform 4000
Configuration — VLANs and Spanning Tree, NN46251-500.
Spanning tree and protection against isolated VLANs
Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) isolation disrupts packet forwarding.
Figure 13: VLAN
isolation on page 52 shows the problem. Two VLANs (V1 and V2) connect four devices, and
both VLANs are in the same STG. V2 includes three of the four devices, whereas V1 includes
all four devices. After a spanning tree protocol detects a loop, it blocks the link with the highest
link cost. In this case, the 100 Mbit/s link is blocked, which isolates a device in V2. To avoid
this problem, either configure V2 on all four devices or use MSTP with a different Multiple
Spanning Tree Instance (MSTI) for each VLAN.
Network Design Reference for Avaya VSP 4000 February 2014 51