Allied Telesis AT-9000/52 User Manual

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Chapter 18: Setting LLDP and LLDP-MED
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Overview
Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) and Link Layer Discovery Protocol 
for Media Endpoint Devices (LLDP-MED) allow Ethernet network devices 
such as switches and routers to receive and/or transmit device-related 
information to directly connected devices on the network that are also 
using the protocols, and to store the information that is learned about other 
devices. The data sent and received by LLDP and LLDP-MED are useful 
for many reasons. The switch can discover other devices directly 
connected to it. Neighboring devices can use LLDP to advertise some 
parts of their Layer 2 configuration to each other, enabling some types of 
misconfiguration to be more easily detected and corrected.
LLDP is a “one hop” protocol. LLDP information can only be sent to and 
received by devices that are directly connected to each other, or 
connected via a hub or repeater. Devices that are directly connected to 
each other are called neighbors. Advertised information is not forwarded 
on to other devices on the network. In addition, LLDP is a one-way 
protocol. That is, the information transmitted in LLDP advertisements 
flows in one direction only, from one device to its neighbors, and the 
communication ends there. Transmitted advertisements do not solicit 
responses and received advertisements do not solicit acknowledgements. 
LLDP cannot solicit any information from other devices. LLDP operates 
over physical ports only. For example, it can be configured on switch ports 
that belong to static port trunks or LACP trunks, but not on the trunks 
themselves, and on switch ports that belong to VLANs, but not on the 
VLANs themselves. 
Each port can be configured to transmit local information, receive neighbor 
information, or both. LLDP transmits information as packets called LLDP 
Data Units (LLDPDUs). An LLDPDU consists of a set of Type-Length-
Value elements (TLV), each of which contains a particular type of 
information about the device or port transmitting it.
A single LLDPDU contains multiple TLVs. TLVs are short information 
elements that communicate complex data, such as variable length strings, 
in a standardized format. Each TLV advertises a single type of 
information, such as its device ID, type, or management addresses.