Chapter 10. Spanning Tree Configuration

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

• STP Root Bridge This section discusses the importance of identifying a Root Bridge, as well as suggestions for its placement in the network. This section also presents the Root Bridge configuration commands.

• Spanning-Tree Customization This section covers the configuration commands that enable you to alter the spanning-tree topology.

• Tuning Spanning-Tree Convergence This section discusses how to alter, or tune, the STP timers to achieve optimum convergence times in a network.

• Redundant Link Convergence This section describes the methods that cause a network to converge more quickly after a topology change.

• Troubleshooting STP This section offers a brief summary of the commands you can use to verify that an STP instance is working properly.

This chapter presents the design and configuration considerations necessary to implement the IEEE 802.1D Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) in a campus network. This chapter also discusses the commands needed to configure the STP features, previously described in Chapter 9, "Traditional Spanning Tree Protocol."

You can also tune STP or make it converge more efficiently in a given network. This chapter presents the theory and commands needed to accomplish this.