Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 10:59:20 -0700
From: hendel@uask4it-223.Eng.Sun.COM ( Ariel Hendel)
To: P8021@NIC.HEP.NET
Subject: 802.1p/D2 Filtering modes


Tony/802.1p reviewers,

Part of the work put into draft D2 was to generalize the service from
multicast MAC addresses to unicast addresses. I wonder if that
generality, as applied to the Filtering Modes, is desirable.

Filtering Mode 3 is the tightest mode, where MAC addresses that were
not registered are filtered, and is useful for Multicast Addresses when
all MAC service users support Extended Filtering Services.

Because 2.6.6 defines a similar unicast treatment, unknown unicasts
will not be flooded, virtually defeating the learning process. No
connectivity between unicast peers is possible unless every unicast
address is registered (either statically or dynamically).

Unless I am missing something, I did not think that the intent of Mode
3 was to defeat 802.1d type learning.

I welcome clarifications, and apologize for having doubts this late in
the game.

Ariel Hendel