Real Time Ring Configuration (RTR)
Web Interface
- Log into the switch from your Web browser. The default username and password are admin/admin.
- For any ports which you will use for real-time Ring, you must exclude the ports from RSTP. This can be done from the STA menu on the Port Configuration page. Simply un-check the enabled box for each port.
- In the menu on the left side, expand the RTR menu, then click the Configuration submenu.
- Click Configuration.
- Select the Enabled check box next to each ring you want to enable.
- Type the desired name for each ring (this does not need to be the same across the network).
- Select the ports you would like to use for each ring. Note that each port may only be a member of one ring.
- Click Apply to activate RTR.
- Click Information in menu on the left side of the page to view the current RTR status.
- To save your changes and make them active at startup, go to the system menu and under File management select Copy Operations.
- From the drop-down list, select Running-config to startup-config.
- Select the configuration file used at startup (ex- startup1.cfg) and click Apply.
CLI Interface
1. Log into the switch via console or telnet. The default username and password are admin/admin.
2. Type config to enter configuration mode.
NOTE: Spanning-Tree must be disabled on all ports you want to include in a Real-Time-Ring. You must follow steps 3-5 for each port you want to use for RTR.
3. Type interface Ethernet <portnumber> and specify the port you want to exclude from the spanning tree. For example, to exclude port 25, enter interface Ethernet 1/25.
4. Type spanning-tree spanning-disabled.
5. Type exit to leave the port configuration.
6. Repeat steps 3-5 for each port you want to exclude.
7. Type rtr <1-4> to configure the desired ring. For example, to configure ring 1, enter rtr 1.
8. Type enable and press Enter.
9. Type name <ringname> to specify the name of the ring. The name cannot have any spaces.
10. Type port primary-port Ethernet <portnumber> backup-port Ethernet <portnumber>. For example, to use port 25 as the primary ring port and port 26 as the backup, enter the following:
port primary-port ethernet 1/25 backup-port ethernet 1/26
11. Type end to exit configuration mode.
12. To save the current configuration and ensure it is enabled on startup, type copy running-config startup-config and press Enter. Type the name of the startup file when prompted or press Enter again to accept the default.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Real-Time-Ring?
A: Real-Time-Ring is a Sixnet proprietary protocol that provides extremely fast failure recovery in the event of a network break. It is many times faster than RSTP. However, it can only be configured in a ring, whereas RSTP can be arranged in almost any configuration.
Q: How quickly does the Real-Time-Ring protocol recover from a failure?
A: RTR can typically recover in 30 ms (milliseconds) plus 5ms per hop. For example, a four-switch ring would normally recover from a failure in 50 ms.
Q: How many switches can I connect in a Real-Time Ring?
A: While there is no maximum, the larger the ring gets, the longer the network will take to recover from a failure. Our ring switches have been field tested with over 80 switches in a single ring.
Q: Which managed switches support Real-Time-Ring?
A: All Sixnet SL, SLX and EK/EF model switches support Real-Time-Ring on firmware versions 4.4.1000 and later. The EL series supports Real-Time-Ring on all firmware versions. Legacy managed switches (ET series) do not support Real-Time-Ring.
Q: Can I use RTR with another brand of ring switch, or another ring protocol?
A: No, RTR may only be used to connect to other Sixnet RTR-capable devices.
Q: How many rings can I configure using RTR?
A: You can configure up to four independent rings, as long as your device has enough ports to do so. For example, a five-port managed switch such as the SLX-5MS-1 switch can only support two rings, because it does not have enough ports to support four rings. However, the 10-port SLX-10MG-1 switch does support the full four-ring limit.
Q: Can RTR and RSTP be enabled on the same switch?
A: Yes, however, a particular port may only be used for one protocol or the other. For example, if a port is part of a Real-Time-Ring, that port cannot also participate in a spanning tree.
Disclaimer
It is the customer's responsibility to review the advice provided herein and its applicability to the system. Red Lion makes no representation about specific knowledge of the customer's system or the specific performance of the system. Red Lion is not responsible for any damage to equipment or connected systems. The use of this document is at your own risk. Red Lion standard product warranty applies.
Red Lion Technical Support
If you have any questions or trouble contact Red Lion Technical Support by clicking here or calling 1-877-432-9908.
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