SPB - Shortest Path Bridging
================================

.. panels::
    :container: container pb-4
    :column: col-lg-12 p-2
    :card: shadow

    .. panels::
        :container: container pb-4
        :column: col-lg-12 p-2
        :card: shadow

        **What is SPB?**

        SPB stands for **Shortest Path Bridging**. It is a network protocol standard (IEEE 802.1aq) designed to simplify the creation and management of large Layer 2 networks by enabling shortest path routing and multipath forwarding.

    .. panels::
        :container: container pb-4
        :column: col-lg-12 p-2
        :card: shadow

        **Why is SPB useful?**

        * Enables **fast, efficient Layer 2 network forwarding**.
        * Supports **multipath routing**, improving bandwidth utilization.
        * Simplifies network design and management by replacing older protocols like Spanning Tree.
        * Provides **loop-free topology** with faster convergence.

    .. panels::
        :container: container pb-4
        :column: col-lg-12 p-2
        :card: shadow

        **How it works?**

        * Uses **IS-IS routing protocol** to discover network topology.
        * Calculates shortest paths between all nodes.
        * Uses MAC-in-MAC encapsulation to forward traffic across the network.
        * Provides multiple equal-cost paths, allowing load balancing and redundancy.

    .. panels::
        :container: container pb-4
        :column: col-lg-12 p-2
        :card: shadow

        **Where is SPB used?**

        * Large enterprise and data center networks.
        * Service provider networks requiring scalable Layer 2.
        * Environments needing efficient multipath Layer 2 connectivity.

    .. panels::
        :container: container pb-4
        :column: col-lg-12 p-2
        :card: shadow

        **Which OSI layer does this protocol belong to?**

        * SPB operates primarily at **Layer 2 (Data Link Layer)** of the OSI model.

    .. panels::
        :container: container pb-4
        :column: col-lg-12 p-2
        :card: shadow

        **IS SPB windows specific?**

        * No, SPB is **not Windows-specific**.
        * It is implemented in network hardware, not tied to an OS.

    .. panels::
        :container: container pb-4
        :column: col-lg-12 p-2
        :card: shadow

        **IS SPB Linux Specific?**

        * No, SPB is **not Linux-specific**.
        * Implementation depends on network devices, not on the OS.

    .. panels::
        :container: container pb-4
        :column: col-lg-12 p-2
        :card: shadow

        **Which Transport Protocol is used by SPB?**

        * SPB uses **IS-IS routing protocol** over Layer 2.
        * Does not rely on TCP or UDP.

    .. panels::
        :container: container pb-4
        :column: col-lg-12 p-2
        :card: shadow

        **Which Port is used by SPB?**

        * SPB does **not use TCP/UDP ports**.
        * Uses Ethernet frames with specific MAC addresses for control traffic.

    .. panels::
        :container: container pb-4
        :column: col-lg-12 p-2
        :card: shadow

        **Is SPB using Client server model?**

        * No, SPB uses a **peer-to-peer communication model** among switches to maintain network topology.

.. panels::
        :container: container pb-4
        :column: col-lg-12 p-2
        :card: shadow

        Topics in this section,

                * :ref:`Learnings in this section <SPB_step1>`

                * :ref:`Terminology <SPB_step2>`

                * :ref:`Version Info <SPB_step3>`

                * :ref:`SPB Version&IEEE Details <SPB_step5>`

                * :ref:`SPB Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv4 <SPB_step18>`

                * :ref:`SPB Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv6 <SPB_step19>`

                * :ref:`SPB Protocol Packet Details <SPB_step6>`

                * :ref:`SPB Usecases <SPB_step7>`

                * :ref:`SPB Basic Features <SPB_step8>`
                    
                * :ref:`Reference links <SPB_step17>`


.. _SPB_step1:

.. tab-set::

    .. tab-item:: Learnings in this section

        * In this section, you are going to learn

.. _SPB_step2:

.. tab-set::

    .. tab-item:: Terminology
        
       * Terminology


.. _SPB_step3:

.. tab-set::

    .. tab-item:: Version Info
    
         * Version Info


.. _SPB_step5:

.. tab-set::

    .. tab-item:: SPB Version&RFC Details

        * rfc details

.. _SPB_step18:

.. tab-set::

    .. tab-item:: SPB Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv4

       * setup

.. _SPB_step19:

.. tab-set::
  
   .. tab-item:: SPB Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv6

     * setup
       
.. _SPB_step6:

.. tab-set::

    .. tab-item:: SPB Protocol Packet Details

        * packet details
       


.. _SPB_step7:

.. tab-set::

    .. tab-item:: SPB Usecases

       * usecases
        
        

.. _SPB_step8:

.. tab-set::

    .. tab-item:: SPB Basic Features
    
        * features 



.. _SPB_step17:

.. tab-set::

    .. tab-item:: Reference links
     
       * Reference links