BPDU & Root Guard
A switch utilizes a cache of MAC addresses linked to each
port to efficiently forward traffic, but when this cache is updated (like
during topology changes in STP), it may need to "flood" unicast
frames to all ports if it doesn't know the correct destination port,
potentially impacting network performance; to mitigate this, configure access
ports (connecting directly to host devices) with features like
"PortFast" on Cisco switches to exclude them from topology change
notifications, minimizing unnecessary flooding of unicast traffic.
A switch stores MAC addresses associated with each port
to quickly direct traffic.
When a switch doesn't know the correct port for a destination MAC address, it sends the frame to all ports, even if it's a unicast frame.
Frequent changes in network topology, especially with
Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP), can cause the switch to frequently update
its MAC address cache, leading to more flooding.
On Cisco switches, configure "PortFast" on
access ports to prevent them from participating in topology change
notifications, reducing unnecessary flooding.
Similar functionality on non-Cisco switches is often
referred to as "edgeport".
If a port configured with PortFast receives a Bridge
Protocol Data Unit (BPDU), which is expected on switch-to-switch links, it
disables the port to prevent misconfiguration.
Drops all BPDUs on a port, useful for links between
separate switching domains.
Prevents a switch connected to a specific port from
becoming the root bridge in the Spanning Tree network, ensuring that only
designated "core" switches can be the root.
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