Setting device features, Setting device features -17 – HP TopTools for Hubs and Switches User Manual

Page 173

Managing Switches

Configuring Switch Features

13-17

Figure 13-9. Monitoring Selected Ports on a Switch

Setting Device Features

The Device Features page (only found on switches) lets you set some or all of
these features:

■

Automatic Broadcast Control (ABC)—ABC reduces the number of broad-
casts propagated through the network. See

Automatic Broadcast

Control

for further discussion of this feature.

■

Multicast Filtering (IGMP)—The Internet Group Management Protocol is
a method for automatically controlling multicast traffic through the
network. Using multicasting, applications can send one copy of a packet
addressed to a group of computers that wish to receive it. This method is
more efficient than sending a separate copy to each node, and saves
bandwidth when large transmissions such as video are sent across the
network. See

Internet Group Management Protocol

for further

discussion of this feature.

■

Spanning Tree—Spanning Tree is used to detect and break circular traffic
patterns by disabling certain links. It prevents loops in redundant switches
by maintaining the secondary switch as a backup.