Bridge port extenders (BPEs) are devices that do not fully process packets, nor make forwarding or filtering decisions. Instead, they simply receive packets from extended ports and forward packets toward the upstream controlling bridge (a Switch Engine-based switch) for L2/L3 processing. This scheme, based on the IEEE 802.1BR specification, is known as extended edge switching.
All models include either two or four SFP+ ports on the faceplate of each base unit, which can be provisioned either as uplink or cascade ports. This gives administrators the option to create redundant links or downstream cascade ports to other V400 units. The SFP+ ports are the only ones that can be used as uplink ports in a cascading configuration.
For more information about configuring Switch Engine for use with this equipment, see the Switch Engine User Guide for your version of the Switch Engine operating system.
