Technical professional association IEEE, US, has announced that it has approved the IEEE 802.1aq-2012 Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks: Bridges and Virtual Bridged Local Area Networks. Also known as Shortest Path Bridging (SPB), the standard will help dramatically reduce the complexity of Ethernet networks while increasing their scale.
Part of the IEEE 802 family of standards for local and metropolitan area networks, IEEE 802.1aq encompasses all functionalities of existing technologies, such as Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) and Multiple MAC Registration Protocol (MMRP) into a single, easy-to-use link state protocol.
The new IEEE 802.1aq SPB standard is expected to significantly streamline the creation and management of enterprise, carrier, and cloud networks, and is designed to virtually eliminate human error during network configuration. IEEE 802.1aq preserves the plug-and-play nature that established Ethernet as the de facto protocol at Layer 2. It leverages a proven carrier-grade link state protocol for automatic and instantaneous building of the most logical, optimised topology between access points. This simplifies endpoint provisioning, decreases configuration burdens, and reduces errors. It also helps enable more dynamic deployments that are easier to use and maintain than other technologies.
Already being deployed by users around the world, IEEE 802.1aq consolidates multiple existing functionalities, including STP, Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol (MSTP), Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP), and MMRP in a one link state protocol.
