22 IntroductionFast LinkSTP can take up to 30-60 seconds to converge. During this time, STP detects possible loops, allowingtime for status changes to propagate and for relevant devices to respond. 30-60 seconds is considered toolong of a response time for many applications. The Fast Link option bypasses this delay, and can be usedin network topologies where forwarding loops do not occur.For more information enabling Fast Link for ports and LAGs, see "Defining STP Port Settings" or"Defining Static Addresses."IEEE 802.1w Rapid Spanning TreeSpanning Tree can take 30-60 seconds for each host to decide whether its ports are actively forwardingtraffic. Rapid Spanning Tree (RSTP) detects uses of network topologies to enable faster convergence,without creating forwarding loops.For more information, see "Defining Rapid Spanning Tree."IEEE 802.1s Multiple Spanning TreeMultiple Spanning Tree (MSTP) operation maps VLANs into STP instances. MSTP provides differingload balancing scenario. Packets assigned to various VLANs are transmitted along different paths withinMSTP Regions (MST Regions). Regions are one or more MSTP bridges by which frames can betransmitted. The standard lets administrators assign VLAN traffic to unique paths.For more information, see "Configuring the Spanning Tree Protocol."Link AggregationLink AggregationUp to eight Aggregated Links may be defined, each with up to eight member ports, to form a single LinkAggregated Group (LAG). This enables:• Fault tolerance protection from physical link disruption• Higher bandwidth connections• Improved bandwidth granularity• High bandwidth server connectivityLAG is composed of ports with the same speed, set to full-duplex operation.For more information, see "Defining LAG Parameters."Link Aggregation and LACPLACP uses peer exchanges across links to determine, on an ongoing basis, the aggregation capability ofvarious links, and continuously provides the maximum level of aggregation capability achievable betweena given pair of devices. LACP automatically determines, configures, binds, and monitors the port bindingwithin the system.For more information, see "Aggregating Ports."
