Linux Ethernet Bridging - Apr 2007 - [Bridge] Bridge port states

On Wed, 19 Jan 2005 18:49:02 +0100
Patrick Stuedi <stuedip@student.ethz.ch> wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> Can anyone explain me why we need all this per port state information. A 
> bridge port seems to be either in BR_STATE_LISTENING, BR_STATE_LEARNING 
> or BR_STATE_FORWARDING. I don't get it, thought the bridge is learning 
> from MAC addresses of the received packets, therefore while listening. 
> Why a bridge port distinquishes these states?
> 
> Thanx,
> Patrick
> 
For full detail get the IEEE spec for bridging 802.1G

http://standards.ieee.org/getieee802/802.1.html

Port states are described in lots of detail in 7.4

-- 
Stephen Hemminger	<shemminger@osdl.org>

Hi all,

Can anyone explain me why we need all this per port state information. A 
bridge port seems to be either in BR_STATE_LISTENING, BR_STATE_LEARNING 
or BR_STATE_FORWARDING. I don't get it, thought the bridge is learning 
from MAC addresses of the received packets, therefore while listening. 
Why a bridge port distinquishes these states?

Thanx,
Patrick