VTP (VLAN Trunking Protocol)
VTP is a Cisco proprietary protocol that allows for the dynamic sharing of VLAN information between switches.
VTP allows network administrators to configure VLANs on a single switch and have that information automatically propagate to other switches in the network.
This makes it easier to maintain a consistent VLAN configuration throughout the network and helps to reduce the potential for errors or inconsistencies.
Here are the basic commands to configure VTP on a Cisco switch:
et the VTP mode:
Switch(config)# vtp mode {server | client | transparent}
Server mode: Allows the switch to create, modify, and delete VLANs and share this information with other switches.
Client mode: Allows the switch to receive VLAN information from a VTP server but does not allow the switch to make any changes to the VLAN database.
Transparent mode: Allows the switch to forward VTP messages but does not participate in VTP domain management.
Set the VTP domain name:
Switch(config)# vtp domain domain_name
The domain name must match on all switches in the VTP domain.
Set the VTP password (optional):
Switch(config)# vtp password password
The password must match on all switches in the VTP domain.
Enable VTP pruning (optional):
Switch(config)# vtp pruning
VTP pruning prevents the flooding of broadcast traffic in VLANs that are not needed on a particular trunk link.
Configure VLANs (optional):
Switch(config)# vlan vlan_number
Switch(config-vlan)# name vlan_name
You can create VLANs manually or allow VTP to dynamically create them.
Configure the VTP ver
sion (optional):
Switch(config)# vtp version version_number
By default, Cisco switches use version 1. You can also use version 2, which includes additional features such as support for extended VLANs.
Note:
Remember to save the configuration changes with the copy running-config startup-config command.