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HCIA-Datacom lab 8 of 22

STP and RSTP

Close a loop of three CloudEngine switches safely: turn spanning tree on before the redundant link comes up, predict the root bridge and every port role, move the root and the blocked port on purpose, then upgrade to RSTP with edge ports and BPDU protection and watch a failover.

Run this lab

It needs Standard: its 5 nodes are set to 8 vCPU and 8,192 MB in total.

In your workspace: Shared, then HCIA-Datacom H12-811 guided labs, then 08 - STP and RSTP

Run it on Standard from £5 a day

The free demo can’t run it: it has 6 vCPU and 8 GB, and this lab’s nodes need 8 vCPU and 8,192 MB together. Every lab plan includes every guided lab.

Level
Intermediate
Time
About 60 minutes
Nodes need
8 vCPU, 8,192 MB
Smallest plan
Standard

The scenario

Northwind's access switches SW2 and SW3 both uplink to the distribution switch SW1, and a cross-link joins them. Three links in a triangle give redundancy, but also a loop. For now the loop is quiet: the switches have their factory configuration and the PCs have no addresses yet, so nothing sends a frame. Your first job is to take the third link (SW1 GE1/0/3 to SW3 GE1/0/3) out of service and get spanning tree running, and only then bring the link back, address the PCs and make the topology behave the way the network team wants.

LinkPorts
SW1 – SW2GE1/0/1 – GE1/0/1
SW2 – SW3GE1/0/2 – GE1/0/2
SW1 – SW3GE1/0/3 – GE1/0/3 (you shut it down in Task 1)
PC1, PC2SW2 GE1/0/10, SW3 GE1/0/10 (192.168.1.1/24 and .2/24, set in Task 3)

What you’ll practise

  • Explain why a switching loop needs spanning tree, and enable STP before closing the loop
  • Predict the root bridge, root ports, designated ports and the blocked port from priorities and costs
  • Move the root with stp root primary/secondary and the blocked port with stp cost
  • Switch to RSTP, configure edge ports and BPDU protection, and test failover

The tasks

  • Task 1: Look before you leap
  • Task 2: Turn on classic STP everywhere
  • Task 3: Close the loop
  • Task 4: Choose the root yourself
  • Task 5: Move the blocked port with cost
  • Concept: RSTP
  • Task 6: Upgrade to RSTP with edge ports
  • Task 7: Fail a link and watch it heal

The Lab Tasks pane has the scenario, these tasks, the checks to run, hints and the full solution.

Topology and devices

The network as it opens in EVE-NG, drawn from the lab’s own canvas, and the image each node runs.

Topology of STP and RSTP5 nodes, 5 links. Every link is listed as text below the diagram.SW1SW2SW3PC1PC2GE1/0/10eth0GE1/0/10eth0GE1/0/1GE1/0/1GE1/0/3GE1/0/3GE1/0/2GE1/0/2
5 nodes, with the interface names each link uses. On a narrow screen, scroll the diagram sideways.
Every link, as text
  • SW1 GE1/0/1 to SW2 GE1/0/1
  • SW2 GE1/0/2 to SW3 GE1/0/2
  • SW1 GE1/0/3 to SW3 GE1/0/3
  • SW2 GE1/0/10 to PC1 eth0
  • SW3 GE1/0/10 to PC2 eth0
Nodes in STP and RSTP, with the image each runs and the vCPU and RAM it’s set to
NodeDeviceImage in Add NodeSet to
SW1Huawei CloudEngine CE6800huaweice6800-bundled2 vCPU, 2,048 MB
SW2Huawei CloudEngine CE6800huaweice6800-bundled2 vCPU, 2,048 MB
SW3Huawei CloudEngine CE6800huaweice6800-bundled2 vCPU, 2,048 MB
PC1VPCS hostBuilt in to EVE-NGCounted as 1 vCPU, 1,024 MB
PC2VPCS hostBuilt in to EVE-NGCounted as 1 vCPU, 1,024 MB

How to open this lab

  1. Sign in to your workspace at lab.cloudlabbox.com.

  2. In File Manager, open Shared, then the folder HCIA-Datacom H12-811 guided labs.

  3. Open 08 - STP and RSTP and start its nodes, then open Lab Tasks for the scenario and the steps.

The lab is read-only. You can start the nodes and configure the devices, but changes to the topology can’t be saved. To change it, rebuild it in your own folder.

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CloudLabBox is independent of Huawei. The lab follows exam topics and isn’t vendor training material; vendor names identify the exams and the images in the workspace.