[rbridge] Configuration of VLANs vs selfconfiguration

[Vishwas Manral]

Hi Guillermo,

Doesn't using GVRP help minimize configuration exchanges in the trunking ports case at least currently? Can't we use that in the Rbridge case too?

Thanks,
Vishwas
-----Original Message-----
From: rbridge-bounces at postel.org [mailto:rbridge-bounces at postel.org] On Behalf Of Guillermo Ibáñez
Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2005 2:30 PM
To: Developing a hybrid router/bridge.
Subject: [rbridge] Configuration of VLANs vs selfconfiguration



G. Ibáñez wrote:

I have a doubt since some time on VLAN configuration. One of the main 
aspects driving the routing bridges proposal is to be configuration 
free, like the transparent bridges, opposite to using  routers where IP 
addresses must be  asigned, administered and may change when the host 
moves in the network. However, VLAN configuration of bridges is an 
important aspect and effort, that prevents selfconfiguration of rbridges 
to be achieved. In the Rbridges draft (see extract below), this problem 
is skipped assuming the Rbridges are already configured with the 
information on which VLANs should be supported on which port.
Although the problem of VLAN configuration is complex to handle, by 
ignoring it we risk not to fulfill  one of the main requirements of 
Rbridges: zero configuration.
Regards
Guillermo

Extracted from draft:

"Support of VLANs does traditionally require configuration 
   of the bridges (or in this case RBridges) to know which links belong 
   to which VLANs. In theory some other mechanism might allow an RBridge 
   to know which VLANs should be supported on which port. The RBridge 
   design does not care how RBridges discover which VLANs are supported 
   by each of their ports, but for simplicity we assume here that 
   RBridges (like bridges) are configured with this information."