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Footnote 1: FSPF is a Link State Path Selection protocol, similar to OSPF, which is an Interior
Gateway Protocol (IGP) widely used in IP networks.
This protocol keeps track of the state of the links on all switches in the Fabric. It also
associates a cost with each link. The protocol computes paths from a switch to all the other
switches in the fabric, by adding the cost of all the links traversed by the path, and choosing
the path that minimizes the cost.
Footnote 2: Although it has roots from OSPF, FSPF only defines and implements point-topoint links. In other words, there is no concept of a designated router (DR) and a backup
designated router (BDR), areas or summarization, or anything similar like that being
managed in FSPF.

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Between RB1 and RB3 in the figure above there are three paths: port 2 and port 5, each
with a cost of 500, and port 6 with a cost of 1000. Only the lowest cost routes are in the
routing table. In the above diagram, RB1 ports 2 and 5 are in the routing table, port 6 is not.

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When there are multiple routes to a destination, the input traffic is distributed across the
different routes in proportion to the bandwidth available on each of the routes. This
improves utilization of the available routes, thus reducing possible congestion on the routes.
Every time there is a change in the network (which changes the available routes), the input
traffic can be redistributed across the available routes. This is a very easy and nondisruptive process.
Exchanges in the example depicted on this slide are allocated based on the primary criteria:
link cost and secondary criteria: potential bandwidth. The potential bandwidth allocation
depicted in this example yields flow allocations of 3:1.

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Footnote 1: The default multicast RBridge priority is zero. The default can be changed using
the fabric route mcast RBridgeId <RB-ID> priority <priority>
command. The priority range is 0 through 255.
Footnote 2: Also known as designated ports.

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Footnote 1: The default multicast RBridge priority is zero. The default can be changed using
CLI using the fabric route multicast RBridgeId <RB-ID> priority
<priority> command.
Footnote 2: Also known as designated ports.

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Frames that exceed the multi-hop count +1 will be dropped

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Footnote 1: IGMP snooping is the process of listening to Internet Group Management

Protocol (IGMP) network traffic. IGMP snooping, as implied by the name, is a feature that
allows a Layer 2 switch to listen in on the IGMP conversation between hosts and routers. By
listening to these conversations the switch maintains a map of links that need specific IP
multicast streams. Multicasts may then be sent only to the links that need them.

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Footnote 1: When the trunk master is disabled, another predetermined port takes over the
role without fabric disruption (masterless trunking).

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When there are multiple routes to a destination, the input traffic is distributed across the
different routes in proportion to the bandwidth available on each of the routes. This
improves utilization of the available routes, thus reducing possible congestion on the routes.
Every time there is a change in the network (that changes the available routes), the input
traffic can be redistributed across the available routes. This is a very easy and nondisruptive process.
Exchanges in the example depicted on this slide are allocated based on the primary criteria:
link cost; and secondary criteria: potential bandwidth. The potential bandwidth allocation
depicted in this example yields flow allocations of 3:1.

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The Deficit Weighted Round Robin (DWRR) algorithm is used to schedule packets from the
transmit queues. If a queue uses excess bandwidth, the DWRR algorithm keeps track of this
excess usage and subtracts it from the queues next transmission bandwidth allocation.
This results in a fairer use of bandwidth over time.

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Footnote 1: If the priority of the switches are the same and the newly joined switch has the
lowest Rbridge ID it will become the mulitcast root.

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