Alcatel Carrier Internetworking Solutions Omni Switch/Router - Manual (Page 451)

Configuration Overview
Page 17-3
Configuration Overview
When configuring bridging parameters, you will need to perform at least some of the
following steps:
Step 1. Select a group
The bridging menu commands operate only on the currently selected group (or, for certain
commands, VLAN). You can select a group with the
selgp command. For information on using
these commands, see Selecting a Default Group on page 17-7.
Step 2. Configure Bridging Parameters
There are several commands that allow you to configure and view basic bridging functions
such as static MAC addresses, bridge forwarding tables, MAC information and statistics, and
remote Trunking stations. Many of these commands are useful in diagnosing network prob-
lems, as they allow you to find specific MAC addresses and the port on which they were
learned. For information on these commands, see Bridging Commands on page 17-8.
Step 3. Enable Spanning Tree (Optional)
Spanning tree is an algorithm that helps prevent broadcast storms by blocking ports in the
network from transmitting data. If you plan to use spanning tree, you can use the spanning
tree commands to configure and view IEEE and IBM Spanning Tree. For information on using
spanning tree commands, see Configuring Spanning Tree on page 17-23.
Step 4. Enable Fast Spanning Tree (Optional)
Fast Spanning Tree is an algorithm that helps provide quick recovery from link, port and
device failures on a network, by bringing blocked secondary links into forwarding mode as
quickly as possible. You can the Fast Spanning Tree commands in the Bridge Management
Menu to view and enable/disable Fast Spanning Tree parameters on a selected group or
VLAN. For information on using Fast Spanning Tree commands, see Configuring Fast Span-
ning Tree on page 17-34.