Table Of Contents

Ethernet (IEEE 802.3)

Technology Description

Ethernet

LAG

Metro Ethernet

Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)

QinQ (IEEE802.1ad)

Inventory and Information Model Objects (IMOs)

Link Aggregation Group

Link Aggregation Group Port Entry

Ethernet Interface

Ethernet Physical

Virtual LAN Interface

Virtual LAN Entry

Virtual LAN Multiplexer

Virtual LAN Encapsulation

Data Link Aggregation Container

Spanning Tree Protocol Service

Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol Service

Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol Properties

Spanning Tree Protocol Instance Information

Multi Spanning Tree Protocol Instance Information

Per Virtual LAN Spanning Tree Protocol Instance Information

Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol Instance Information

Spanning Tree Protocol Port Information

Multi Spanning Tree Protocol Port Information

Vendor-Specific Inventory and Information Model Objects

Cisco's Ethernet Channel

Network Topology

Service Alarms

Ethernet (IEEE 802.3)

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This chapter describes the level of support that Cisco ANA provides for Ethernet, as follows:

•Technology Description

•Inventory and Information Model Objects (IMOs)

•Vendor-Specific Inventory and Information Model Objects

•Network Topology

•Service Alarms

Technology Description

Ethernet

Ethernet refers to the family of Local Area Network (LAN) products covered by the IEEE 802.3 standard that defines what is commonly known as the CSMA/CD protocol. Three data rates are currently defined for operation over optical fiber and twisted-pair cables: 10Base-T Ethernet (10Mbps), Fast Ethernet (100Mbps), Gigabit Ethernet (1000Mbps) and 10-Gigabit Ethernet (10Gbps).

The IEEE 802.3 standard provides both Media Access Control (MAC) (Layer 2), with Addressing, Duplexing, Differential Services and Flow Control attributes, and various Physical (Layer 1) definitions, with Media, Clocking and Speed attributes. It also provides a Link Aggregation (LAG) (also known as Ethernet Channel) definition for providing both higher link capacity and availability.

LAG

A Link Aggregation (LAG) is a group of two or more network links bundled together to appear as a single link based on the IEEE 802.3ad standard. For instance, bundling two 100Mbps network interfaces into a single link creates one 200Mbps link. A LAG may include two or more network cards and two or more cables, but the software sees the link as one logical link.

A LAG provides capacity increase, load balancing and higher link availability, which prevents the failure of any single component link leading to a disruption of the communications between the interconnected devices.

Metro Ethernet

A Metro Ethernet is a computer network based on the Ethernet standards covering a metropolitan area. It is commonly used as a metropolitan access network (MAN) to connect subscribers and businesses to a Wide Area Network, such as the Internet. Large businesses can also use Metro Ethernet to connect branch offices to their Intranets.

A typical service-provider Metro Ethernet network is a collection of Layer 2 or 3 switches or routers connected through optical fiber. The topology could be a ring, hub-and-spoke (star), full mesh or partial mesh. The network will also have a hierarchy; core, distribution and access. The core in most cases is an existing IP/MPLS backbone.

Ethernet on the MAN can be used as pure Ethernet, Ethernet over SDH, Ethernet over MPLS, or Ethernet over DWDM. Pure Ethernet deployments are cheap but less reliable and scalable, and thus are usually limited to small-scale or experimental deployments. SDH deployments are useful when there is an existing SDH infrastructure already in place, its main shortcoming being the loss of flexibility in bandwidth management due to the rigid hierarchy imposed by the SDH network. MPLS deployments are costly but highly reliable and scalable, and are typically used by large service providers.

See also:

•Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)

•QinQ (IEEE802.1ad)

Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)

STP is a Layer 2 link management protocol that provides path redundancy while preventing undesirable loops in the network. For a Layer 2 Ethernet network to function properly, only one active path can exist between any two devices.

STP defines a tree with a root bridge and a loop-free path from the root to all network devices in the Layer 2 network. STP forces redundant data paths into a standby (blocked) state. If a network segment in the spanning tree fails and a redundant path exists, the STP algorithm recalculates the spanning tree topology and activates the standby path.

STP modeling in Cisco ANA 3.6 supports devices that use the following STP variants:

•STP as defined in the 802.1D standard

•RSTP as defined in the 802.1w standard

•PvSTP and PvSTP+ which are Cisco proprietary protocols, or any per VLAN spanning tree protocol

•MST as defined in the 802.1s standard

QinQ (IEEE802.1ad)

QinQ (IEEE802.1) tagging (also known as dot1q tunneling) is a technology that allows the nesting of an additional VLAN tag on a packet, in addition to an existing one. According to the standard, either VLAN tag is an 802.1Q header.

QinQ allows service providers to use a single VLAN to support customers who have multiple VLANs. The core service-provider network carries traffic with double-tagged, stacked VLAN (802.1Q-in-Q) headers of multiple customers while maintaining the VLAN and Layer 2 protocol configurations of each customer and without affecting the traffic of other customers.

Inventory and Information Model Objects (IMOs)

This section describes the following IMOs:

•Link Aggregation Group (ILinkAggregationGroup802dot3ad)

•Link Aggregation Group Port Entry (ILagPortEntry)

•Ethernet Interface (IEthernet)

•Ethernet Physical (IPhysicalLayer)

•Virtual LAN Interface (IVlanInterface)

•Virtual LAN Entry (IVlanEntry)

•Virtual LAN Multiplexer (IVlanEncapMux)

•Virtual LAN Encapsulation (IIEEE802)

•Data Link Aggregation Container (IDataLinkAggregationContainer)

•Spanning Tree Protocol Service (IStpService)

•Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol Service (IMstService)

•Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol Properties (IMstProperties)

•Spanning Tree Protocol Instance Information (IStpInstanceInfo)

•Multi Spanning Tree Protocol Instance Information (IMstInstanceInfo)

•Per Virtual LAN Spanning Tree Protocol Instance Information (IPvstpInstanceInfo)

•Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol Instance Information (IRstpInstanceInfo)

•Spanning Tree Protocol Port Information (IStpPortInfo)

•Multi Spanning Tree Protocol Port Information (IMstPortInfo)

Link Aggregation Group

The following Data Link layer Link Aggregation Group object aggregates multiple Ethernet Interfaces, which it is bound to by its Containing Termination Points attribute. It is accessed primarily by the Virtual LAN Multiplexer bound by its Contained Connection Termination Points attribute. It is also accessed by Bridging Entity.

Table 4-1 Link Aggregation Group (ILinkAggregationGroup802dot3ad) 

Attribute Name	Attribute Description	Scheme	Polling Interval
Group Number	Group identification of the aggregated ethernet interfaces	Any	Configuration
Bandwidth	Accumulated bandwidth of all aggregated ethernet interfaces in Mbps	Any	Configuration
Aggregation Protocol	Aggregation protocol (None, LACP, PAGP)	Any	Configuration
IANA Type	IANA type of the sublayer	N/A	N/A
Containing Termination Points	Underlying termination points (Ethernet Interface)	Any	N/A
Contained Connection Termination Points	Bound Connection Termination Points	Any	N/A

Link Aggregation Group Port Entry

The following Link Aggregation Group Port Entry object describes the Link Aggregation Control configuration parameters for each Aggregation Port of a Link Aggregation Group.

Table 4-2 Link Aggregation Group Port Entry (ILagPortEntry)

Attribute Name	Attribute Description	Scheme	Polling Interval
Actor and Partner Administrative Keys	Actor and partner administrative keys	Any	Configuration
Actor and Partner Operational Keys	Actor and partner operational keys	Any	Configuration
Selected and Attached Aggregation Identification	Selected and attached aggregation identification	Any	Configuration
Actor Port	Actor port	Any	Configuration
Actor Port Priority	Actor port priority	Any	Configuration
Partner Administrative and Operational Port	Partner administrative and operational port	Any	Configuration
Partner Administrative and Operational Port Priority	Partner administrative and operational port priority	Any	Configuration
Actor and Partner Administrative States	Actor and partner administrative states	Any	Configuration
Actor and Partner Operational States	Actor and partner operational states	Any	Configuration

Ethernet Interface

The following Data Link layer Ethernet Interface object is bound by its Containing Termination Points attribute to a Physical Layer Interface (Ethernet Physical) object. It accessed primarily by the Virtual LAN Multiplexer/Interface, Link Aggregation Group, Cisco's Ethernet Channel or IP Interface bound by its Contained Connection Termination Points attribute. It is also accessed by Bridging Entity.

Table 4-3 Ethernet Interface (IEthernet)

Attribute Name	Attribute Description	Scheme	Polling Interval
MAC Address	Media Access Control (MAC) address	Any	Configuration
Duplex Mode	Duplex mode (Unknown, Full, Half)	Any	Configuration
Output Flow Control	Output flow control (Enable, Disable)	Any	Configuration
Input Flow Control	Input flow control (Enable, Disable)	Any	Configuration
IANA Type	IANA type of the sublayer	N/A	N/A
Containing Termination Points	Underlying termination points (connection or physical)	Any	N/A
Contained Connection Termination Points	Bound Connection Termination Point	Any	N/A

Ethernet Physical

The following Physical layer Ethernet Physical object is bound by its Containing Termination Points attribute to a Port Connector object. It is accessed by the Data Link layer Ethernet Interface bound by its Contained Connection Termination Points attribute.

Table 4-4 Ethernet Physical (IPhysicalLayer)

Attribute Name	Attribute Description	Scheme	Polling Interval
Same as Physical Layer (IPhysicalLayer)

Virtual LAN Interface

The following Data Link layer Virtual LAN Interface object, which is used in a Switched LAN environment, is bound by its Containing Termination Points attribute to an Ethernet Interface object. It is accessed primarily by the network layer object (such as IP Interface) bound by its Contained Connection Termination Points attribute. It is also accessed by Bridging Entity.

Table 4-5 Virtual LAN Interface (IVlanInterface) 

Attribute Name	Attribute Description	Scheme	Polling Interval
Mode	Virtual LAN mode (Access, Trunk, 802.1Q Tunnel)	Any	Configuration
Native VLAN Identification	Virtual LAN identification, used for untagged received and transmitted frames	Any	Configuration
Virtual LAN Table	Array of Virtual LAN Entries	Any	Configuration
IANA Type	IANA type of the sublayer	N/A	N/A
Containing Termination Points	Underlying termination points (connection or physical)	Any	N/A
Contained Connection Termination Points	Bound Connection Termination Points	Any	N/A

Virtual LAN Entry

The following Virtual LAN Entry object describes the association of a Virtual LAN Interface, which operates in Trunk mode, to one of the bridged Virtual LANs configured in the device.

Table 4-6 Virtual LAN Entry (IVlanEntry)

Attribute Name	Attribute Description	Scheme	Polling Interval
VLAN Identification	Virtual LAN identification of received and transmitted frames	Any	Configuration
Encapsulation Type	Virtual LAN encapsulation (Unknown, ISL, IEEE 802.10, IEEE 802.1Q)	Any	Configuration
Upper Layer	Upper layer Object Identification (OID)	Any	Configuration

Virtual LAN Multiplexer

The following Virtual LAN Multiplexer object, used in a routed LAN environment, is bounded by its Containing Termination Points attribute to an Ethernet Interface object. It is accessed primarily by the Data Link layer Virtual LAN Encapsulations bound by its Contained Connection Termination Points attribute.

Table 4-7 Virtual LAN Multiplexer (IVlanEncapMux)

Attribute Name	Attribute Description	Scheme	Polling Interval
IANA Type	IANA type of the sublayer	N/A	N/A
Containing Termination Points	Underlying termination points (Ethernet Interface)	Any	N/A
Contained Connection Termination Points	Bound Connection Termination Points (Virtual LAN Encapsulations)	Any	N/A

Virtual LAN Encapsulation

The following Data Link layer Virtual LAN Encapsulation object, used in a routed LAN environment, is bound by its Containing Termination Points attribute to a Virtual LAN Multiplexer object. It is accessed primarily by the Network layer object (such as IP Interface) bound by its Contained Connection Termination Points attribute. It is also accessed by Bridging Entity.

Table 4-8 Virtual LAN Encapsulation (IIEEE802)

Attribute Name	Attribute Description	Scheme	Polling Interval
VLAN Identification	Virtual LAN identification	Any	Configuration
IANA Type	IANA type of the sublayer	N/A	N/A
Containing Termination Points	Underlying termination points (connection or physical)	Any	N/A
Contained Connection Termination Points	Bound Connection Termination Point	Any	N/A

Data Link Aggregation Container

The following Data Link Aggregation Container object aggregates or contains a single type of Data Link Aggregation, such as Link Aggregation Group or Cisco's Ethernet Channel.

Table 4-9 Data Link Aggregation Container (IDataLinkAggregationContainer)

Attribute Name	Attribute Description	Scheme	Polling Interval
Data Link Aggregations	Array of a single-type Data Link aggregations (Link Aggregation Group, Cisco's Ethernet Channel)	Any	Configuration
Type	Aggregation type (Null, Ethernet Link Aggregator)	Any	Configuration

Spanning Tree Protocol Service

The following Spanning Tree Protocol Service object, used in a switched LAN environment, describes the Spanning Tree Protocol service. It is accessed only by the Logical Root's Services List attribute.

Table 4-10 Spanning Tree Protocol Service (IStpService) 

Attribute Name	Attribute Description	Scheme	Polling Interval
Protocol Type	Spanning tree protocol type (Unknown, STP, RSTP, PVSTP, MST)	Any	Configuration
Current and Bridge Maximum Age	The current used value, and the value that all bridges should use when this bridge is acting as the root, for the maximum age of learned spanning tree protocol port information (in hundredths of seconds)	Any	Configuration
Current and Bridge Hello Time	The current used value, and the value that all bridges should use when this bridge is acting as the root, for hello time messages' keep-alive interval of a spanning tree protocol root (in hundredths of seconds)	Any	Configuration
Current and Bridge Forward Delay	The current used value, and the value that all bridges should use when this bridge is acting as the root, for port delay in each of the listening and learning states, preceding the forwarding one (in hundredths of seconds)	Any	Configuration
Instance Information Table	Array of Spanning Tree Protocol Instance Information	Any	Configuration
Same as System Service (ISystemService)

Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol Service

The following Multi Spanning Tree Protocol Instance Information object, which is used in a switched Virtual LAN environment, describes the Spanning Tree Protocol service. It is accessed only by the Logical Root's Services List attribute.

Table 4-11 Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol Service (IMstService)

Attribute Name	Attribute Description	Scheme	Polling Interval
Protocol Properties	Multiple spanning tree protocol properties	Any	Configuration
Same as Spanning Tree Protocol Service (IStpService)

Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol Properties

The following Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol Properties object, used in a switched Virtual LAN environment, describes the Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol properties. It is accessed only by the Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol Service's Protocol Properties attribute.

Table 4-12 Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol Properties (IMstProperties)

Attribute Name	Attribute Description	Scheme	Polling Interval
Force Version	Force version (Unknown, STP, RSTP, PVSTP, MST)	Any	Configuration
Configuration Format, Region Name and Revision Level	Configuration format, region name and revision level used by this device and negotiated with other devices	Any	Configuration
External Root Cost	External root cost of this multiple spanning tree protocol	Any	Configuration
Maximum Instances	Maximum multiple spanning tree protocol instances	Any	Configuration

Spanning Tree Protocol Instance Information

The following Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol Instance Information objects describe the Instance Information associated with and accessed by the Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol Service's Instance Information Table attribute.

Table 4-13 Spanning Tree Protocol Instance Information (IStpInstanceInfo) 

Attribute Name	Attribute Description	Scheme	Polling Interval
Object Identification	Instance Object Identification (Object ID)	Any	Configuration
Identification	Bridge identification (MAC address)	Any	Configuration
Priority	Bridge priority in the spanning tree protocol	Any	Configuration
Designated Root and Bridge	MAC Addresses of the designated root and bridge in the spanning tree	Any	Configuration
Root Cost	Root cost value for this bridge	Any	Configuration
Is Root	Is this bridge currently the root of the spanning tree protocol? (True, False)	Any	Configuration
Root Port Identification	Object Identification (OID) of the bridge port used to reach the designated root	Any	Configuration
Port Information Table	Array of Spanning Tree Protocol Port Information	Any	Configuration

Multi Spanning Tree Protocol Instance Information

Table 4-14 Multi Spanning Tree Protocol Instance Information (IMstInstanceInfo)

Attribute Name	Attribute Description	Scheme	Polling Interval
Instance Identification	Multiple spanning tree protocol instance identification	Any	Configuration
Same as Spanning Tree Protocol Instance Information (IStpInstanceInfo)

Per Virtual LAN Spanning Tree Protocol Instance Information

Table 4-15 Per Virtual LAN Spanning Tree Protocol Instance Information (IPvstpInstanceInfo) 

Attribute Name	Attribute Description	Scheme	Polling Interval
Protocol Type	Spanning tree protocol type (Unknown, STP, RSTP, PVSTP, MST)	Any	Configuration
Current and Bridge Maximum Age	The current used value, and the value that all bridges should used when this bridge is acting as the root, for the maximum age of learned spanning tree protocol port information (in hundredths of seconds)	Any	Configuration
Current and Bridge Hello Time	The current used value, and the value that all bridges should used when this bridge is acting as the root, for hello time messages' keep-alive interval of a spanning tree protocol root (in hundredths of seconds)	Any	Configuration
Current and Bridge Forward Delay	The current used value, and the value that all bridges should used when this bridge is acting as the root, for port delay in each of the listening and learning states, preceding the forwarding one (in hundredths of seconds)	Any	Configuration
Same as Spanning Tree Protocol Instance Information (IStpInstanceInfo)

Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol Instance Information

Table 4-16 Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol Instance Information (IRstpInstanceInfo)

Attribute Name	Attribute Description	Scheme	Polling Interval
Force Version	Force version (Unknown, STP, RSTP, PVSTP, MST)	Any	Configuration
Same as Spanning Tree Protocol Instance Information (IStpInstanceInfo)

Spanning Tree Protocol Port Information

The following Spanning Tree Protocol Port Information objects describe the Port Information associated with and accessed by the Spanning Tree Protocol Instance Information's Port Information Table attribute.

Table 4-17 Spanning Tree Protocol Port Information (IStpPortInfo)

Attribute Name	Attribute Description	Scheme	Polling Interval
Object Identification	Port object identification (Object ID)	Any	Configuration
Priority	Port priority in the spanning tree protocol	Any	Configuration
State	Port state (Unknown, Disable, Blocking, Listening, Learning, Forwarding, Broken, Down, LoopBack)	Any	Configuration
Path Cost	Port path cost, which represents the media speed for this port	Any	Configuration
Is Edge	Is this an edge (connected to a nonbridging device) Port? (True, False)	Any	Configuration
Is Point To Point	Is this port connected to n point to point link? (True, False)	Any	Configuration
Role	Port role (Unknown, Disable, Backup, Alternative, Designated, Root, Boundary)	Any	Configuration

Multi Spanning Tree Protocol Port Information

Table 4-18 Multi Spanning Tree Protocol Port Information (IMstPortInfo)

Attribute Name	Attribute Description	Scheme	Polling Interval
Hello Time	Hello time messages' keep-alive interval of a spanning tree protocol root (in hundredths of seconds)	Any	Configuration
Same as Spanning Tree Protocol Port Information (IStpPortInfo)

Vendor-Specific Inventory and Information Model Objects

Vendor-specific Information Model Objects are implemented only for specific devices of the vendor.

The following section describes the object of a specific vendor:

•Cisco's Ethernet Channel

Cisco's Ethernet Channel

The Cisco's Ethernet Channel Data Link layer object aggregates multiple Ethernet Interfaces, which it is bound to by its Containing Termination Points attribute. It is accessed primarily by the Virtual LAN Multiplexer/Interface or IP Interface bound by its Contained Connection Termination Points attribute. It is also accessed by Bridging Entity.

Table 4-19 Cisco's Ethernet Channel (IEthernetChannel) 

Attribute Name	Attribute Description	Scheme	Polling Interval
Group Number	Group identification of the aggregated ethernet interfaces	Any	Configuration
Bandwidth	Accumulated bandwidth of all aggregated ethernet interfaces in Mbps	Any	Configuration
Aggregation Protocol	Aggregation protocol (Manual, LACP, PAGP)	Any	Configuration
IANA Type	IANA type of the sublayer	N/A	N/A
Containing Termination Points	Underlying termination points (Ethernet Interface)	Any	N/A
Contained Connection Termination Points	Bound Connection Termination Points	Any	N/A

Network Topology

Cisco ANA conducts discovery of Ethernet Data Link layer topology by searching for the existence of the local MAC Address in any remote side's bridge or in Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) tables related to the same type of the local Ethernet port. The basic assumption, which is not always valid, is that every Ethernet port has a unique MAC Address. This topology is also applied to the underlying physical links.

Further verification is done by matching the traffic signature of these ports using Cisco's confidential scheme, which requires a substantial amount of traffic to function correctly.

There is no topology based specifically on STP or QinQ technology in Cisco ANA 3.6.

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Note See CSCsi65238 which describes the potential problems in topology discovery in QinQ scenarios.

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Service Alarms

The following alarms are supported for this technology:

•Cloud Problem

•Discard Input Packets/Normal Discard Input Packets

•Dropped Output Packets/Normal Dropped Output Packets

•Link Down/Link Up

•Port Down/Port Up

•Receive Utilization/Receive Utilization Normal

•Transmit Utilization/Transmit Utilization Normal

Note that these alarms, apart from the Cloud Problem, are related to the underlying Physical Interface (see Common Components).

Cisco ANA 3.6 does not generate service alarms specific to QinQ technology. However, correlation takes this technology into account when performing flow analysis.

For detailed information about alarms and correlation, see the Cisco Active Network Abstraction 3.6.5 User Guide.