Switch

Front 1

Switch

Back 1

Hardware based and utilizes application specific integrated circuits to build and maintain MAC address tables

Front 2

Switches are used for

Back 2

Workgroup connectivity and network segmentation and are used as a general connectivity covenant that connects network components such as printers, computers and switches together.

Front 3

Basic functions of a switch

Back 3

Hardware-based bridging (MAC), wired speed, low latency, low cost, broadcast control.

Front 4

External components of a switch

Back 4

Console port and network interfaces

Front 5

Internal component

Back 5

Read only memory (ROM), flash memory, non-volatile random access memeory (NVRAM), and random access memory (RAM)

Front 6

ROM

Back 6

Will contain information like the diagnostic and boot up routines. This is buried in memory.

Front 7

Flash memory

Back 7

Where the operating system is saved

Front 8

RAM

Back 8

is running memory that the switch uses for all its operations.

Front 9

NVRAM

Back 9

Is what we will access to save our startup-configurations, along with other peices of information that need long term storage in the switch.

Front 10

Three major functions

Back 10

Address learning, forward/filtering decision, loop avoidance.

Front 11

Address learning

Back 11

Switch must learn the MAC address of all devices that connect to it. The MAC address table Is stored in the switches RAM. It learns MAC address by flooding.

Front 12

Forwarding/filtering decision

Back 12

Switches use the MAC address table for both forward and filter frames schemes on the switch. Of the destination hardware address is known and listed in the database, the frame is "forwarded" out only on the correct interface. The switch does not transmit the frame out of any interface except for the destination interface. This is called "frame filtering." The three switching methods are store-and-forward, cut-through, and fragment free.

Front 13

Loop avoidance

Back 13

A loop is simply having more than one path to a destination that causes instability in the MAC address table.

Front 14

Broadcast storms

Back 14

Where the switches will flood broadcasts endlessly throughout the internetwork

Front 15

Multiple frame copies

Back 15

A device can receive multiple copies of the same frame because the frame can arrive from different segments at the same time.

Front 16

Multiple loops

Back 16

Multiple loops generated throughout an internetwork. This means that loops can occur within other loops.

Front 17

STP

Back 17

Is a network protocol that ensures a loop-free network by detecting and correcting loops.

Front 18

STP instance

Back 18

Can be the entire switching domain or can be limited to each VLAN. Switches within a spanning tree instant use bridge protocol data units for communication to determine root bridge selection and calculations and for synchronization

Front 19

Root bridge

Back 19

The root bridge is the layer 2 device (switch) that is in control of managing the spanning-tree protocol.

Front 20

Designated Ports (forward mode)

Back 20

A designated port is a switchport that is active and forwarding traffic and each segment must have a designated port.

Front 21

Root port (forward & listening mode)

Back 21

Provides a constant connection to the root bridge for the non-profit bridge to receive advertisements and updates. This port is also forwarding traffic in the network.

Front 22

Non-designated ports (blocked)

Back 22

After a switch has designated the best path to the root bridge, all other port are placed in the blocking state to prevent loops.

Front 23

Convergence

Back 23

Occurs when bridges and switches have completed the transition to reassign port states to either the following or blocking mode.

Front 24

Port states

Back 24

Blocking- will not forward frames, listening- listens to BPDU's ensures no loops occur before passing data frames. Learning- learns the MAC addresses/builds the MAC address filter table. Frames are not forwarded. Forwarding- bridge port is able to send and receive data.

Front 25

Link aggregation

Back 25

Provides a solution for network managers who require a higher bandwidth and redundancy between servers, routers, and switches than single-link ethernet technology can provide.

Front 26

Advantages of link aggregation

Back 26

Redundancy, higher potential transmission speed, higher accessibility.

Front 27

To use link aggregation

Back 27

Be in full duplex mode, use the same data transmission rates, use parallel point-to-point connections, connect to precisely one endpoint on a switch or server.

Front 28

Etherchannel

Back 28

Is a Cisco proprietary version of link aggregation describes as having more than one link connected to a server, switch, or router and treating it like one logical link. Etherchannel does not always distribute the traffic equally across all available links it depends on the number of links you have connected but even that does not always guarantee equal traffic.

Front 29

Benefits of etherchannel

Back 29

Increased bandwidth, redundancy, if a link fails the traffic will go onto another link almost instantly, if that same link recovers it will join the etherchannel again automatically.

Front 30

Prerequisites of etherchannel

Back 30

Must be identical. Same everything.