Cisco has added extensions to Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) that make convergence more efficient. In some cases, even though similar functionality may be incorporated into the IEEE 802.1w Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) standard, we recommend using these extensions. All of these extensions can be used with both RPVST+ and Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol (MST).

The available extensions are spanning tree port types, Bridge Assurance, BPDU Guard, BPDU Filtering, Loop Guard, and Root Guard. Many of these features can be applied either globally or on specified interfaces.

Note	Spanning tree is used to refer to IEEE 802.1w and IEEE 802.1s. If the text is discussing the IEEE 802.1D Spanning Tree Protocol, 802.1D is stated specifically.

You can configure a spanning tree port as an edge port, a network port, or a normal port. A port can be in only one of these states at a given time. The default spanning tree port type is normal. Depending on the type of device to which the interface is connected, you can configure a spanning tree port as one of these port types.

You can use Bridge Assurance to protect against certain problems that can cause bridging loops in the network. Specifically, you use Bridge Assurance to protect against a unidirectional link failure and a device that continues to forward data traffic when it is no longer running the spanning tree algorithm.

Note	Bridge Assurance is supported only by Rapid PVST+ and MST. Legacy 802.1D spanning tree does not support Bridge Assurance.

Bridge Assurance is enabled by default and can only be disabled globally. Also, Bridge Assurance can be enabled only on spanning tree network ports that are point-to-point links. Finally, both ends of the link must have Bridge Assurance enabled.

With Bridge Assurance enabled, BPDUs are sent out on all operational network ports, including alternate and backup ports, for each hello time period. If the port does not receive a BPDU for a specified period, the port moves into the blocking state and is not used in the root port calculation. Once that port receives a BPDU, it resumes the normal spanning tree transitions.

Enabling BPDU Guard shuts down that interface if a BPDU is received.

You can configure BPDU Guard at the interface level. When configured at the interface level, BPDU Guard shuts the port down as soon as the port receives a BPDU, regardless of the port type configuration.

When you configure BPDU Guard globally, it is effective only on operational spanning tree edge ports. In a valid configuration, LAN edge interfaces do not receive BPDUs. A BPDU that is received by an edge LAN interface signals an invalid configuration, such as the connection of an unauthorized host or switch. BPDU Guard, when enabled globally, shuts down all spanning tree edge ports when they receive a BPDU.

Note	On the edge trunk interface level, if the remote side of the disabled VLAN is configured as an access port then the BPDUs will be ignored.

BPDU Guard provides a secure response to invalid configurations, because you must manually put the LAN interface back in service after an invalid configuration.

Note	When enabled globally, BPDU Guard applies to all operational spanning tree edge interfaces.

You can use BPDU Filtering to prevent the switch from sending or even receiving BPDUs on specified ports.

When configured globally, BPDU Filtering applies to all operational spanning tree edge ports. You should connect edge ports only to hosts, which typically drop BPDUs. If an operational spanning tree edge port receives a BPDU, it immediately returns to a normal spanning tree port type and moves through the regular transitions. In that case, BPDU Filtering is disabled on this port, and spanning tree resumes sending BPDUs on this port.

In addition, you can configure BPDU Filtering by the individual interface. When you explicitly configure BPDU Filtering on a port, that port does not send any BPDUs and drops all BPDUs that it receives. You can effectively override the global BPDU Filtering setting on individual ports by configuring the specific interface. This BPDU Filtering command on the interface applies to the entire interface, whether the interface is trunking or not.

Caution

Use care when configuring BPDU Filtering per interface. If you explicitly configuring BPDU Filtering on a port that is not connected to a host, it can result in bridging loops because the port ignores any BPDU that it receives and goes to forwarding.

If the port configuration is not set to default BPDU Filtering, the edge configuration does not affect BPDU Filtering. The following table lists all the BPDU Filtering combinations.

Loop Guard protects networks from loops that are caused by the following:

• Network interfaces that malfunction

• Busy CPUs

• Anything that prevents the normal forwarding of BPDUs

An STP loop occurs when a blocking port in a redundant topology erroneously transitions to the forwarding state. This transition usually happens because one of the ports in a physically redundant topology (not necessarily the blocking port) stops receiving BPDUs.

Loop Guard is useful only in switched networks where devices are connected by point-to-point links. On a point-to-point link, a designated bridge cannot disappear unless it sends an inferior BPDU or brings the link down.

Note	Loop Guard can be enabled only on network and normal spanning tree port types.

You can use Loop Guard to determine if a root port or an alternate/backup root port receives BPDUs. If the port does not receive BPDUs, Loop Guard puts the port into an inconsistent state (blocking) until the port starts to receive BPDUs again. A port in the inconsistent state does not transmit BPDUs. If the port receives BPDUs again, the protocol removes its loop-inconsistent condition, and the STP determines the port state because such recovery is automatic.

Loop Guard isolates the failure and allows STP to converge to a stable topology without the failed link or bridge. Disabling Loop Guard moves all loop-inconsistent ports to the listening state.

You can enable Loop Guard on a per-port basis. When you enable Loop Guard on a port, it is automatically applied to all of the active instances or VLANs to which that port belongs. When you disable Loop Guard, it is disabled for the specified ports.

When you enable Root Guard on a port, Root Guard does not allow that port to become a root port. If a received BPDU triggers an STP convergence that makes that designated port become a root port, that port is put into a root-inconsistent (blocked) state. After the port stops sending superior BPDUs, the port is unblocked again. Through STP, the port moves to the forwarding state. Recovery is automatic.

Root Guard enabled on an interface applies this functionality to all VLANs to which that interface belongs.

You can use Root Guard to enforce the root bridge placement in the network. Root Guard ensures that the port on which Root Guard is enabled is the designated port. Normally, root bridge ports are all designated ports, unless two or more of the ports of the root bridge are connected. If the bridge receives superior BPDUs on a Root Guard-enabled port, the bridge moves this port to a root-inconsistent STP state. In this way, Root Guard enforces the position of the root bridge.

You cannot configure Root Guard globally.

Note	You can enable Root Guard on all spanning tree port types: normal, edge, and network ports.

When configuring STP extensions, follow these guidelines:

• Configure all access and trunk ports connected to hosts as edge ports.

• Bridge Assurance runs only on point-to-point spanning tree network ports. You must configure each side of the link for this feature.

• Loop Guard does not run on spanning tree edge ports.

• Enabling Loop Guard on ports that are not connected to a point-to-point link will not work.

• You cannot enable Loop Guard if Root Guard is enabled.

• After the maximum MAC learning limit , all incoming packets are not learnt in the MAC table and are forwarded based on the destination MAC.