Cabletron Systems 9E531-24 - Manual (Page 15)

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Introduction
Duplex Mode
Through Local Management, each port on the 9E531-24 can be configured to
support either full or half duplex mode of operation.
Runtime IP Address Discovery
This feature enables the modules to automatically accept an IP address from a
Boot Strap Protocol (BootP) server on the network into NVRAM without
requiring a user to enter an IP address through Local Management.
When the modules are connected to the network and powered up, Runtime IP
Address Discovery (RAD) checks the modules for an IP address. If one has not yet
been assigned (module and SmartSwitch 9000 chassis IP address set to 0.0.0.0),
RAD checks to see if any of the module interfaces have a link. If so, RAD sends
out Reverse Address Resolution Protocol (RARP) and BootP requests to obtain an
IP address from a RARP or BootP server on the network.
The RAD requests start at an interval of one per second. The interval then doubles
after every transmission until an interval of 300 seconds is reached. At this point,
the interval remains at 300 seconds. The RAD requests continue until an IP
address is received from a RARP or BootP server, or an IP address is entered using
Local Management.
SmartTrunk
SmartTrunk, also referred to as SmartTrunking, is Cabletron Systems’
terminology for load balancing or load sharing. SmartTrunk technology provides
an easy-to-implement mechanism to group, or aggregate, multiple links of any
technology together to scale the backbone bandwidth beyond the limitations of a
single link. All links are user-configurable so administrators can scale the
backbone bandwidth by adding SmartTrunk links. The benefits of SmartTrunking
include the following:
• All purchased bandwidth is used.
• Distributed, resilient links increase reliability and performance.
• Multiple technologies are supported within a single trunk for maximum
flexibility.
NOTE
For information on SmartTrunk configuration, refer to the
SmartTrunk User’s Guide.