Chapter 3. Switch Operation


This chapter covers the following topics that you need to master for the CCNP BCMSN exam:

  • Layer 2 Switch Operation This section describes the functionality of a switch that forwards Ethernet frames.

  • Multilayer Switch Operation This section describes the mechanisms that forward packets at OSI Layers 3 and 4.

  • Tables Used in Switching This section explains how tables of information and computation are used to make switching decisions. Coverage focuses on the Content Addressable Memory table involved in Layer 2 forwarding, and the Ternary Content Addressable Memory used in packet-handling decisions at Layers 2 through 4.

  • Troubleshooting Switching Tables This section reviews the Catalyst commands that you can use to monitor the switching tables and memory. These commands can be useful when troubleshooting or tracing the sources of data or problems in a switched network.

To have a good understanding of the many features that you can configure on a Catalyst switch, you first should understand the fundamentals of the switching function itself.

This chapter serves as a primer, describing how an Ethernet switch works. It presents Layer 2 forwarding, along with the hardware functions that make forwarding possible. Multilayer switching also is explained. A considerable portion of the chapter deals with the memory architecture that performs switching at Layers 3 and 4 both flexibly and efficiently. This chapter also provides a brief overview of useful switching tablemanagement commands.



CCNP Self-Study(c) CCNP BCMSN Exam Certification Guide
Red Hat Fedora 5 Unleashed
ISBN: N/A
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 177

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