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Conference 7.286::fddi

Title:FDDI - The Next Generation
Moderator:NETCAD::STEFANI
Created:Thu Apr 27 1989
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2259
Total number of notes:8590

1893.0. "A-S and B-S, is it vaild?" by SNOFS1::63496::CHIUANDREW () Wed Dec 06 1995 22:55

    Hi,
    
    I have some basis FDDI question:
    
    1) In dual homing, if we connect M-A and M-B, then M-B link is active
    and M-A is 'standby', fail over time is in ms, is it correct?
    
    2) When connecting A-S and B-S, then both link are active and if
    either A-S or B-S is broken, then the other one will take over all the
    traffic, is it correct?
    
    3) A-B and B-A, this is simple, a FDDI dual ring!!!
    
    4) If I have a DAS devive (A/B ports), if I want to use it as SAS, I
    have to connect its B port, it is correct? or it depends on the
    hardware that I am using?
    
    thanks in advance for help/idea/hints!
    Andrew Chiu - Network services Sydney
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1893.1NETCAD::STEFANIMachines to humanizeThu Dec 07 1995 00:3030
    >>1) In dual homing, if we connect M-A and M-B, then M-B link is active
    >>and M-A is 'standby', fail over time is in ms, is it correct?
    
    Correct.
    
    >>2) When connecting A-S and B-S, then both link are active and if
    >>either A-S or B-S is broken, then the other one will take over all the
    >>traffic, is it correct?
    
    If you connect
                          SAS 1        DAS       SAS 2
    			    S----------A B---------S
    
    then you have complete connectivity between nodes SAS 1, SAS 2, and
    DAS.  If the S-A connection breaks, DAS and SAS 2 keep communicating.
    If the S-B connection breaks, DAS and SAS 1 keep communicating.
    
    >>3) A-B and B-A, this is simple, a FDDI dual ring!!!
    
    You got it.
    
    >>4) If I have a DAS devive (A/B ports), if I want to use it as SAS, I
    >>have to connect its B port, it is correct? or it depends on the
    >>hardware that I am using?
    
    If you have a DAS adapter and you want to connect a single port (A or
    B) to a concentrator M port to "act" like a SAS, then it's your call. 
    You can pick either the A or B port.
    
    - Larry
1893.2some more clarfication, please?SNOFS1::63496::CHIUANDREWThu Dec 07 1995 20:1015
    re .1,
    
    Thanks for your quick answers!
    
    I still have a question on 2) i.e. A-S and B-S:
    
    1) SAS1 and talk to DAS (via A-S) and SAS2 can talk to DAS (via B-S),
    then SAS1 and SAS2 can talk via DAS, from SAS1, it just like a direct
    connection to SAS2 (what I mean is if SAS1/SAS2 are Gigaswitches (fddi
    bridge), DAS is a DECswitch900EF, then DECswitch900EF will not take
    part in the FDDI spanning tree calcaulation, is it correct?
    
    
    thanks again for help!
    Andrew 
1893.3NETCAD::STEFANIMachines to humanizeThu Dec 07 1995 22:358
    >>connection to SAS2 (what I mean is if SAS1/SAS2 are Gigaswitches (fddi
    >>bridge), DAS is a DECswitch900EF, then DECswitch900EF will not take
    >>part in the FDDI spanning tree calcaulation, is it correct?
    
    You've hit the limit of my knowledge in this.  I'll defer to one of the
    GIGAswitch/DEChub folks.
    
    /l
1893.4NPSS::MDLYONSMichael D. Lyons DTN 226-6943Fri Dec 08 1995 10:3610
        Don't think of a-s and b-s as being something special.  You have
    three interfaces on a ring - that's all that's happening.  There is
    nothing special with a-s or b-s connections in regards to spanning
    tree.  The "a" phy/pmd and the "b" phy/pmd are one interface, not two!
    
        The only thing to remember is that if you do the a-s/b-s topology,
    you have a wrapped ring.  If you lose the system with the das
    interface, the others will no longer be able to communicate.
    
    MDL
1893.5NPSS::MDLYONSMichael D. Lyons DTN 226-6943Fri Dec 08 1995 10:4711
    ...in case I wasn't clear - if you have a GIGAswitch/FDDI SAS port (S)
    connected to a DECswitch 900 EF DAS port (A) where the DECswitch 900 EF
    DAS port (B) is connected to another GIGAswitch/FDDI SAS port (S), the
    result is three bridges on one FDDI ring.
    
        What happens in terms of forwarding/blocking behaviour depends on
    the rest of the topology.  The DECswitch 900 EF DAS port is a single
    bridge port - it is not divided into separate bridge ports for the "a"
    phy/pmd and the "b" phy/pmd.
    
    MDL
1893.6RE: DECswitch & spanning tree....NETCAD::BATTERSBYFri Dec 08 1995 13:063
    And the DECswitch 900EF should take part in spanning tree regardless.
    
    Bob
1893.7what's the rest of the picture?35356::RABAHYdtn 471-5160, outside 1-810-347-5160Fri Dec 08 1995 16:416
re .2:

>... DECswitch900EF will not take part in the FDDI spanning tree calcaulation

Powered, properly functioning bridges always take part in the 802.3 spanning
tree algorithm.  It effectively does nothing unless a loop is detected.