Brocade FastIron Ethernet Switch Platform and Layer 2 Switching Configuration Guide - Manual (Page 399)

Super-aggregated VLAN configuration
You can aggregate multiple VLANs within another VLAN. This feature allows you to construct Layer 2
paths and channels. This feature is particularly useful for Virtual Private Network (VPN) applications in
which you need to provide a private, dedicated Ethernet connection for an individual client to
transparently reach its subnet across multiple networks.
Conceptually, the paths and channels are similar to Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) paths and
channels. A path contains multiple channels, each of which is a dedicated circuit between two end
points. The two devices at the end points of the channel appear to each other to be directly attached.
The network that connects them is transparent to the two devices.
You can aggregate up to 4094 VLANs within another VLAN. This provides a total VLAN capacity on one
Brocade device of 16,760,836 channels (4094 * 4094).
The devices connected through the channel are not visible to devices in other channels. Therefore,
each client has a private link to the other side of the channel.
The feature allows point-to-point and point-to-multipoint connections.
The following figure shows a conceptual picture of the service that aggregated VLANs provide.
Aggregated VLANs provide a path for multiple client channels. The channels do not receive traffic from
other channels. Thus, each channel is a private link.
Super-aggregated VLAN configuration
FastIron Ethernet Switch Platform and Layer 2 Switching Configuration Guide 399
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