A meshed switch can
have some ports in the meshed domain and other ports outside the meshed
domain. That is, ports within the meshed domain must be configured
for meshing, while ports outside the meshed domain must not be configured
for meshing.
Meshed links must be
point-to-point switch links.
On any switch, all meshed
ports belong to the same mesh domain.
A switch can have up
to 24 meshed ports.
A mesh domain can include
up to 12 switches.
Up to five inter-switch,
meshed hops are allowed in the path connecting two nodes through a
switch mesh domain. A path of six or more meshed hops between two
nodes is unusable. However, in most mesh topologies, there would normally
be a shorter path available, and paths of five hops or fewer through
the same mesh will continue to operate.
Other sources of traffic
between meshed switch links are not allowed.
If the switch has multiple
static VLANs and you configure a port for meshing, the port becomes
a tagged member of all such VLANs . If you remove a port from meshing,
it becomes an untagged member of only the default VLAN.
A port configured as
a member of a static trunk (LACP or Trunk) cannot
also be configured for meshing.
If a port belongs to
a dynamic LACP trunk and you impose meshing on
the port, it automatically ceases to be a member of the dynamic trunk.
Meshing is not supported
on ports configured with 802.1X access control.
On a port configured for meshing, if you subsequently remove meshing
from the port's configuration and reboot the switch, the port
returns to its default configuration. (It does not revert to any nondefault
configuration it had before being configured for meshing).
In a given mesh domain,
switches in the same product family must run the same switch software
version. HPE recommends that you always use the most recent software
version available for the switches in your network.
The spanningtree configuration must be the same for all switches in
the mesh (enabled or disabled). If spanning tree is enabled in the
mesh, it must be the same version on all switches in the mesh: 802.1D,
802.1w, or 802.1s.
If a switch in the mesh
has GVRP enabled, then all switches in the mesh must have GVRP
enabled. Otherwise, traffic on a dynamic VLAN may not pass through
the mesh.If a switch in the mesh has a
particular static VLAN configured, then all switches
in the mesh must have that static VLAN configured.
If a switch in the mesh
has IGMP enabled, then all switches in the mesh must have
IGMP enabled.
If a switch in the mesh
has LLDP enabled, then all switches in the mesh must have LLDP enabled.
After adding or removing
a port from the mesh, you must save the current configuration and
reboot the switch in order for the change to take effect.
Dynamic IP Lockdown
and Virus Throttling should not be activated on mesh ports. These
are security features for edge ports and mesh ports are not edge ports.
DHCP Snooping and ARP
protection are enabled through VLANs. Mesh ports belong to all VLANs,
so if these security features are enabled on a switch that has mesh
ports, the mesh ports must be configured as “trusted”
ports because meshing may move the port of a MAC address in the mesh
based on the least cost path.
Multiple meshed domains require separation by either a non-meshed
switch or a non-meshed link. For example:Multiple meshed domains separated by a non-mesh switch or a non-mesh link
If GVRP is enabled,
meshed ports in a switch become members of any dynamic VLANs created
in the switch in the same way that they would if meshing was not configured
in the switch.
NOTE:
A switch mesh domain
cannot include either a switch that is not configured for meshing,
or other sources of traffic.
Where a given pair of
switches are linked with meshed ports, you must not also link the
pair together through non-meshed ports unless you have also enabled
STP, RSTP, or MSTP to prevent a loop from forming.An unsupported topology
The switch blocks traffic
on a meshed port connected to a non-meshed port on another switch.
Switch meshing does
not allow trunked links (LACP or Trunk)
between meshed ports.
Linking a non-mesh device or port into the mesh
causes the meshed switch ports connected to that device to shut down.