Advance Switching technologies
CN301.3 - Advanced Routing and Switching
CMB Attanayake
Senior Lecturer
Department of Network and Security
Objectives
⚫ Understand the requirement for advanced switching
⚫ What are the available functions we can use.
⚫ Identifying the appropriate technologies.
Requirement for Advanced Switching
User requirements are complicated in the point of
networks
Todays networks are very large & complex.
Advanced switching is required in a network to enhance
performance, scalability, security, and manageability.
Improved Performance and Efficiency
Traffic Segmentation: Advanced switches use VLANs (Virtual Local Area
Networks) to segment network traffic, reducing congestion and improving
performance by isolating broadcast domains.
Quality of Service (QoS): Advanced switches prioritize critical traffic (e.g.,
VoIP, video conferencing) over less important traffic, ensuring optimal
performance for time-sensitive applications.
High-Speed Data Transfer: Advanced switches support higher
bandwidths (e.g., 10GbE, 40GbE, 100GbE) and faster data transfer
rates, which are essential for modern high-demand networks.
Scalability & Security
Support for Growing Networks: Advanced switches can handle a larger number
of devices and users, making them suitable for expanding networks.
Layer 3 Switching: Advanced switches can perform routing functions (Layer 3
switching), enabling inter-VLAN communication and reducing the need for
separate routers in large networks.
Access Control: Advanced switches support features like MAC address filtering,
port security, and IEEE 802.1X authentication to prevent unauthorized access.
Network Segmentation: VLANs and advanced switching techniques isolate
sensitive data and reduce the attack surface.
Monitoring and Threat Detection: Advanced switches often include features like
DHCP snooping, dynamic ARP inspection, and intrusion detection to mitigate
security risks.
Network Management and Monitoring
Centralized Management: Advanced switches support protocols
like SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) and can be
managed through centralized platforms, simplifying network
administration.
Traffic Analysis: Features like port mirroring and NetFlow allow
administrators to monitor and analyze network traffic for
troubleshooting and optimization.
Automation: Advanced switches support automation tools and
protocols (e.g., Python scripting, Ansible) to streamline
configuration and management tasks.
Redundancy and Reliability
High Availability: Advanced switches support protocols like
Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) and its variants (e.g., RSTP, MSTP)
to prevent loops and ensure network redundancy.
Link Aggregation: Features like EtherChannel or LACP (Link
Aggregation Control Protocol) combine multiple physical links into
a single logical link, increasing bandwidth and providing failover
capabilities.
Multicast Routing: Advanced switches can handle multicast traffic
efficiently, which is essential for applications like video streaming
and online gaming.
Interoperability / Flexibility & Cost Efficiency
Integration with Other Technologies: Advanced switches can integrate
with other network technologies like SDN (Software-Defined Networking)
and cloud-based management platforms.
Customization: They offer greater flexibility in configuring network
policies, traffic handling, and security settings to meet specific
organizational needs.
Reduced Latency: By processing data at the switch level (instead of
sending it to a router), advanced switches reduce latency and improve
overall network efficiency.
Optimized Resource Utilization: Features like load balancing and traffic
prioritization ensure that network resources are used effectively, reducing
the need for additional hardware.
VLANs: Network Segmentation
What are VLANs?
Benefits:
Improved security
Reduced broadcast traffic
Simplified network management
Inter-VLAN routing for communication between VLANs.
QoS: Prioritizing Network Traffic
Purpose: Ensure optimal performance for critical applications.
Quality of Service
Techniques:
Traffic prioritization (e.g., VoIP, video conferencing)
Bandwidth/resource allocation
Benefits: Reduced latency, improved user experience, provide
resources to business critical activities.
Link Aggregation: Boosting Bandwidth
Combines multiple Ethernet links into one logical link.
Benefits:
Increased bandwidth
Redundancy and failover
Protocols:
LACP (Link Aggregation Control Protocol).
RSTP (Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol)
MSTP (Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol)
Layer 3 Switching: Routing at the Switch Level
Combines switching and routing.
Benefits:
Inter-VLAN routing without external routers
Reduced latency.
Reduce cost and increase reliability.
Multicast Switching: Efficient Traffic Handling
Providing functionality to handle multicast traffic specially related
to streaming media
Techniques
IGMP snooping for optimized multicast traffic.
MVR (Multicast VLAN Registration) for shared multicast traffic.
Benefits: Reduced bandwidth usage, improved efficiency.
Network Security Features
Access Control Lists (ACLs): ACLs filter traffic based on predefined
rules, enhancing network security by controlling which devices or
users can access specific network resources.
Port Security: Port security features restrict access to a switch port
based on MAC addresses, preventing unauthorized devices from
connecting to the network.
DHCP Snooping: This feature prevents rogue DHCP servers from
distributing incorrect IP addresses, enhancing network security and
stability.
Advanced Monitoring and Management
SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol): SNMP allows
network administrators to monitor and manage network devices,
collect performance data, and receive alerts for potential issues.
sFlow/NetFlow: These protocols provide detailed traffic analysis,
helping administrators understand traffic patterns, detect
anomalies, and optimize network performance.
Remote Management: Advanced switches often support remote
management through web interfaces, command-line interfaces
(CLI), or network management software.
Software-Defined Networking (SDN) Integration & Time-
Sensitive Networking (TSN)
Centralized Control: SDN allows for centralized control of network
switches, enabling dynamic configuration, automation, and
optimization of network resources.
OpenFlow: An SDN protocol that allows the control plane to be
separated from the data plane, providing greater flexibility and
programmability in network management.
Real-Time Communication: TSN standards enable deterministic
communication over Ethernet, which is critical for applications like
industrial automation, automotive networks, and audio/video
bridging (AVB).
High Availability and Redundancy
Hot Standby Router Protocol (HSRP): Provides redundancy for IP
networks, ensuring that if one router fails, another can take over
without disrupting network traffic.
Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP): Similar to HSRP,
VRRP provides a backup router to ensure continuous network
availability.
Advanced Switching Architectures/ Automation
and Programmability
Cut-Through Switching: This method forwards frames as soon as the
destination address is read, reducing latency but potentially forwarding
errored frames.
Store-and-Forward Switching: The switch receives the entire frame before
forwarding it, allowing for error checking but introducing higher latency.
Python Scripting: Some advanced switches support Python scripting,
allowing network administrators to automate tasks and customize switch
behavior.
REST APIs: RESTful APIs enable integration with other systems and tools,
facilitating automation and orchestration in complex network environments.
Energy-Efficient Ethernet (EEE) & Power over Ethernet
(PoE)
Power Savings: EEE reduces power consumption during periods of low
network activity, contributing to energy savings and reducing operational
costs.
Device Powering: PoE switches can deliver power to connected devices
(e.g., IP cameras, VoIP phones, wireless access points) over the same
Ethernet cable used for data transmission, simplifying installation and
reducing costs.
PoE+ and PoE++: Enhanced PoE standards provide higher power
levels, supporting more power-hungry devices including none
computational deicers(lights (LED)) .
