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1 Smart Link Configuration
When configuring Smart Link, go to these sections for information that you are interested in:
z Smart Link Overview
z Configuring a Smart Link Device
z Configuring an Associated Device
z Displaying and Maintaining Smart Link
z Smart Link Configuration Examples
Smart Link Overview
Smart Link is a feature developed to address the slow convergence issue with the Spanning Tree
Protocol (STP). (For information about STP, refer to MSTP Configuration in the Access Volume.)
Smart Link is dedicated to dual-uplink networks as shown in
Figure 1-1 to provide link redundancy with
subsecond convergence. It allows the backup link to take over quickly when the primary link fails. In
addition to fast convergence, Smart Link is easy to configure.
Terminology
Figure 1-1 Smart Link application scenario
Device A
Device B
Device C Device E
Device D
GE1/0/1 GE1/0/2
GE1/0/1
GE1/0/2
GE1/0/2
GE1/0/3
GE1/0/1
GE1/0/1
GE1/0/1
GE1/0/2
GE1/0/2
GE1/0/3
Smart link group
A smart link group consists of only two member ports: the master and the slave. At a time, only one port
is active for forwarding, and the other port is blocked, that is, in the standby state. When link failure
occurs on the active port due to port shutdown or presence of unidirectional link for example, the
standby port becomes active to take over while the original active port transits to the blocked state.
As shown in
Figure 1-1, GE1/0/1 and GE1/0/2 of Device C form a smart link group, with GE1/0/1 being
active and GE1/0/2 being standby. GE1/0/1 and GE1/0/2 of Device E form another smart link group,
with GE1/0/2 being active and GE1/0/1 being standby.
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