IEEE puts out faster 802.1aq Ethernet standard
updated 03:04 pm EDT, Tue May 8, 2012
802.1aq is meant to eliminate human error, bump throughput
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has approved a new standard on Tuesday, called 802.1aq. Known by a few names, including the Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) standard, it helps to reduce the complexity of Ethernet networks while increasing their scale. It takes on all functionalities of existing technologies, including Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) and Multiple MAC Registration Protocol (MMRP) into a single, easy-to-use link state protocol.
The standard is currently being used around the world for enterprise, carrier, and cloud networks. It is plug-and-play and was designed to eliminate human error during network configuration. Connections between access points are optimized and made the most logical, with ease of maintenance also said to be better than other technologies.
