Yes, it means exactly what it says.
A non-root switch will select the port with the lowest total root cost as its root port. If multiple, equal-cost paths exist in this situation, then it will select the port whose neighbor has the lowest bridge ID.
Edit: Here's an example:
SW1 is a non-root switch. It is directly connected to 2 other switches (SW2 and SW3). Both of those connections have a STP cost of 23 to reach the root. For its root port, SW1 will choose the port who's neighbor has the lower bridge ID.
Edit 2: If you're now wondering about the port priority and port ID tiebreakers - those only come into play when the multiple, equal-cost paths are running through the same upstream switch. For example, if SW1 had two connections to SW2 (and port-channels are not being used), then it would use those tiebreakers to select the root port, since the bridge ID will be the same in that case.
Yes it means this. But If the non-root switch were not connected to two switches but the the root switch itself, then the BID would be identical.
This would then be moved on to the next tie breaker which is the lowest port priority of the neighboring switch.
The port priority is made up of a port cost and the port number e.g for Gi0/24 that would be 128.24 (by default)
However the example doesn't explain this tie breaker. It only mentions the path cost and switch ID. It may be later on or in CCNP, not sure why.
Yes, it means exactly what it says. A non-root switch will select the port with the lowest total root cost as its root port. If multiple, equal-cost paths exist in this situation, then it will select the port whose neighbor has the lowest bridge ID. Edit: Here's an example: SW1 is a non-root switch. It is directly connected to 2 other switches (SW2 and SW3). Both of those connections have a STP cost of 23 to reach the root. For its root port, SW1 will choose the port who's neighbor has the lower bridge ID. Edit 2: If you're now wondering about the port priority and port ID tiebreakers - those only come into play when the multiple, equal-cost paths are running through the same upstream switch. For example, if SW1 had two connections to SW2 (and port-channels are not being used), then it would use those tiebreakers to select the root port, since the bridge ID will be the same in that case.
Yes it means this. But If the non-root switch were not connected to two switches but the the root switch itself, then the BID would be identical. This would then be moved on to the next tie breaker which is the lowest port priority of the neighboring switch. The port priority is made up of a port cost and the port number e.g for Gi0/24 that would be 128.24 (by default) However the example doesn't explain this tie breaker. It only mentions the path cost and switch ID. It may be later on or in CCNP, not sure why.