Configuring Storm Control

A traffic storm is a condition that occurs when incoming packets flood the LAN, which creates performance degradation in the network. FASTPATH’s Storm Control feature protects against this condition.

FASTPATH provides broadcast, multicast, and unicast storm recovery for individual interfaces or for all interfaces, depending on forwarding-plane silicon. If the silicon supports configuration for all interfaces, you will not be able to configure individual interfaces.

Unicast Storm Control protects against traffic whose MAC addresses are not known by the system.

For broadcast, multicast, and unicast storm control, if the rate of traffic ingressing on an interface increases beyond the configured threshold for that type, the traffic is dropped.

To configure storm control, you’ll enable the feature for all interfaces or for individual interfaces, and you’ll set the threshold (storm control level) beyond which the broadcast, multicast, or unicast traffic will be dropped.

Configuring a storm-control level also enables that form of storm-control. Disabling a storm-control level (using the “no” version of the command) sets the storm-control level back to default value and disables that form of storm-control. Using the “no” version of the “storm-control” command (not stating a “level”) disables that form of storm-control but maintains the configured “level” (to be active next time that form of storm-control is enabled).

CLI Examples

Example 1: Set Broadcast Storm Control for All Interfaces

CODE EXAMPLE 7-1 Set Broadcast Storm Control for All Interfaces
(DTI SWITCH) #config (DTI SWITCH) (Config)#storm-control broadcast ? all Configure storm-control features for all ports. (DTI SWITCH) (Config)#storm-control broadcast all ? <cr> Press Enter to execute the command. level Configure storm-control thresholds. (DTI SWITCH) (Config)#storm-control broadcast all level ? <rate> Enter the storm-control threshold as percent of port speed. (DTI SWITCH) (Config)#storm-control broadcast all level 7 (DTI SWITCH) (Config)#exit

CODE EXAMPLE 7-1 Set Broadcast Storm Control for All Interfaces

(DTI SWITCH) #config
 
(DTI SWITCH) (Config)#storm-control broadcast ?
 
all                      Configure storm-control features for all ports.
 
(DTI SWITCH) (Config)#storm-control broadcast all ?
 
<cr>                     Press Enter to execute the command.
level                    Configure storm-control thresholds.
 
(DTI SWITCH) (Config)#storm-control broadcast all level ?
 
<rate>                   Enter the storm-control threshold as percent of port
                         speed.
 
(DTI SWITCH) (Config)#storm-control broadcast all level 7
 
(DTI SWITCH) (Config)#exit

Example 2: Set Multicast Storm Control for All Interfaces

CODE EXAMPLE 7-2 Set Multicast Storm Control for All Interfaces
(DTI SWITCH) #config (DTI SWITCH) (Config)#storm-control multicast all ? <cr> Press Enter to execute the command. level Configure storm-control thresholds. (DTI SWITCH) (Config)#storm-control multicast all level 8 (DTI SWITCH) (Config)#exit (DTI SWITCH) #

CODE EXAMPLE 7-2 Set Multicast Storm Control for All Interfaces

(DTI SWITCH) #config
 
(DTI SWITCH) (Config)#storm-control multicast all ?
 
<cr>                     Press Enter to execute the command.
level                    Configure storm-control thresholds.
 
(DTI SWITCH) (Config)#storm-control multicast all level 8
 
(DTI SWITCH) (Config)#exit
 
(DTI SWITCH) #

Example 3: Set Unicast Storm Control for All Interfaces

CODE EXAMPLE 7-3 Set Unicast Storm Control for All Interfaces
(DTI SWITCH) #config (DTI SWITCH) (Config)#storm-control unicast all (DTI SWITCH) (Config)#storm-control unicast all level 5 (DTI SWITCH) (Config)#exit (DTI SWITCH) #

Understanding Traffic Storms

CLI Examples

Example 1: Set Broadcast Storm Control for All Interfaces

Example 2: Set Multicast Storm Control for All Interfaces

Example 3: Set Unicast Storm Control for All Interfaces