3Com Switch 7750 Configuration Guide Guide

Configuring MAC Address Table Management 211
Entries in a MAC
Address Table
Entries in a MAC address table fall into the following two categories according to
their characteristics and configuration methods:
■ Static MAC address entry: Also known as permanent MAC address entry. This
type of MAC address entries are added/removed manually and can not age out
by themselves. Using static MAC address entries can reduce broadcast packets
remarkably and are suitable for networks where network devices seldom
change.
■ Dynamic MAC address entry: This type of MAC address entries age out after
the configured aging time. They are generated by the MAC address learning
mechanism or configured manually.
Table 135 lists the different types of MAC address entries and their characteristics.
Configuring MAC
Address Table
Management
MAC Address Entry
Configuration Tasks
Configuring a MAC
Address Entry
You can add, modify, or remove one MAC address entry, remove all the MAC
address entries (unicast MAC addresses only) concerning a specific port, or remove
a specific type of MAC address entries (dynamic or static).
Table 135 Characteristics of different types of MAC address entries
MAC address entry
Configuration
method
Aging time
Reserved or not at
reboot (if the
configuration is
saved)
Static MAC address
entry
Manually configured Unavailable Yes
Dynamic MAC
address entry
Manually configured
or generated by MAC
address learning
mechanism
Available No
Table 136 MAC address entry configuration tasks
Configuration task Description Related section
Configure a MAC address
entry
Required “Configuring a MAC Address Entry”
Set the aging time for MAC
addresses
Optional
“Setting the Aging Time for MAC Address
Entries”
Configure the maximum
number of MAC addresses
that a port can learn
Optional
“Setting the Maximum Number of MAC
Addresses a Port Can Learn”
Disable a port from learning
MAC addresses
Optional “Disabling MAC Address Learning”
Configure MAC address
synchronization between
board chips
Optional
“Configuring MAC Address Learning
Synchronization Between Board Chips”
Disable HiGig ports from
learning MAC addresses
Optional
“Disabling HiGig Ports from Learning MAC
Addresses”.