Solutions - Layer2 Protocols Description

GMRP (GARP Multicast Registration Protocol)

The GARP (Generic Attribute Registration Protocol) Multicast Registration Protocol (GMRP) provides a mechanism that allows Bridges and end stations to dynamically register (and subsequently, de-register) Group membership information with the MAC Bridges attached to the same LAN segment, and for that information to be disseminated across all Bridges in the Bridged LAN that support Extended Filtering Services. The operation of GMRP relies upon the services provided by GARP.

GARP (Generic Attribute Registration Protocol)

The GARP provides a generic attribute dissemination capability that is used by participants in GARP Applications (GARP Participants) to register and de-register attribute values with other GARP Participants within a Bridged LAN. The definition of the attribute types, the values that they can carry, and the semantics that are associated with those values when registered, are specific to the operation of the GARP Application. 

VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network)

A group of independent devices that communicate as if they are on the same physical LAN segment but can actually be located anywhere on the network. VLANs typically allow each connected device to be placed into a logical group according to its physical point of connection (switch port), MAC address, or network protocol type. 802.1Q defines a numbering scheme that allows up to 4094 distinct VLANs on a network.

GVRP (GARP VLAN Registration Protocol)

The GARP (Generic Attribute Registration Protocol) VLAN Registration Protocol (GVRP) defines a GARP application that provides the 802.1Q-compliant VLAN pruning and dynamic VLAN creation on 802.1Q trunk ports. With GVRP, the switch can exchange VLAN configuration information with other GVRP switches, prune unnecessary broadcast and unknown unicast traffic, and dynamically create and manage VLANs on switches connected through 802.1Q trunk ports. 

LACP (Link Aggregation Control Protocol)

Link aggregation is the method for using multiple links between a pair of devices as if they were a single higher performance channel. Link aggregation allows to increase the capacity and availability of communication channel between devices(both switches and end stations )without changing or upgrading the underlying technology In-particular LACP can provide: 

        1) Increased link capacity.

        2) Incremental capacity increase 

        3) Higher link availability

STP (Spanning Tree Protocol)

STP is used by Layer 2 switches to automatically inactivate certain network links so that traffic will have only one path between a specific source and destination, and will not travel endlessly in loops. Spanning Tree is a self-learning protocol that automatically reconfigures itself, if any network link fails to send traffic over another path if possible, although this reconfiguration time can be relatively slow in light of today's networking speeds. 

RSTP (Spanning Tree Protocol)

RSTP provides rapid convergence of the spanning tree and provides for fast reconfiguration critical for networks carrying delay-sensitive traffic such as voice and video. RSTP provides faster reconfiguration by means of Port handshake mechanisms for rapid transition to forwarding state and new Topology Change mechanisms

MSTP (The Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol)

The MSTP algorithm and protocol provides simple and full connectivity for frames assigned to any given VLAN throughout a Bridged Local Area Network comprising arbitrarily interconnected Bridges, each operating MSTP. It allows VLAN bridges to use multiple spanning trees by providing the ability for traffic belonging to different VLANs to flow over potentially different paths within the virtual bridged LAN

IEEE 802.1X

This standard defines a mechanism for Port-based network access control that makes use of the physical access characteristics of IEEE 802 LAN infrastructures in order to provide a means of authenticating and authorizing devices attached to a LAN port that has point-to-point connection characteristics, and of preventing access to that port in cases in which the authentication and authorization process fails.