LLDP

The IEEE 802.1AB Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) provides a standards-based method for network devices to discover each other and exchange information about their capabilities. An LLDP device advertises itself to adjacent (neighbor) devices by transmitting LLDP data packets on all interfaces on which outbound LLDP is enabled, and reading LLDP advertisements from neighbor devices on ports on which inbound LLDP is enabled. Inbound packets from neighbor devices are stored in a special LLDP MIB (management information base). This information can then be queried by other devices through SNMP.

LLDP information is used by network management tools to create accurate physical network topologies by determining which devices are neighbors and through which interfaces they connect. LLDP operates at layer 2 and requires an LLDP agent to be active on each interface that sends and receives LLDP advertisements. LLDP advertisements can contain a variable number of TLV (type, length, value) information elements. Each TLV describes a single attribute of a device such as: system capabilities, management IP address, device ID, port ID.