3.1. STP Operation
The first thing to look at is the original IEEE 802.1d STP protocol. Under this standard, when STP starts up on a switch, which by default is automatic when a switch boots, it sends out information so that each of the switches can compare themselves to one another for the purpose of finding who has the best bridge ID. The information is basically a hello frame. Specifically, in STP the hello is called Bridge Protocol Data Unit or BPDU. The BPDU allows all of the switches to see what the best switch is in order to elect a root bridge and how (on what links) they are connected to each other. This comparison ultimately allows each switch to become part of the shortest path tree. A single tree structure is built, starting at the ...
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