Chapter 5 lldp function operation configuration, 1 introduction to lldp function, Ntroduction to – QTECH QSW-8300 Инструкция по настройке User Manual

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Chapter 5 LLDP Function Operation

Configuration

5.1 Introduction to LLDP Function

Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) is a new protocol defined in 802.1ab. It enables

neighbor devices to send notices of their own state to other devices, and enables all ports of

every device to store information about them. If necessary, the ports can also send update

information to the neighbor devices directly connected to them, and those neighbor devices

will store the information in standard SNMP MIBs. The network management system can

check the layer-

two connection state from MIB. LLDP won’t configure or control network

elements or flows, but only report the configuration of layer-two. Another content of 802.1ab is

to utilizing the information provided by LLDP to find the conflicts in layer-two. IEEE now uses

the existing physical topology, interfaces and Entity MIBs of IETF.

To simplify, LLDP is a neighbor discovery protocol. It defines a standard method for Ethernet

devices, such as switches, routers and WLAN access points, to enable them to notify their

existence to other nodes in the network and store the discovery information of all neighbor

devices. For example, the detail information of the device configuration and discovery can both

use this protocol to advertise.

In specific, LLDP defines a general advertisement information set, a transportation

advertisement protocol and a method to store the received advertisement information. The

device to advertise its own information can put multiple pieces of advertisement information in

one LAN data packet to transport. The type of transportation is the type length value (TLV) field.

All devices supporting LLDP have to support device ID and port ID advertisement, but it is

assumed that, most devices should also support system name, system description and system

performance advertisement. System name and system description advertisement can also

provide useful information for collecting network flow data. System description advertisement

can include data such as the full name of the advertising device, hardware type of system, the

version information of software operation system and so on.

802.1AB Link Layer Discovery Protocol will make searching the problems in an enterprise

network an easier process and can strengthen the ability of network management tools to

discover and maintain accurate network topology structure.
Many kinds of network management software use “Automated Discovery” function to trace the

change and condition of topology, but most of them can reach layer-three and classify the

devices into all IP subnets at best. This kind of data are very primitive, only referring to basic

events like the adding and removing of relative devices instead of details about where and how

these devices operate with the network.

Layer 2 discovery covers information like which devices have which ports, which switches

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