Alloy AS5010-P, User Manual

Page: 252 / 435

AS Series User Manual
251
Doc No.: AS5-0116-01
GVRP
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 that 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.
Global Config
The switch stores its configuration in a number of text files in CLI format. The files are either virtual
(RAM-based) or stored in flash on the switch.
There are three system files:
• running-config: A virtual file that represents the currently active configuration on the switch. This
file is volatile.
• startup-config: The startup configuration for the switch, read at boot time.