Odd request

[Timothy I Mattox]

Q: "Spanning tree algorithm?"
A:

I have found a good reference for ethernet is the O'Reilly book:
"Ethernet: The Definitive Guide" by Charles E. Spurgeon, 2000.

There is a standard method that ethernet switches use to detect
loops, and will shut down one of the links in the loop.
Essentially they form a tree by sending out special packets
amongst themselves.

I just did a google search on "spanning tree algorithm ethernet switch"
and found this from Cisco:
http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/rtrmgmt/sw_ntman/cwsimain/cwsi2/cwsiug2/vlan2/stpapp.htm
"Understanding Spanning-Tree Protocol"

And this article from Network World Fusion:
http://www.nwfusion.com/netresources/0524spanning.html
"Spanning tree is still with us"

On Thu, 29 Mar 2001, Grenyer, Richard wrote:
> Someone wrote:
>
> >And your N networks had to be isolated from each other,
> >so that their tree-spanning algorithm, etc. would not get confused
>
> What is this tree-spanning algorithm. Is it detailed anywhere? What would I
> need to search around under - keywords, acronyms, similar?
>
> Many thanks,
>
> Rich Grenyer

-- 
Tim Mattox - tmattox at ieee.org - http://home.earthlink.net/~timattox
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