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

CHAPTER

18-1

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Configuring Port-Based Traffic Control

This chapter describes how to configure the port-based traffic control features on the switch.

Note For complete syntax and usage information for the commands used in this chapter, see the command

reference for this release.

This chapter consists of these sections:

• Configuring Storm Control, page 18-1

• Configuring Protected Ports, page 18-5

• Configuring Port Blocking, page 18-6

• Configuring Port Security, page 18-7

• Displaying Port-Based Traffic Control Settings, page 18-17

Configuring Storm Control

These sections contain this conceptual and configuration information:

• Understanding Storm Control, page 18-1

• Default Storm Control Configuration, page 18-3

• Configuring Storm Control and Threshold Levels, page 18-3

Understanding Storm Control

Storm control prevents traffic on a LAN from being disrupted by a broadcast, multicast, or unicast storm

on one of the physical interfaces. A LAN storm occurs when packets flood the LAN, creating excessive

traffic and degrading network performance. Errors in the protocol-stack implementation, mistakes in

network configurations, or users issuing a denial-of-service attack can cause a storm.

Storm control (or traffic suppression) monitors packets passing from an interface to the switching bus

and determines if the packet is unicast, multicast, or broadcast. The switch counts the number of packets

of a specified type received within the 1-second time interval and compares the measurement with a

predefined suppression-level threshold.