Quick Reference Guide

PowerConnect B-Series TI24X Configuration Guide 341
53-1002269-02
Chapter
12
Configuring GARP VLAN Registration Protocol
GVRP overview
GARP VLAN Registration Protocol (GVRP) is a Generic Attribute Registration Protocol (GARP)
application that provides VLAN registration service by means of dynamic configuration
(registration) and distribution of VLAN membership information.
A device enabled for GVRP can do the following:
• Learn about VLANs from other devices and configure those VLANs on the ports that learn
about the VLANs. The device listens for GVRP Protocol Data Units (PDUs) from other devices,
and implements the VLAN configuration information in the PDUs.
• Advertise VLANs configured on the device to other devices. The device sends GVRP PDUs
advertising its VLANs to other devices. GVRP advertises statically configured VLANs and VLANs
learned from other devices through GVRP.
GVRP enables a device to dynamically create 802.1Q-compliant VLANs on links with other devices
that are running GVRP. GVRP reduces the chances for errors in VLAN configuration by automatically
providing VLAN ID consistency across the network. You can use GVRP to propagate VLANs to other
GVRP-aware devices automatically, without the need to manually configure the VLANs on each
device. In addition, if the VLAN configuration on a device changes, GVRP automatically changes the
VLAN configurations of the affected devices.
The Dell implementation of GARP and GVRP is based on the following standards:
• ANSI/IEEE standard 802.1D, 1998 edition
• IEEE standard 802.1Q, 1998 edition; approved December 8, 1998
• IEEE draft P802.1w/D10, March 26, 2001
• IEEE draft P802.1u/D9, November 23, 2000
• IEEE draft P802.1t/D10, November 20, 2000
Application examples
Figure 81 shows an example of a network that uses GVRP. This section describes various ways you
can use GVRP in a network such as this one. “CLI examples” on page 357 lists the CLI commands
to implement the applications of GVRP described in this section.