Optimizing spanning tree protocol using port channel

Redundant design in layer 2 networks gives rise to problems such as mislearning of MAC addresses, broadcast storms and multiple frame copies. To prevent this IEEE 802.1d Spanning tree protocol is used. Spanning tree protocol removes the redundant links by disabling the ports to which the redundant links are connected. When the active link goes down the spanning tree protocol has to be executed again to place a redundant connection as active link. This causes convergence issues. Port Channels allows grouping of several Ethernet links to create one logical connection. In this paper we have used the redundant links between switches as port channels thereby making the switch to believe that there is only one connection instead of multiple physical connections to a switch thereby spanning tree protocol is never executed. Experimental analysis also showed that using port channels to eliminate layer 2 loops causes increase in bandwidth, enables load balancing and faster convergence between the links in the network.