topic How to use auto-edge-port? in Switches, Hubs, and Modems

How to use auto-edge-port?

RicN — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:25:12 GMT

In the newer Procurve software releases two new commands have been introduced for Spanning Tree, the auto-edge-port and admin-edge-port.

If I understand it correctly admin-edge-port means that I declare a port as "edge", and it would always go directly to forwarding.

And the auto-edge-port will try to detect if the port if a edge or switch-to-switch port. This seems to be the default for all ports.

My question is, do I need to change this settings for the links to other switches?

With the old "edge-port" command HP recommended that you did not use that on switch-to-switch ports, as it would increase the risk for temporary loops. What about the new command?

Re: How to use auto-edge-port?

Jarret Workman — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 23:14:35 GMT

Hi Ric,

I have not seen customers modifying these settings in general. Most of the time, the auto-edge has worked well at identifying the port as an edge port or a non-edge port and passes spanning-tree BPDU's appropriately.

The two reasons I can think of that this is important is that you do not want topology change notifications being sent through the network when an edge port goes online/offline. Second, you do want switch to switch links passing BPDU's so that the spanning-tree path is agreed upon in the network and a switch/vlan is not orphaned in the network.

Hope that helps.

Regards,

Jarret

Re: How to use auto-edge-port?

eng.Zohair — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 06:45:54 GMT

Hello RicN,

I get this hint from internet,

"Spanning-tree auto-edge-port: Supports the automatic identification of edge ports. The
port will look for BPDUs for 3 seconds; if there are none it begins forwarding packets. See
the chapter titled â Multiple Instance Spanning Tree Operationâ in the Advanced Traffic
Management Guide for your switch."

You can get the the0 "Advanced Traffic Management Guide" from internet â in case you didn't have already- and read more about it

Hope it helps & points are welcomed

Regards,
Jan