HP StorageWorks 8/80 Brocade Converged Enhanced Ethernet Administrator's Guide - Page 28

Layer 2 Ethernet overview, Layer 2 forwarding

Page 28 highlights

1 Layer 2 Ethernet overview Layer 2 Ethernet overview The Brocade FCoE hardware contain CEE ports that support FCoE forwarding. The CEE ports are also backwards compatible and support classic Layer 2 Ethernet networks (see Figure 5). In Layer 2 Ethernet operation, a host with a Converged Network Adapter (CNA) can be directly attached to a CEE port on the Brocade FCoE hardware. Another host with a classic 10-Gigabit Ethernet NIC can be either directly attached to a CEE port, or attached to a classic Layer 2 Ethernet network which is attached to the Brocade FCoE hardware. FIGURE 5 Multiple switch fabric configuration Classic Layer 2 Ethernet switch Host 3 Host 1 Brocade 8000 switch CNA or classic NIC FC switch Classic NIC Host 2 CNA or classic NIC FC switch Storage Layer 2 forwarding Layer 2 Ethernet frames are forwarded on the CEE ports. 802.1Q VLAN support is used to tag incoming frames to specific VLANs, and 802.3ac VLAN tagging support is used to accept VLAN tagged frames from external devices. The 802.1D Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP), and Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol (MSTP) are used as the bridging protocols between Layer 2 switches. 8 Converged Enhanced Ethernet Administrator's Guide 53-1001346-01

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8
Converged Enhanced Ethernet Administrator’s Guide
53-1001346-01
Layer 2 Ethernet overview
1
Layer 2 Ethernet overview
The Brocade FCoE hardware contain CEE ports that support FCoE forwarding. The CEE ports are
also backwards compatible and support classic Layer 2 Ethernet networks (see
Figure 5
). In Layer
2 Ethernet operation, a host with a Converged Network Adapter (CNA) can be directly attached to a
CEE port on the Brocade FCoE hardware. Another host with a classic 10-Gigabit Ethernet NIC can
be either directly attached to a CEE port, or attached to a classic Layer 2 Ethernet network which is
attached to the Brocade FCoE hardware.
FIGURE 5
Multiple switch fabric configuration
Layer 2 forwarding
Layer 2 Ethernet frames are forwarded on the CEE ports. 802.1Q VLAN support is used to tag
incoming frames to specific VLANs, and 802.3ac VLAN tagging support is used to accept VLAN
tagged frames from external devices. The 802.1D Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), Rapid Spanning
Tree Protocol (RSTP), and Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol (MSTP) are used as the bridging
protocols between Layer 2 switches.
Classic Layer 2
Ethernet switch
FC switch
FC switch
Storage
Host 1
Host 2
Host 3
Brocade 8000
switch
CNA or
classic NIC
CNA or
classic NIC
Classic NIC