Cisco Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module for HP p-Class BladeSystem Software Configuration Guide

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Chapter 1 Overview

Features

• Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) and LLDP Media Endpoint Discovery (LLDP-MED) for

interoperability with third-party IP phonesNetwork Time Protocol (NTP) for providing a consistent

time stamp to all switches from an external source

• Cisco IOS File System (IFS) for providing a single interface to all file systems that the switch uses

• Configuration logging to log and to view changes to the switch configuration

• Unique device identifier to provide product identification information through a show inventory

user EXEC command display

• In-band management access through the device manager over a Netscape Navigator or Microsoft

Internet Explorer browser session

• In-band management access for up to 16 simultaneous Telnet connections for multiple CLI-based

sessions over the network

• In-band management access for up to five simultaneous, encrypted Secure Shell (SSH) connections

for multiple CLI-based sessions over the network (requires the cryptographic version of the

software)

• In-band management access through SNMP Versions 1, 2c, and 3 get and set requests

• Out-of-band management access through the switch console port to a directly attached terminal or

to a remote terminal through a serial connection or a modem

• Secure Copy Protocol (SCP) feature to provide a secure and authenticated method for copying

switch configuration or switch image files (requires the cryptographic versions of the software IP

base and IP services images)(requires the cryptographic version of the software)

Note For additional descriptions of the management interfaces, see the “Design Concepts for Using the

Switch” section on page 1-12.

Availability and Redundancy Features

These are the availability and redundancy features:

• UniDirectional Link Detection (UDLD) and aggressive UDLD for detecting and disabling

unidirectional links on fiber-optic interfaces caused by incorrect fiber-optic wiring or port faults

• IEEE 802.1D Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) for redundant backbone connections and loop-free

networks. STP has these features:

–

Up to 128 spanning-tree instances supported

–

Per-VLAN spanning-tree plus (PVST+) for load balancing across VLANs

–

Rapid PVST+ for load balancing across VLANs and providing rapid convergence of

spanning-tree instances

–

UplinkFast and BackboneFast for fast convergence after a spanning-tree topology change and

for achieving load balancing between redundant uplinks, including Gigabit uplinks

• IEEE 802.1s Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol (MSTP) for grouping VLANs into a spanning-tree

instance and for providing multiple forwarding paths for data traffic and load balancing and rapid

per-VLAN Spanning-Tree plus (rapid-PVST+) based on the IEEE 802.1w Rapid Spanning Tree

Protocol (RSTP) for rapid convergence of the spanning tree by immediately changing root and

designated ports to the forwarding state