RAPID STP (RSTP)

IEEE 802.1W
BIBLIOGRAPHY

W. Wojdak , “Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol: A new solution from an old

technology” CompactPCI Systems -2003 (PDF available at the course’s website)

“Understanding Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (802.1w)”, Cisco White paper

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 RAPID SPANNING TREE PROTOCOL (RSTP) IEEE 802.1W
01 02
111 Blocked
111,0
03 04
Designated
Port-ID
01 02 01 02 Root
222 333 Bridge-ID
Cost
111,10 111,10
03 04 03 04 Edge
Root-ID

01 02
444 RSTP goal = improve the tree
reconfiguration time
111,20
03 04
STP à seconds … one minute
RSTP à less than 1 sec … few sec.
Figure 1 3
 PORT STATUS & ROLE: DIFFERENCES

Port role
STP RSTP
backup
Root port same
Designated port same
Blocking port Backup or Alternate alternate alternate

“RSTP splits the Blocking Port role into Towards the top hierarchy in the tree
Backup and Alternate port roles” (alternative root port)
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 BACKUP VS ALTERNATE PORTS
01 02

111 Root
111,0
03 04

01 02 Alternate Port

222
111,10
03 04
Backup Port

Figure 3 Figure 4
5
DETERMINING PORT STATES
¡ Once the RSTP algorithm converges to a steady-state, mapping messages
(BPDUs) to port states can be done as follows:
On each bridge do:
If my Bridge ID is the lowest à I am the root and all my ports are “designated”
(Exception: more than one port connected to the same LAN à Higher port
numbers are blocked and become backup ports)
Remaining bridges:
- the port where the best message is received becomes the root port
- those ports where my Tx message is better than the messages received on
that port become designated
- the remaining ports are blocked, and are classified as follows:
- If better messages are received from another bridge, the port assumes the role of
alternate port
- If better messages are received from the same bridge, the port assumes the role of
backup port

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DETERMINING PORT STATES

¡ The code equivalent to the previous pseudo-algorithm is the following:

For each port p do:

IF [ ( cost(Best_rx_messagep) < cost(Tx_messagep) )
&& ( Best_rx_messagep < Best_rx_messageall_ports ) ] {
State_portp = root port / forwarding
} ELSE IF [Tx_messagep < Best_rx_messagep ] {
State_portp = designated port / forwarding
} ELSE IF [ ( bridge_id(Best_rx_messagep) ≠ MY_BRIDGE_ID ) ] {
State_portp = alternate port / blocked
} ELSE { State_portp = backup port / blocked }

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DETERMINING PORT STATES

¡ Example:
Switch ID
A
Port # 1 2 3 4 5
Exercise:
Indicate the role of all ports
in steady-state.

1 2 1 2 3 4

C B
3 4 5 6

1 2

1 2

D
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 BPDU FORMAT
The STP BPDUs use only two flags:
Topology Change (TC) and TC Acknowledgement (TCA).

RSTP uses six additional bits to encode the role and the
Configuration state of the port originating the BPDU, and two flags to handle the
msg proposal/agreement mechanism.
Protocol identifier 0
version 0à 2
menssage type X à Only the configuration message exists
TCA, reserved, TC
root-ID
cost
bridge-ID
port-ID
message age
max. Age
hello time 00 Unknown
forward delay 01 Alternate/Backup port
10 Root port
11 Designated port

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STP – RSTP: OPERATIVE DIFFERENCES

q Based on timers q SYN handshake

q Does not exchange the port role/ q Backup -- Alternate
status with the neighbors

q Loss of connection towards the Root

q Loss of connection towards the Root
3 consecutive Hello messages (3x2 sec)
Max Age (typ. 20 sec) If point-to-point hardware-level detection
(link test pulse) (50-150 msec) (VTC)

q Topology changes
q Topology changes 1) TC in BPDU to neighbors (flooding)
1) TC to Root and from Root to 2) No TimeOut à immediate delete
leaves (sec) 3) Alternate à immediate root port
2) Short timeout (+sec)
q Edge Port checking
3) Forward delay (+15+15)
Edge Ports always in the Forwarding state

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 01 02 01 02
111 111
111,0 111,0
03 04 03 04

01 02 01 02 01 02 01 02
222 333 222 333
111,10 111,10 111,10 111,10
03 04 03 04 03 04 03 04

root port 01 02 alternate port designate port 01 02 root port

444 444
111,20 111,20
03 04 03 04
Figure 6

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LINK UP EXAMPLE

1. New link between Switch A and the Root

switch becomes available:
a) when A receives the BPDU of the root, it
blocks the non-edge designated ports (sync).
b) bridge A explicitly authorizes the root bridge
to put its port in the forwarding state.

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LINK UP EXAMPLE

2. The newly blocked ports on Switch A also

negotiate a quick transition to the forwarding
state with their neighbor ports on Switch B and
Switch C that both initiate a sync operation.

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LINK UP EXAMPLE

3. Switch B only has edge designated ports.

Therefore, it has no port to block in order to
authorize Switch A to go to the forwarding state.
Switch C only has to block its designated port to D.

P1

q The final network topology is reached, just in the time necessary for the new BPDUs
to travel down the tree. No timer is involved in this quick convergence.
q The only new mechanism introduced by RSTP is the acknowledgment that a switch
can send on its new root port in order to authorize immediate transition to the
forwarding state
q Compared to 802.1D, it bypasses the twice-the-forward-delay long listening and
learning state bridge to put its port in the forwarding state.

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 APPENDIX: FAULT FINDER: IDENTIFYING CABLE PROBLEMS WITH VCT

In this article, we'll explore a new technology

for detecting faults on cable lines that is built
directly into the Ethernet PHY

TDR Provides the Key

VCT technology uses time domain reflectometry
(TDR) to diagnose the attached cable plant.
Similar to the principle of radar, TDR is the
analysis of a conductor by sending a pulsed
signal into the conductor, and then examining
the reflection of that pulse. When the transmitted
pulse reaches the end of the cable, or a fault
along the cable, part or all of the pulse energy is
reflected back to the source. The VCT algorithm
measures the time it takes for the signal to travel
down the cable, see the problem and reflect
back. This measured time is converted to
distance and made available through internal
registers in the Ethernet PHY.

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