Local Area High Speed Networks

Introduction

Local area network capacity has rocketed upward due to the introduction of Gigabit Ethernet links, cheap 100Mbps Ethernet adapters, and switches whose throughput is accelerated by ASIC hardware. More costly network equipment based on fibre channel architecture is producing even higher performance levels.

Better equipment and higher bandwidths have encouraged a trend toward building bigger LANs. However, a big LAN is prey to bottlenecks, congestion, and broadcast storms. A proliferation of new technologies should help solve these problems by controlling traffic flows, preventing switch congestion, and enabling parallel links to be installed. Some of the new capabilities are astonishing. For example, the GARP VLAN Registration Protocol ...