Shortest path bridging: Efficient control of larger ethernet networks

This article provides an overview of IEEE 802.1aq shortest path bridging and outlines some application scenarios that will benefit from the new capabilities SPB offers. SPB is built on the IEEE 802.1 standards, and inherits unaltered the existing OAM and data plane scalability enhancements, such as the MAC-in-MAC forwarding paradigm. SPB introduces link state control for bridge networks, thus improving control plane scalability, network bandwidth utilization, and control of the forwarding paths. Furthermore, SPB minimizes latency by forwarding frames on the shortest path. Network-wide load balancing is also supported by spreading the traffic on multiple equal cost paths in a user controllable manner. Thus, SPB provides enhanced control for Ethernet networks in metro, RAN backhaul, or data center environments.