Multiple Spanning Tree

Protocol (MSTP)
Part-1
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 MSTP
What problem was solved by MST?
MST = IEEEs alternative to Ciscos PVST
PVST = One STP instance per VLAN
MST = One STP instance per MSTI
One-or-more VLANS bundled into each MSTI
Default MSTI is Instance-0
Maximum 16 instances supported
When MST is enabled, RSTP is automatically enabled
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 MSTP
Like VTP, Bridges running MST must have certain
compatible parameters:
MST Region Name
MST Revision Number (not dynamic)
VLAN-to-Instance Mapping Configuration Digest
All VLANs mapped to Instance-0 by default
Creating separate STP topologies involves tuning STP
variables (cost, priority, etc) per instance, not per
VLAN.
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 MST Port Costs
MST utilizes newer 802.1t Port Cost values:

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 MST BPDU on 802.1q Trunks
VLANs 1, 2, 3 802.1q Tag

PVST Switch BPDU 3 BPDU 2 BPDU

802.1q VLAN Trunk (Native VLAN=1)

VLAN 1 = Instance-0 MST BPDU

VLANs 2 & 3 = Instance-1
Mrecord
MST Switch Instance-1 Instance-0 VLAN Rev Region
STP Info STP Info Digest # Name
802.1q VLAN Trunk (Native VLAN=1)
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 MST BPDU on Access Ports
VLAN 1 = Instance-0
VLANs 2 & 3 = Instance-1
VLAN 4 = Instance-2
Mrecord Mrecord
MST Switch Instance-2 Instance-1 Instance-0 VLAN Rev Region
STP Info STP Info STP Info Digest # Name
Access Port 802.1q VLAN Trunk (Native VLAN=1)
(VLAN-4)

Mrecord
Instance-2 Instance-0 VLAN Rev Region
STP Info STP Info Digest # Name

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 Whats so special about Instance-0?
MST backwards compatible with RSTP & 802.1d
Boundary Port = Port unable to do MST with peer.
Boundary Ports Tx/Rx non-MST BPDUs
BPDU information sent on Boundary port = Instance-0
Instance-0 called the IST (Internal Spanning-Tree)

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 Boundary Ports STP Port State
On Boundary Ports, the IST governs the STP Port State.

IST Bridge Priority = 32768 CST Bridge Priority = 8192

Instance-1 Bridge Priority = 8192
Instance-2 Bridge Priority = 4096

IST = Rp (F) Boundary

MSTI-1 = F Dp (F)
0/1 0/1
MSTI-2 = F
MST Switch RSTP/802.1d CST Switch
IST = Nd (B) Boundary
MSTI-1 = B Dp (F)
MSTI-2 = B 0/2 0/2

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