PowerConnect B-Series FCX Configuration Guide 333
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Chapter
10
Configuring Metro Features
Table 59 lists the individual Dell PowerConnect switches and the metro features they support.
T
Topology groups
A topology group is a named set of VLANs that share a Layer 2 topology. Topology groups simplify
configuration and enhance scalability of Layer 2 protocols by allowing you to run a single instance
of a Layer 2 protocol on multiple VLANs.
You can use topology groups with the following Layer 2 protocols:
• STP
• MRP
• VSRP
• 802.1W
Topology groups simplify Layer 2 configuration and provide scalability by enabling you to use the
same instance of a Layer 2 protocol for multiple VLANs. For example, if a Dell PowerConnect device
is deployed in a Metro network and provides forwarding for two MRP rings that each contain 128
VLANs, you can configure a topology group for each ring. If a link failure in a ring causes a topology
change, the change is applied to all the VLANs in the ring topology group. Without topology groups,
you would need to configure a separate ring for each VLAN.
TABLE 59 Supported metro features
Feature PowerConnect B-Series FCX
Topology groups Yes
Metro Ring Protocol 1 (MRP 1) Yes
Metro Ring Protocol 2 (MRP 2) Yes
Extended MRP ring IDs from 1 – 1023 Yes
Virtual Switch Redundancy Protocol
(VSRP)
Yes
VSRP-Aware security features Yes
VSRP and MRP signaling Yes
VSRP Fast Start Yes
VSRP timer scaling Yes
