Spanning tree
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Spanning tree is a protocol used in a LAN environment with multiple switches connected to each other by multiple links. Its main function is to prevent loops in the network by only enabling ports that will not result in a loop. It's based on a loop-free undirected graph where all vertexes are connected.
Development
Spanning tree was developed by Dr. Radia Perlman from Sun Microsystems. He wrote a poem about it:
I think that I shall never see A graph more lovely than a tree. A tree whose crucial property Is loop-free connectivity. A tree which must be sure to span. So packets can reach every LAN. First the Root must be selected By ID it is elected. Least cost paths from Root are traced In the tree these paths are placed. A mesh is made by folks like me Then bridges find a spanning tree.
He is apparently a geek. It's based on "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer.