Best practices of transporting PTPv2 over RSTP networks

Abstract

Concerns are raised about the performance of a timing plane in the presence of network redundancy protocols which rely on network fault detection and recovery principle such as RSTP [1]. Since most of the present power substations networks are relying on STP like protocols, coexistence of a timing plane over these networks is imperative. This paper proposed basic principles to transport PTP [2] timing plane reliability over RSTP based networks and evaluate the performance of a timing plane in light of these principles using ring and mesh topologies. Test results show that deterministic timing plane transportation over RSTP networks is possible under most network faults with the exception being the failure of the root bridge in mesh topology.