Cabletron Systems Cabletron CyberSWITCH CSX5500 User Manual

Also see for CyberSWITCH 5500: Quick start Manual

Contents

CONFIGURING ADVANCED BRIDGINGOVERVIEWWhen bridging is enabled, optional advanced features are available. Optional bridging featuresinclude:• bridge dial out• Spanning Tree Protocol• mode of operation• bridging filters• known connect listsThis chapter includes a section for each advanced bridging feature.B RIDGE DIAL OUTWith bridging enabled, bridge dial out is supported. Bridge dial out allows the CyberSWITCH toinitiate connections to bridge devices at remote sites. The system accepts bridge data received onthe Ethernet LAN or ISDN network, and initiates a data connection to a bridge device specified inthe device data.Standard bridge processing attempts to forward non-local MAC frames to configured devices if aconnection is up. Now, with the bridge dial out feature, the system will initiate the call, if necessary,through the use of bridge filters or a Known Connect list. Refer to the Bridge Filters section and theKnown Connect List section for further information.The “bridge” determines if a connection already exists, or whether a connection should be initiated.The MAC frame is simply forwarded if a connection already exists. If a connection does not, theCyberSWITCH will map the Bridge Address or Dial Out Device Name to a phone number, andinitiate a connection. The normal connection processing, protocol negotiation, and data forwardingmechanisms are followed once the connection is requested.The CyberSWITCH handles bridge dial out as follows:• If a filter exists, the system checks the filter first. The system will take action on the packet basedon the filter.• If no filter exists, or if no action is taken on the packet based on the filter, the system checks thestatus of the Known Connect list next. If the packet’s destination address corresponds to a de-vice on the Known Connect list, and the packet meets other dial out requirements, the packetis forwarded.Each of these procedures requires a properly configured Device List. This Device List may be con-figured locally, or it may be configured on an off-node authentication server.