Master vlans and customer vlans in mrp, Control ports and free ports, Configuration considerations – Brocade BigIron RX Series Configuration Guide User Manual
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BigIron RX Series Configuration Guide
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Master VLANs and customer VLANs in MRP
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Member VLANs – The member VLANs are additional VLANs that share ports with the master
VLAN. The Layer 2 protocol settings for the ports in the master VLAN apply to the same ports in
the member VLANs. A change to the master VLAN’s Layer 2 protocol configuration or Layer 2
topology affects all the member VLANs. Member VLANs do not independently run a Layer 2
protocol.
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Member VLAN groups – A VLAN group is a named set of VLANs. The VLANs within a VLAN
group have the same ports and use the same values for other VLAN parameters.
When a Layer 2 topology change occurs on a port in the master VLAN, the same change is applied
to that port in all the member VLANs that contain the port. For example, if you configure a topology
group whose master VLAN contains ports 1/1 and 1/2, a Layer 2 state change on port 1/1 applies
to port 1/1 in all the member VLANs that contain that port. However, the state change does not
affect port 1/1 in VLANs that are not members of the topology group.
Master VLANs and customer VLANs in MRP
A topology group enables you to control forwarding in multiple VLANs using a single instance of a
Layer 2 protocol such as MRP. For more information on topology group and MRP, refer to
VLANs and customer VLANs in a topology group”
Control ports and free ports
A port in a topology group can be a control port or a free port:
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Control port – is a port in the master VLAN and therefore controlled by the Layer 2 protocol
configured in the master VLAN. The same port in all the member VLANs is controlled by the
master VLAN’s Layer 2 protocol. Each member VLAN must contain all of the control ports (all
other ports in the member VLAN are “free ports.”).
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Free port – is not controlled by the master VLAN’s Layer 2 protocol. The master VLAN can
contain free ports. (In this case, the Layer 2 protocol is disabled on those ports.) In addition,
any ports in the member VLANs that are not also in the master VLAN are free ports.
NOTE
Since free ports are not controlled by the master port’s Layer 2 protocol, they are assumed to
always be in the Forwarding state when enabled.
Configuration considerations
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You can configure up to 256 topology groups. Each group can control up to 4094 VLANs. A
VLAN cannot be controlled by more than one topology group.
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The topology group must contain a master VLAN and can also contain individual member
VLANs, VLAN groups, or a combination of individual member VLANs and VLAN groups.
Therefore, configure the master VLAN and member VLANs or member VLAN groups before you
configure a topology group.
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Once you add a VLAN as a member of a topology group, all the Layer 2 protocol information on
the VLAN is deleted.