I have worked in IT for years, and I am still learning every day. There may be a simple explanation to my question that I am overlooking. A salesman of Extreme switches told me that Extreme switches do not use spanning-tree. Extreme switches have a proprietary protocol that automatically optimizes switch connectivity by default; just connect the switch. I am referring to switches in different parts of the building. By using extreme switches, I do not have to worry about manually configuring a root bridge for any reason.
I know that a root bridge using spanning-tree is automatically selected using the Bridge ID. If the Bridge ID is the same, the lowest MAC address determines the root bridge. I may want to change my root bridge to improve network performance. I can change the root bridge on a Cisco switch by using #spanning-tree vlan 10 priority 16384 or #spanning-tree vlan 2 root primary.
I cannot find any information on this Extreme technology that beats out Cisco. What am I missing? Extreme features include STP, RSTP & MSTP. Cisco offers the same spanning-tree modes, including the Cisco enhanced version of RSTP (Rapid PVST+).
After searching, I found that a network admin recommended turning off spanning-tree mode on Extreme Switches (the default) and using MLAG instead. MLAG is a feature I would use if my switches were in the same rack. MLAG would be a consideration against using switch stacking or LACP.
What am I missing where several people tell me that Extreme Switches is the exclusive company that possesses this feature to optimize my network?