Intel® NetStructure™ 6000 Switch

C H A P T E R 1
Using the Switch
Layer 3 Switching
Layer 3 switching performs a function similar to Layer 2 switching,
except it looks at the network layer information rather than the
destination MAC address. To improve the usability of the switch, it
uses routing protocols to communicate existing routes to hosts and to
coordinate route information with other routing devices.
The routing capability must be considered for all network layer
protocols supported by the switch. For each network layer protocol
one or more routing protocols may be invoked. For the Internet
Protocol (IPv4), these protocols are RIP v1, RIP v2, and OSPF.
The functionality of Layer 3 switching relies upon the use of VLANs
to define network segments. Routing occurs between the network
segments. VLAN operation is discussed in Chapter 3 and Chapter 5.
Link Aggregation
The 6000 switch supports the 802.3ad draft link aggregation
specification. Link Aggregation allows two or more physical ports on
the switch to be grouped together to provide a single, aggregated port
that has the combined bandwidth of the individual ports. Link
Aggregation is useful when making connections between switches,
stacks or to connect servers to the switch.An added benefit of Link
Aggregation is increased performance, increased resiliency and fault
tolerance. See Chapter 3 and Chapter 5 for instructions on
configuring Link Aggregation.
Virtual LANs
Virtual LAN (VLAN) capability allows for the grouping of ports
together into logical groups. Any port can be assigned to one or more
virtual LANs, allowing effective reconfiguration without physically
moving cables. The switch limits forwarding database (FDB) misses
and broadcast and multicast traffic within a VLAN. The switch
conforms to the IEEE 802.1Q definition of a VLAN aware bridge in
a virtual bridge local area network. See Chapter 3 and Chapter 5 for
instructions on setting up VLANs.
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