Cisco Systems 2955 Switch User Manual


 
CHAPTER
17-1
Catalyst 2950 and Catalyst 2955 Switch Software Configuration Guide
OL-10101-02
17
Configuring VTP
This chapter describes how to use the VLAN Trunking Protocol (VTP) and the VLAN database for
managing VLANs on your Catalyst
2950 or Catalyst 2955 switch.
Note For complete syntax and usage information for the commands used in this chapter, see the command
reference for this release.
The chapter includes these sections:
Understanding VTP, page 17-1
Configuring VTP, page 17-6
Monitoring VTP, page 17-15
Understanding VTP
VTP is a Layer 2 messaging protocol that maintains VLAN configuration consistency by managing the
addition, deletion, and renaming of VLANs on a network-wide basis. VTP minimizes misconfigurations
and configuration inconsistencies that can cause several problems, such as duplicate VLAN names,
incorrect VLAN-type specifications, and security violations.
Before you create VLANs, you must decide whether to use VTP in your network. Using VTP, you can
make configuration changes centrally on one or more switches and have those changes automatically
communicated to all the other switches in the network. Without VTP, you cannot send information about
VLANs to other switches. VTP configuration information is saved in the VTP VLAN database.
VTP only learns about normal-range VLANs (VLAN IDs 1 to 1005). Extended-range VLANs (VLAN
IDs greater than 1005) are not supported by VTP or stored in the VTP VLAN database.
This section contains information about these VTP parameters:
The VTP Domain, page 17-2
VTP Modes, page 17-2
VTP Advertisements, page 17-3
VTP Version 2, page 17-4
VTP Pruning, page 17-4