Article ID: 7573
Protocols/Features
LLDP
LLDP-MED
Standards
802.1ab
ANSI/TIA-1057
Goals
Enterasys Support for the LLDP and LLDP-MED Protocols
Cause
802.1ab is an IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) standard for link layer discovery in Ethernet networks, providing a method for switches, routers, and access points to advertise their identification, configuration, and capabilities to neighboring devices that store the data in a MIB (management information base). Link layer discovery utilizing LLDP (Link Layer Discovery Protocol) allows a network management system to model the topology of the network by interrogating the MIB databases in the devices.
ANSI/TIA-1057 is a TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association) standard, also known as LLDP-MED (Link Layer Discovery Protocol-Media Endpoint Discover), representing an enhancement to LLDP designed to allow for things such as:
- Auto-discovery of LAN policies (such as VLAN, Layer 2 Priority and Diffserv settings) leading to "plug and play" networking
- Device location discovery to allow creation of location databases and, in the case of VoIP, E911 services
- Extended and automated power management of Power over Ethernet endpoints
- Inventory management, allowing network administrators to track their network devices, and determine their characteristics (manufacturer, software and hardware versions, serial / asset number)
These protocols are similar in concept to CDP, but are more fully featured.
Solution
Support for the LLDP and LLDP-MED protocols is provided in:
- S-Series all firmware
- Matrix N-Series DFE firmware 5.41.25 and higher
- K-Series all firmware
- G-Series all firmware
- D-Series all firmware
- C5-Series all firmware
- C3-Series firmware 1.01.01.0039 and higher
- C2-Series firmware 5.01.01.0039 and higher
- B5-Series all firmware
- B3-Series firmware 1.01.01.0039 and higher
- B2-Series firmware 4.01.01.0039 and higher
- A4-Series firmware 6.61.02.0007 and higher
