Trunking Protocols
The trunking protocol is important for trunking operations on the ports. The protocols enable the following activities:
Table 9-1 specifies the protocols used for trunking and channeling.
Trunk Link
Default
TE-TE port link
Cisco EPP (PTP)
TF-TN port link1
FC-LS Rev 1.62 EVFP
TF-TNP port link
Cisco EPP (PTP)
E or F PortChannel
Cisco EPP (PCP)
TF Port Channel
Cisco EPP (PTP and PCP)
Third-party TF-TNP port link1
FC-LS Rev 1.62 EVFP
1These features are not currently supported.
By default, the trunking protocol is enabled on E ports and disabled on F ports. If the trunking protocol is disabled on a switch, no port on that switch can apply new trunk configurations. Existing trunk configurations are not affected. The TE port continues to function in trunk mode, but only supports traffic in VSANs that it negotiated with previously (when the trunking protocol was enabled). Also, other switches that are directly connected to this switch are similarly affected on the connected interfaces. In some cases, you may need to merge traffic from different port VSANs across a non-trunking ISL. If so, disable the trunking protocol.
Note We recommend that both ends of a trunking link belong to the same port VSAN. On certain switches or fabric switches where the port VSANs are different, one end returns an error and the other end is not connected.
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