Brocade FastIron Ethernet Switch Platform and Layer 2 Switching Configuration Guide - Manual (Page 157)

• For unknown unicast, multicast, and broadcast traffic received on ICL ports, the forwarding behavior
depends on the peer MCT device’s ability to reach the same client.
• Unknown unicast, multicast, and broadcast traffic received from CCEP is forwarded as usual, by
default, flooding the entire VLAN.
• The cluster ID must be unique when there are multiple clusters interconnected in a topology. For
example, in a cascaded Stage 2 MCT cluster, the cluster ID on a stage 1 pair of switches should be
different from the cluster ID on a stage 2 pair of switches.
MCT terminology
• Cluster Client Edge Port (CCEP): A physical port or trunk group interface on an MCT cluster device
that is connected to client devices.
• Cluster Edge Port (CEP): A port on an MCT cluster device that belongs to the MCT VLAN and
connects to an upstream core switch/router but is neither a CCEP not an ICL.
• Cluster Communication Protocol (CCP): A Brocade proprietary protocol that provides reliable, point-
to-point transport to synchronize information between MCT cluster devices. It provides the default
MCT control path between the two peer devices. CCP comprises two main components: CCP peer
management and CCP client management. CCP peer management deals with establishing and
maintaining a TCP transport session between peers, while CCP client management provides event-
based, reliable packet transport to CCP peers.
• Inter-Chassis Link (ICL): A single-port or multi-port 1 GbE, 10 GbE, or 40 GbE interface between the
two MCT cluster devices. It provides the control path for CCP for the cluster and also serves as the
data path between the two devices.
• MCT cluster: A pair of devices (switches) that is clustered together using MCT to appear as a single
logical device. The devices are connected as peers through an Inter-Chassis Link (ICL).
• MCT cluster client: A device that connects with MCT cluster devices through static or dynamic trunks.
It can be a switch or an endpoint server host in the single-level MCT topology or another pair of MCT
devices in a multi-tier MCT topology.
• MCT cluster device: One of the two devices in an MCT cluster.
• MCT peer device: From the perspective of an MCT cluster device, the other device in the MCT
cluster.
• MCT VLANs: VLANs on which MCT cluster clients are operating. Any VLAN that has an ICL port is
an MCT VLAN, even if it does not have any clients.
‐ MCT keep-alive VLAN: The VLAN that provides a backup control path if the ICL goes down.
‐ MCT session VLANs: The VLAN used by the MCT cluster for control operations. CCP
protocol runs over this VLAN. The interface can be a single link or a trunk group port. If it is
a trunk group port, it should be the primary port of the trunk group. The MCT session VLAN
subnet is not distributed in routing protocols using redistribute commands.
• RBridgeID: RBridgeID is a value assigned to MCT cluster devices and clients that uniquely identifies
them and helps associate the source MAC address with an MCT device.
MCT data flow
MCT can be deployed in a single-level configuration that includes two MCT cluster devices or in a
cascading configuration, where a pair of MCT cluster devices operate as switches, and another pair of
cluster devices operates as routers. Refer to
Single-level MCT example on page 195 for a single-level
illustration and configuration example, and Two-level MCT example on page 198 for a two-level or
cascading configuration example.
Basic MCT data flow works as follows.
MCT terminology
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