Tutorials · Switching
How to Build an ERPS Ring for Fast Failover
Configure ITU-T G.8032 ERPS on industrial switches so a fibre cut reroutes traffic in milliseconds.
Before you start
- Switches with ERPS support (check the datasheet)
- A physical ring of fibre or copper links
- A dedicated control VLAN
Step by step
Draw the ring
List every switch and the two ring ports on each. Pick one switch as the RPL owner.
Create the control VLAN
ERPS messages (R-APS) travel in their own VLAN.
vlan 4000 name ERPS-CONTROL
Define the ring and instance
Set east and west ports on every switch.
erps ring 1 port0 tengigabitEthernet 0/1 port1 tengigabitEthernet 0/2 instance 1 control-vlan 4000 protected-vlan 10,20,30
Set the RPL owner
On one switch, mark one ring port as the Ring Protection Link, which stays blocked in normal operation.
erps ring 1 instance 1 rpl owner port1
Test failover
Disconnect a ring link and watch traffic continue. Reconnect it and confirm the RPL blocks again.
show erps
Commands are generic, industry-standard examples. Exact syntax and menu names vary by model and firmware; check your device's manual on the Documentation page.
Pro tips
- Route the two halves of the ring through physically different paths.
- Monitor ring state with SNMP traps so a failure is never silent.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How fast is ERPS?
Well-designed ERPS rings typically recover in tens of milliseconds, much faster than classic spanning tree.
Keep learning
Related guides
Ring redundancy with ERPS (blog)
Read more →Industrial Ethernet
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Read more →Stuck on a step?
Ask Navijin technical support or an authorised partner for help with your configuration.