Operation Manual - VLAN
Quidway S5000 Series Ethernet Switches
Chapter 2 GARP/GVRP Configuration
2-1
Chapter 2 GARP/GVRP Configuration
2.1 Configure GARP
2.1.1 GARP Overview
Generic Attribute Registration Protocol (GARP) offers a mechanism that is used by the
members in the same switching network to distribute, propagate and register such
information as VLAN and multicast addresses.
GARP dose not exist in a switch as an entity. A GARP participant is called GARP
application. The main GARP applications at present are GVRP and GMRP. GVRP is
described in the GVRP Configuration section and GMRP will be described in Multicast
Configuration. When a GARP participant is on a port of the switch, each port
corresponds to a GARP participant.
Through GARP mechanism, the configuration information on one GARP member will
be advertised rapidly in the whole switching network. GARP member can be a terminal
workstation or bridge. A GARP member can notify other members to register or remove
its attribute information by sending declarations or withdrawal declarations. It can also
register or remove the attribute information of other GARP members according to the
received declarations/withdrawal declarations.
GARP members exchange information through sending messages. There mainly are 3
types of GARP messages including Join, Leave, and LeaveAll. When a GARP
participant wants to register its attribute information on other switches, it will send Join
message outward. When it wants to remove some attribute values from other switches,
it will send Leave message. LeaveAll timer will be started at the same time when each
GARP participant is enabled and LeaveAll message will be sent upon timeout. Join
message and Leave message cooperate to ensure the logout and the re-registration of
a message. Through exchanging messages, all the attribute information to be
registered can be propagated to all the switches in the same switching network.
The destination MAC addresses of the packets of the GARP participants are specific
multicast MAC addresses. A GARP-supporting switch will classify the packets received
from the GARP participants and process them with corresponding GARP applications
(GVRP or GMRP).
GARP and GMRP are described in details in the IEEE 802.1p standard (which has
been added to the IEEE802.1D standard). Quidway Series Ethernet Switches fully
support the GARP compliant with the IEEE standards.
