VPLS Features
Page 254 7210 SAS M Services Guide
VPLS MAC Learning and Packet Forwarding
The 7210 SAS edge devices perform the packet replication required for broadcast and multicast 
traffic across the bridged domain. MAC address learning is performed by the 7210 SAS device to 
reduce the amount of unknown destination MAC address flooding. 
 Each 7210 SAS maintains a Forwarding Information Base (FIB) for each VPLS service instance 
and learned MAC addresses are populated in the FIB table of the service. All traffic is switched 
based on MAC addresses and forwarded between all participating nodes using the LSP tunnels  
Unknown destination packets (for example, the destination MAC address has not been learned) are 
forwarded on all LSPs to all participating nodes  for that service until the target station responds 
and the MAC address is learned by the 7210 SAS associated with that service.