Storm Control Configuration on SFE/SGE Series Managed Switches

Objective

Storm Control is a type of traffic control that prevents the switch from being overloaded with information. A broadcast storm can occur, which happens when a large amount of broadcast messages are transmitted across the network at a single time. This bogs down the network and can reduce the speed and efficiency that the device works at. Storm Control limits the amount of broadcast and multicast frames that are accepted by the device and forwarded to the destination ports. It is enabled on a per-port basis and a specified control rate is given to the port. When the broadcast rate exceeds the Storm Control limit on the port, the excess frames are discarded.

Applicable Devices

• SFE/SGE Managed Switches

Storm Control Configuration

Step 1. Log in to the web configuration utility on the switch and choose System Security > Traffic Control > Storm Control. The Storm Control page opens:

Step 2. (Optional) Check the Unknown Unicast Group Control check box to control Unknown Unicast traffic on all ports.

Note: This option is only available on SFE Series Managed Switches.

Step 3. (Optional) Enter the maximum rate (in kilobits per second) at which unknown packets are forwarded to any interface in the Rate Threshold field. On FE ports, the range is from 70 to 100000 Kbps. On GE ports, the range is from 35000 to 100000 Kbps.

Note: This option is only available on SFE Series Managed Switches.

Step 4. (Optional) Enter an entry number in the Copy From Entry Number field and another entry number in the to Entry Number(s) field to copy the defined parameters from one interface to a different interface.

Step 5. Click Edit next to the entry number/port that you would like to configure Storm Control on. The Edit Storm Control window appears.

Step 6. (Optional) Choose the port that you would like to configure Storm Control on from the Port drop-down list.

Step 7. Check the Enable Broadcast Control check box to enable Storm Control on the desired interface.

Step 8. Choose the broadcast mode for the interface from the Broadcast Mode drop-down list.

• Unknown Unicast, Multicast & Broadcast — All Unknown Unicast, Broadcast, and Multicast traffic is counted together.

Note: The above option is only available on GE ports. This option can be set globally for FE ports from the Storm Control page.

• Multicast & Broadcast — Multicast and Broadcast traffic is counted together.

• Broadcast Only — Only Broadcast traffic is counted.

Step 9. Enter the maximum rate (in kilobits per second) at which unknown packets are forwarded to the interface in the Broadcast Rate Threshold field. On FE ports, the range is from 70 to 100000 Kbps. On GE ports, the range is from 35000 to 100000 Kbps.

Step 10. Click Apply.