Require clarification on IEEE 802.1D -2004 spec on Conformance

Hi,

I am not an expert on this in terms of signing off new hardware/software however:-

I would say that:- each port must have a unique "Universally Administered MAC address" that is used as the source address for BPDU's transmitted by that port.

This is certainly what I have seen when sniffing.

It would allow ports to recognise their own BPDUs.

Thanks for the same! I will explain my question with some more information. I have a 16 port switch for which I am implementing IEEE 802.1D -2004 spec.

As per the PICS conformance in A.9 (Addressing) ADDR-1 it mentions that it is Mandatory for each Port have a Seperate MAC Address (Sec 7.12.2) ?

My question :Does this mean that each BPDU frame Txed from a Port be assigned a unique Universally Administered MAC address? Does the frame in the BPDU data part (Bridge Identifier) need to encode a unique MAC address for each of the Ports on my switch?

In the L2 Source Address MAC field I do have a globally unique MAC address for the whole switch

Thanks and Best Regards Kott

That is correct.

Again, correct.

Using one MAC address for all BPDUs emitted from all ports on a single bridge is non-conformant behavior.

-- Rich Seifert Networks and Communications Consulting 21885 Bear Creek Way (408) 395-5700 Los Gatos, CA 95033 (408) 228-0803 FAX

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Hello - Thanks for the clarification . I just connected a L2 Switch from Extreme and found out that from all the Ports , the BPDU has encoded the Same MAC address.this Encoded MAC address is the same as Source MAC Address in the L2 Fields.

thanks and Best Regards Kott

Rich Seifert wrote: