Allied Telesis AT-GS950/8 - Manual (Page 94)

Chapter 6: GVRP
94
Overview and Guidelines
The GARP VLAN Registration Protocol (GVRP) allows network devices to
share VLAN information and to use the information to modify existing
VLANs or create new VLANs, automatically. This makes it easier to
manage VLANs that span more than one switch. Without GVRP, you have
to manually configure your switches to ensure that the various parts of the
VLANs can communicate with each other across the different switches.
With GVRP, which is an application of the Generic Attribute Registration
Protocol (GARP), this is done for you automatically.
Here are the guidelines for GVRP:
 GVRP is supported with STP or RSTP or without spanning tree.
 Both ports the constitute a network link between the switch and the
other device must be running GVRP.
 You cannot modify or delete dynamic GVRP VLANs.
 You cannot remove dynamic GVRP ports from static or dynamic
VLANs.
 To be detected by GVRP, a VLAN must have at least one active
node or have at least one port with a valid link to an end node.
GVRP cannot detect a VLAN that does not have any active nodes
or valid port links.
 Resetting the switch erases all dynamic GVRP VLANs and
dynamic GVRP port assignments. The dynamic assignments are
relearned by the switch as PDUs arrive on the ports from other
switches.
 GVRP has three timers: join timer, leave timer, and leave all timer.
The values for these timers must be identically configured on all
switches running GVRP. Timers with different values on different
switches can result in GVRP compatibility problems.
 You can convert dynamic GVRP VLANs and dynamic GVRP port
assignments to static VLANs and static port assignments.
 The default port setting on the switch for GVRP is active, meaning
that the ports participate in GVRP. Allied Telesis recommends
disabling GVRP on those ports that are connected to GVRP-
inactive devices, meaning devices that do not feature GVRP.
 PDUs are transmitted from only those switch ports where GVRP is
enabled.