CH A P T E R 1

Configuring MSTP

This chapter describes how to configure the Cisco implementation of the IEEE 802.1s Multiple STP
(MSTP) on the Catalyst 3750-X or 3560-X switch.

Note The multiple spanning-tree (MST) implementation is based on the IEEE 802.1s standard.

The MSTP enables multiple VLANs to be mapped to the same spanning-tree instance, reducing the
number of spanning-tree instances needed to support a large number of VLANs. The MSTP provides for
multiple forwarding paths for data traffic and enables load-balancing. It improves the fault tolerance of
the network because a failure in one instance (forwarding path) does not affect other instances
(forwarding paths). The most common initial deployment of MSTP is in the backbone and distribution
layers of a Layer 2 switched network. This deployment provides the highly available network required
in a service-provider environment.
When the switch is in the MST mode, the Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP), which is based on
IEEE 802.1w, is automatically enabled. The RSTP provides rapid convergence of the spanning tree
through explicit handshaking that eliminates the IEEE 802.1D forwarding delay and quickly transitions
root ports and designated ports to the forwarding state.
Both MSTP and RSTP improve the spanning-tree operation and maintain backward compatibility with
equipment that is based on the (original) IEEE 802.1D spanning tree, with existing Cisco-proprietary
Multiple Instance STP (MISTP), and with existing Cisco per-VLAN spanning-tree plus (PVST+) and
rapid per-VLAN spanning-tree plus (rapid PVST+). For information about PVST+ and rapid PVST+,
see Chapter 1, “Configuring STP.” For information about other spanning-tree features such as Port Fast,
UplinkFast, root guard, and so forth, see Chapter 1, “Configuring Optional Spanning-Tree Features.”
A switch stack appears as a single spanning-tree node to the rest of the network, and all stack members
use the same switch ID. Unless otherwise noted, the term switch refers to a standalone switch and to a
switch stack.

Note For complete syntax and usage information for the commands used in this chapter, see the command
reference for this release.

This chapter consists of these sections:

• Understanding MSTP, page 1-2
• Understanding RSTP, page 1-9
• Configuring MSTP Features, page 1-14
• Displaying the MST Configuration and Status, page 1-27

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Understanding MSTP
MSTP, which uses RSTP for rapid convergence, enables VLANs to be grouped into a spanning-tree
instance, with each instance having a spanning-tree topology independent of other spanning-tree
instances. This architecture provides multiple forwarding paths for data traffic, enables load-balancing,
and reduces the number of spanning-tree instances required to support a large number of VLANs.
These sections describe how the MSTP works:
• Multiple Spanning-Tree Regions, page 1-2
• IST, CIST, and CST, page 1-2
• Hop Count, page 1-5
• Boundary Ports, page 1-6
• IEEE 802.1s Implementation, page 1-6
• MSTP and Switch Stacks, page 1-8
• Interoperability with IEEE 802.1D STP, page 1-8
For configuration information, see the “Configuring MSTP Features” section on page 1-14.

Multiple Spanning-Tree Regions

For switches to participate in multiple spanning-tree (MST) instances, you must consistently configure
the switches with the same MST configuration information. A collection of interconnected switches that
have the same MST configuration comprises an MST region as shown in Figure 1-1 on page 1-4.
The MST configuration controls to which MST region each switch belongs. The configuration includes
the name of the region, the revision number, and the MST VLAN-to-instance assignment map. You
configure the switch for a region by using the spanning-tree mst configuration global configuration
command, after which the switch enters the MST configuration mode. From this mode, you can map
VLANs to an MST instance by using the instance MST configuration command, specify the region name
by using the name MST configuration command, and set the revision number by using the revision MST
configuration command.
A region can have one or multiple members with the same MST configuration. Each member must be
capable of processing RSTP bridge protocol data units (BPDUs). There is no limit to the number of MST
regions in a network, but each region can support up to 65 spanning-tree instances. Instances can be
identified by any number in the range from 0 to 4094. You can assign a VLAN to only one spanning-tree
instance at a time.

IST, CIST, and CST

Unlike PVST+ and rapid PVST+ in which all the spanning-tree instances are independent, the MSTP
establishes and maintains two types of spanning trees:
• An internal spanning tree (IST), which is the spanning tree that runs in an MST region.
Within each MST region, the MSTP maintains multiple spanning-tree instances. Instance 0 is a
special instance for a region, known as the internal spanning tree (IST). All other MST instances are
numbered from 1 to 4094.

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The IST is the only spanning-tree instance that sends and receives BPDUs. All of the other
spanning-tree instance information is contained in M-records, which are encapsulated within MSTP
BPDUs. Because the MSTP BPDU carries information for all instances, the number of BPDUs that
need to be processed to support multiple spanning-tree instances is significantly reduced.
All MST instances within the same region share the same protocol timers, but each MST instance
has its own topology parameters, such as root switch ID, root path cost, and so forth. By default, all
VLANs are assigned to the IST.
An MST instance is local to the region; for example, MST instance 1 in region A is independent of
MST instance 1 in region B, even if regions A and B are interconnected.
• A common and internal spanning tree (CIST), which is a collection of the ISTs in each MST region,
and the common spanning tree (CST) that interconnects the MST regions and single spanning trees.
The spanning tree computed in a region appears as a subtree in the CST that encompasses the entire
switched domain. The CIST is formed by the spanning-tree algorithm running among switches that
support the IEEE 802.1w, IEEE 802.1s, and IEEE 802.1D standards. The CIST inside an MST
region is the same as the CST outside a region.
For more information, see the “Operations Within an MST Region” section on page 1-3 and the
“Operations Between MST Regions” section on page 1-3.

Note The implementation of the IEEE 802.1s standard changes some of the terminology associated with MST
implementations. For a summary of these changes, see Table 1-1 on page 1-5.

Operations Within an MST Region

The IST connects all the MSTP switches in a region. When the IST converges, the root of the IST
becomes the CIST regional root (called the IST master before the implementation of the IEEE 802.1s
standard) as shown in Figure 1-1 on page 1-4. It is the switch within the region with the lowest switch
ID and path cost to the CIST root. The CIST regional root is also the CIST root if there is only one region
in the network. If the CIST root is outside the region, one of the MSTP switches at the boundary of the
region is selected as the CIST regional root.
When an MSTP switch initializes, it sends BPDUs claiming itself as the root of the CIST and the CIST
regional root, with both of the path costs to the CIST root and to the CIST regional root set to zero. The
switch also initializes all of its MST instances and claims to be the root for all of them. If the switch
receives superior MST root information (lower switch ID, lower path cost, and so forth) than currently
stored for the port, it relinquishes its claim as the CIST regional root.
During initialization, a region might have many subregions, each with its own CIST regional root. As
switches receive superior IST information, they leave their old subregions and join the new subregion
that contains the true CIST regional root. Thus all subregions shrink, except for the one that contains the
true CIST regional root.
For correct operation, all switches in the MST region must agree on the same CIST regional root.
Therefore, any two switches in the region only synchronize their port roles for an MST instance if they
converge to a common CIST regional root.

Operations Between MST Regions

If there are multiple regions or legacy IEEE 802.1D switches within the network, MSTP establishes and
maintains the CST, which includes all MST regions and all legacy STP switches in the network. The
MST instances combine with the IST at the boundary of the region to become the CST.

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The IST connects all the MSTP switches in the region and appears as a subtree in the CIST that
encompasses the entire switched domain. The root of the subtree is the CIST regional root. The MST
region appears as a virtual switch to adjacent STP switches and MST regions.
Figure 1-1 shows a network with three MST regions and a legacy IEEE 802.1D switch (D). The CIST
regional root for region 1 (A) is also the CIST root. The CIST regional root for region 2 (B) and the CIST
regional root for region 3 (C) are the roots for their respective subtrees within the CIST. The RSTP runs
in all regions.

Figure 1-1 MST Regions, CIST Masters, and CST Root

A IST master
and CST root

D
Legacy IEEE 802.1D

MST Region 1

B
IST master C IST master

MST Region 2 MST Region 3

92983

Only the CST instance sends and receives BPDUs, and MST instances add their spanning-tree
information into the BPDUs to interact with neighboring switches and compute the final spanning-tree
topology. Because of this, the spanning-tree parameters related to BPDU transmission (for example,
hello time, forward time, max-age, and max-hops) are configured only on the CST instance but affect all
MST instances. Parameters related to the spanning-tree topology (for example, switch priority, port
VLAN cost, and port VLAN priority) can be configured on both the CST instance and the MST instance.
MSTP switches use Version 3 RSTP BPDUs or IEEE 802.1D STP BPDUs to communicate with legacy
IEEE 802.1D switches. MSTP switches use MSTP BPDUs to communicate with MSTP switches.

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IEEE 802.1s Terminology

Some MST naming conventions used in Cisco’s prestandard implementation have been changed to
identify some internal or regional parameters. These parameters are significant only within an MST
region, as opposed to external parameters that are relevant to the whole network. Because the CIST is
the only spanning-tree instance that spans the whole network, only the CIST parameters require the
external rather than the internal or regional qualifiers.
• The CIST root is the root switch for the unique instance that spans the whole network, the CIST.
• The CIST external root path cost is the cost to the CIST root. This cost is left unchanged within an
MST region. Remember that an MST region looks like a single switch for the CIST. The CIST
external root path cost is the root path cost calculated between these virtual switches and switches
that do not belong to any region.
• The CIST regional root was called the IST master in the prestandard implementation. If the CIST
root is in the region, the CIST regional root is the CIST root. Otherwise, the CIST regional root is
the closest switch to the CIST root in the region. The CIST regional root acts as a root switch for
the IST.
• The CIST internal root path cost is the cost to the CIST regional root in a region. This cost is only
relevant to the IST, instance 0.
Table 1-1 compares the IEEE standard and the Cisco prestandard terminology.

Table 1-1 Prestandard and Standard Terminology

IEEE Standard Cisco Prestandard Cisco Standard

CIST regional root IST master CIST regional root
CIST internal root path cost IST master path cost CIST internal path cost
CIST external root path cost Root path cost Root path cost
MSTI regional root Instance root Instance root
MSTI internal root path cost Root path cost Root path cost

Hop Count
The IST and MST instances do not use the message-age and maximum-age information in the
configuration BPDU to compute the spanning-tree topology. Instead, they use the path cost to the root
and a hop-count mechanism similar to the IP time-to-live (TTL) mechanism.
By using the spanning-tree mst max-hops global configuration command, you can configure the
maximum hops inside the region and apply it to the IST and all MST instances in that region. The hop
count achieves the same result as the message-age information (triggers a reconfiguration). The root
switch of the instance always sends a BPDU (or M-record) with a cost of 0 and the hop count set to the
maximum value. When a switch receives this BPDU, it decrements the received remaining hop count by
one and propagates this value as the remaining hop count in the BPDUs it generates. When the count
reaches zero, the switch discards the BPDU and ages the information held for the port.
The message-age and maximum-age information in the RSTP portion of the BPDU remain the same
throughout the region, and the same values are propagated by the region designated ports at the
boundary.

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Boundary Ports
In the Cisco prestandard implementation, a boundary port connects an MST region to a single
spanning-tree region running RSTP, to a single spanning-tree region running PVST+ or rapid PVST+,
or to another MST region with a different MST configuration. A boundary port also connects to a LAN,
the designated switch of which is either a single spanning-tree switch or a switch with a different MST
configuration.
There is no definition of a boundary port in the IEEE 802.1s standard. The IEEE 802.1Q-2002 standard
identifies two kinds of messages that a port can receive: internal (coming from the same region) and
external. When a message is external, it is received only by the CIST. If the CIST role is root or alternate,
or if the external BPDU is a topology change, it could have an impact on the MST instances. When a
message is internal, the CIST part is received by the CIST, and each MST instance receives its respective
M-record. The Cisco prestandard implementation treats a port that receives an external message as a
boundary port. This means a port cannot receive a mix of internal and external messages.
An MST region includes both switches and LANs. A segment belongs to the region of its designated
port. Therefore, a port in a different region than the designated port for a segment is a boundary port.
This definition allows two ports internal to a region to share a segment with a port belonging to a
different region, creating the possibility of receiving both internal and external messages on a port.
The primary change from the Cisco prestandard implementation is that a designated port is not defined
as boundary, unless it is running in an STP-compatible mode.

Note If there is a legacy STP switch on the segment, messages are always considered external.

The other change from the prestandard implementation is that the CIST regional root switch ID field is
now inserted where an RSTP or legacy IEEE 802.1Q switch has the sender switch ID. The whole region
performs like a single virtual switch by sending a consistent sender switch ID to neighboring switches.
In this example, switch C would receive a BPDU with the same consistent sender switch ID of root,
whether or not A or B is designated for the segment.

IEEE 802.1s Implementation

The Cisco implementation of the IEEE MST standard includes features required to meet the standard, as
well as some of the desirable prestandard functionality that is not yet incorporated into the published
standard.

Port Role Naming Change

The boundary role is no longer in the final MST standard, but this boundary concept is maintained in
Cisco’s implementation. However, an MST instance port at a boundary of the region might not follow
the state of the corresponding CIST port. Two cases exist now:
• The boundary port is the root port of the CIST regional root—When the CIST instance port is
proposed and is in sync, it can send back an agreement and move to the forwarding state only after
all the corresponding MSTI ports are in sync (and thus forwarding). The MSTI ports now have a
special master role.

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• The boundary port is not the root port of the CIST regional root—The MSTI ports follow the state
and role of the CIST port. The standard provides less information, and it might be difficult to
understand why an MSTI port can be alternately blocking when it receives no BPDUs (MRecords).
In this case, although the boundary role no longer exists, the show commands identify a port as
boundary in the type column of the output.

Interoperation Between Legacy and Standard Switches

Because automatic detection of prestandard switches can fail, you can use an interface configuration
command to identify prestandard ports. A region cannot be formed between a standard and a prestandard
switch, but they can interoperate by using the CIST. Only the capability of load-balancing over different
instances is lost in that particular case. The CLI displays different flags depending on the port
configuration when a port receives prestandard BPDUs. A syslog message also appears the first time a
switch receives a prestandard BPDU on a port that has not been configured for prestandard BPDU
transmission.
Figure 1-2 illustrates this scenario. Assume that A is a standard switch and B a prestandard switch, both
configured to be in the same region. A is the root switch for the CIST, and thus B has a root port (BX)
on segment X and an alternate port (BY) on segment Y. If segment Y flaps, and the port on BY becomes
the alternate before sending out a single prestandard BPDU, AY cannot detect that a prestandard switch
is connected to Y and continues to send standard BPDUs. The port BY is thus fixed in a boundary, and
no load-balancing is possible between A and B. The same problem exists on segment X, but B might
transmit topology changes.

Figure 1-2 Standard and Prestandard Switch Interoperation

Segment X MST
Region

Switch A
Switch B
92721

Segment Y

Note We recommend that you minimize the interaction between standard and prestandard MST
implementations.

Detecting Unidirectional Link Failure

This feature is not yet present in the IEEE MST standard, but it is included in this Cisco IOS release.
The software checks the consistency of the port role and state in the received BPDUs to detect
unidirectional link failures that could cause bridging loops.
When a designated port detects a conflict, it keeps its role, but reverts to discarding state because
disrupting connectivity in case of inconsistency is preferable to opening a bridging loop.

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Figure 1-3 illustrates a unidirectional link failure that typically creates a bridging loop. Switch A is the
root switch, and its BPDUs are lost on the link leading to switch B. RSTP and MST BPDUs include the
role and state of the sending port. With this information, switch A can detect that switch B does not react
to the superior BPDUs it sends and that switch B is the designated, not root switch. As a result, switch
A blocks (or keeps blocking) its port, thus preventing the bridging loop.

Figure 1-3 Detecting Unidirectional Link Failure

Superior
Switch BPDU Switch
A B

92722
Inferior BPDU,
Designated + Learning bit set

MSTP and Switch Stacks

A switch stack appears as a single spanning-tree node to the rest of the network, and all stack members
use the same switch ID for a given spanning tree. The switch ID is derived from the MAC address of the
stack master.
If a switch that does not support MSTP is added to a switch stack that does support MSTP or the reverse,
the switch is put into a version mismatch state. If possible, the switch is automatically upgraded or
downgraded to the same version of software that is running on the switch stack.
When a new switch joins the stack, it sets its switch ID to the stack master switch ID. If the newly added
switch has the lowest ID and if the root path cost is the same among all stack members, the newly added
switch becomes the stack root. A topology change occurs if the newly added switch contains a better
root port for the switch stack or a better designated port for the LAN connected to the stack. The newly
added switch causes a topology change in the network if another switch connected to the newly added
switch changes its root port or designated ports.
When a stack member leaves the stack, spanning-tree reconvergence occurs within the stack (and
possibly outside the stack). The remaining stack member with the lowest stack port ID becomes the stack
root.
If the stack master fails or leaves the stack, the stack members elect a new stack master, and all stack
members change their switch IDs of the spanning trees to the new master switch ID.
For more information about switch stacks, see Chapter 1, “Managing Switch Stacks.”

Interoperability with IEEE 802.1D STP

A switch running MSTP supports a built-in protocol migration mechanism that enables it to interoperate
with legacy IEEE 802.1D switches. If this switch receives a legacy IEEE 802.1D configuration BPDU
(a BPDU with the protocol version set to 0), it sends only IEEE 802.1D BPDUs on that port. An MSTP
switch also can detect that a port is at the boundary of a region when it receives a legacy BPDU, an MSTP
BPDU (Version 3) associated with a different region, or an RSTP BPDU (Version 2).
However, the switch does not automatically revert to the MSTP mode if it no longer receives
IEEE 802.1D BPDUs because it cannot detect whether the legacy switch has been removed from the link
unless the legacy switch is the designated switch. A switch might also continue to assign a boundary role

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to a port when the switch to which this switch is connected has joined the region. To restart the protocol
migration process (force the renegotiation with neighboring switches), use the clear spanning-tree
detected-protocols privileged EXEC command.
If all the legacy switches on the link are RSTP switches, they can process MSTP BPDUs as if they are
RSTP BPDUs. Therefore, MSTP switches send either a Version 0 configuration and TCN BPDUs or
Version 3 MSTP BPDUs on a boundary port. A boundary port connects to a LAN, the designated switch
of which is either a single spanning-tree switch or a switch with a different MST configuration.

Understanding RSTP
The RSTP takes advantage of point-to-point wiring and provides rapid convergence of the spanning tree.
Reconfiguration of the spanning tree can occur in less than 1 second (in contrast to 50 seconds with the
default settings in the IEEE 802.1D spanning tree).
These sections describe how the RSTP works:
• Port Roles and the Active Topology, page 1-9
• Rapid Convergence, page 1-10
• Synchronization of Port Roles, page 1-11
• Bridge Protocol Data Unit Format and Processing, page 1-12
For configuration information, see the “Configuring MSTP Features” section on page 1-14.

Port Roles and the Active Topology

The RSTP provides rapid convergence of the spanning tree by assigning port roles and by learning the
active topology. The RSTP builds upon the IEEE 802.1D STP to select the switch with the highest switch
priority (lowest numerical priority value) as the root switch as described in the “Spanning-Tree Topology
and BPDUs” section on page 1-3. Then the RSTP assigns one of these port roles to individual ports:
• Root port—Provides the best path (lowest cost) when the switch forwards packets to the root switch.
• Designated port—Connects to the designated switch, which incurs the lowest path cost when
forwarding packets from that LAN to the root switch. The port through which the designated switch
is attached to the LAN is called the designated port.
• Alternate port—Offers an alternate path toward the root switch to that provided by the current root
port.
• Backup port—Acts as a backup for the path provided by a designated port toward the leaves of the
spanning tree. A backup port can exist only when two ports are connected in a loopback by a
point-to-point link or when a switch has two or more connections to a shared LAN segment.
• Disabled port—Has no role within the operation of the spanning tree.
A port with the root or a designated port role is included in the active topology. A port with the alternate
or backup port role is excluded from the active topology.

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In a stable topology with consistent port roles throughout the network, the RSTP ensures that every root
port and designated port immediately transition to the forwarding state while all alternate and backup
ports are always in the discarding state (equivalent to blocking in IEEE 802.1D). The port state controls
the operation of the forwarding and learning processes. Table 1-2 provides a comparison of
IEEE 802.1D and RSTP port states.

Table 1-2 Port State Comparison

STP Port State Is Port Included in the

Operational Status (IEEE 802.1D) RSTP Port State Active Topology?
Enabled Blocking Discarding No
Enabled Listening Discarding No
Enabled Learning Learning Yes
Enabled Forwarding Forwarding Yes
Disabled Disabled Discarding No

To be consistent with Cisco STP implementations, this guide defines the port state as blocking instead
of discarding. Designated ports start in the listening state.

Rapid Convergence
The RSTP provides for rapid recovery of connectivity following the failure of a switch, a switch port, or
a LAN. It provides rapid convergence for edge ports, new root ports, and ports connected through
point-to-point links as follows:
• Edge ports—If you configure a port as an edge port on an RSTP switch by using the spanning-tree
portfast interface configuration command, the edge port immediately transitions to the forwarding
state. An edge port is the same as a Port Fast-enabled port, and you should enable it only on ports
that connect to a single end station.
• Root ports—If the RSTP selects a new root port, it blocks the old root port and immediately
transitions the new root port to the forwarding state.
• Point-to-point links—If you connect a port to another port through a point-to-point link and the local
port becomes a designated port, it negotiates a rapid transition with the other port by using the
proposal-agreement handshake to ensure a loop-free topology.
As shown in Figure 1-4, Switch A is connected to Switch B through a point-to-point link, and all of
the ports are in the blocking state. Assume that the priority of Switch A is a smaller numerical value
than the priority of Switch B. Switch A sends a proposal message (a configuration BPDU with the
proposal flag set) to Switch B, proposing itself as the designated switch.
After receiving the proposal message, Switch B selects as its new root port the port from which the
proposal message was received, forces all nonedge ports to the blocking state, and sends an
agreement message (a BPDU with the agreement flag set) through its new root port.
After receiving Switch B’s agreement message, Switch A also immediately transitions its designated
port to the forwarding state. No loops in the network are formed because Switch B blocked all of its
nonedge ports and because there is a point-to-point link between Switches A and B.

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When Switch C is connected to Switch B, a similar set of handshaking messages are exchanged.
Switch C selects the port connected to Switch B as its root port, and both ends immediately
transition to the forwarding state. With each iteration of this handshaking process, one more switch
joins the active topology. As the network converges, this proposal-agreement handshaking
progresses from the root toward the leaves of the spanning tree.
In a switch stack, the cross-stack rapid transition (CSRT) feature ensures that a stack member
receives acknowledgments from all stack members during the proposal-agreement handshaking
before moving the port to the forwarding state. CSRT is automatically enabled when the switch is
in MST mode.
The switch learns the link type from the port duplex mode: a full-duplex port is considered to have
a point-to-point connection; a half-duplex port is considered to have a shared connection. You can
override the default setting that is controlled by the duplex setting by using the spanning-tree
link-type interface configuration command.

Figure 1-4 Proposal and Agreement Handshaking for Rapid Convergence

Switch A Proposal Switch B

Designated
Root Agreement switch
F F
DP RP

Designated
Root switch Proposal Switch C
F F
DP RP

Designated
Root switch Agreement
F F F F
DP RP DP RP

DP = designated port
88760

RP = root port
F = forwarding

Synchronization of Port Roles

When the switch receives a proposal message on one of its ports and that port is selected as the new root
port, the RSTP forces all other ports to synchronize with the new root information.
The switch is synchronized with superior root information received on the root port if all other ports are
synchronized. An individual port on the switch is synchronized if
• That port is in the blocking state.
• It is an edge port (a port configured to be at the edge of the network).
If a designated port is in the forwarding state and is not configured as an edge port, it transitions to the
blocking state when the RSTP forces it to synchronize with new root information. In general, when the
RSTP forces a port to synchronize with root information and the port does not satisfy any of the above
conditions, its port state is set to blocking.

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After ensuring that all of the ports are synchronized, the switch sends an agreement message to the
designated switch corresponding to its root port. When the switches connected by a point-to-point link
are in agreement about their port roles, the RSTP immediately transitions the port states to forwarding.
The sequence of events is shown in Figure 1-5.

Figure 1-5 Sequence of Events During Rapid Convergence

4. Agreement 1. Proposal

5. Forward

Edge port

2. Block 3. Block
9. Forward 11. Forward

8. Agreement 6. Proposal 7. Proposal 10. Agreement

Root port

88761
Designated port

Bridge Protocol Data Unit Format and Processing

The RSTP BPDU format is the same as the IEEE 802.1D BPDU format except that the protocol version
is set to 2. A new 1-byte Version 1 Length field is set to zero, which means that no version 1 protocol
information is present. Table 1-3 shows the RSTP flag fields.

Table 1-3 RSTP BPDU Flags

Bit Function
0 Topology change (TC)
1 Proposal
2–3: Port role:
00 Unknown
01 Alternate port
10 Root port
11 Designated port
4 Learning
5 Forwarding
6 Agreement
7 Topology change acknowledgement (TCA)

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Understanding RSTP

The sending switch sets the proposal flag in the RSTP BPDU to propose itself as the designated switch
on that LAN. The port role in the proposal message is always set to the designated port.
The sending switch sets the agreement flag in the RSTP BPDU to accept the previous proposal. The port
role in the agreement message is always set to the root port.
The RSTP does not have a separate topology change notification (TCN) BPDU. It uses the topology
change (TC) flag to show the topology changes. However, for interoperability with IEEE 802.1D
switches, the RSTP switch processes and generates TCN BPDUs.
The learning and forwarding flags are set according to the state of the sending port.

Processing Superior BPDU Information

If a port receives superior root information (lower switch ID, lower path cost, and so forth) than currently
stored for the port, the RSTP triggers a reconfiguration. If the port is proposed and is selected as the new
root port, RSTP forces all the other ports to synchronize.
If the BPDU received is an RSTP BPDU with the proposal flag set, the switch sends an agreement
message after all of the other ports are synchronized. If the BPDU is an IEEE 802.1D BPDU, the switch
does not set the proposal flag and starts the forward-delay timer for the port. The new root port requires
twice the forward-delay time to transition to the forwarding state.
If the superior information received on the port causes the port to become a backup or alternate port,
RSTP sets the port to the blocking state but does not send the agreement message. The designated port
continues sending BPDUs with the proposal flag set until the forward-delay timer expires, at which time
the port transitions to the forwarding state.

Processing Inferior BPDU Information

If a designated port receives an inferior BPDU (higher switch ID, higher path cost, and so forth than
currently stored for the port) with a designated port role, it immediately replies with its own information.

Topology Changes
This section describes the differences between the RSTP and the IEEE 802.1D in handling spanning-tree
topology changes.
• Detection—Unlike IEEE 802.1D in which any transition between the blocking and the forwarding
state causes a topology change, only transitions from the blocking to the forwarding state cause a
topology change with RSTP (only an increase in connectivity is considered a topology change).
State changes on an edge port do not cause a topology change. When an RSTP switch detects a
topology change, it deletes the learned information on all of its nonedge ports except on those from
which it received the TC notification.
• Notification—Unlike IEEE 802.1D, which uses TCN BPDUs, the RSTP does not use them.
However, for IEEE 802.1D interoperability, an RSTP switch processes and generates TCN BPDUs.
• Acknowledgement—When an RSTP switch receives a TCN message on a designated port from an
IEEE 802.1D switch, it replies with an IEEE 802.1D configuration BPDU with the TCA bit set.
However, if the TC-while timer (the same as the topology-change timer in IEEE 802.1D) is active
on a root port connected to an IEEE 802.1D switch and a configuration BPDU with the TCA bit set
is received, the TC-while timer is reset.
This behavior is only required to support IEEE 802.1D switches. The RSTP BPDUs never have the
TCA bit set.

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• Propagation—When an RSTP switch receives a TC message from another switch through a

designated or root port, it propagates the change to all of its nonedge, designated ports and to the
root port (excluding the port on which it is received). The switch starts the TC-while timer for all
such ports and flushes the information learned on them.
• Protocol migration—For backward compatibility with IEEE 802.1D switches, RSTP selectively
sends IEEE 802.1D configuration BPDUs and TCN BPDUs on a per-port basis.
When a port is initialized, the migrate-delay timer is started (specifies the minimum time during
which RSTP BPDUs are sent), and RSTP BPDUs are sent. While this timer is active, the switch
processes all BPDUs received on that port and ignores the protocol type.
If the switch receives an IEEE 802.1D BPDU after the port migration-delay timer has expired, it
assumes that it is connected to an IEEE 802.1D switch and starts using only IEEE 802.1D BPDUs.
However, if the RSTP switch is using IEEE 802.1D BPDUs on a port and receives an RSTP BPDU
after the timer has expired, it restarts the timer and starts using RSTP BPDUs on that port.

Configuring MSTP Features

These sections contain this configuration information:
• Default MSTP Configuration, page 1-14
• MSTP Configuration Guidelines, page 1-15
• Specifying the MST Region Configuration and Enabling MSTP, page 1-16 (required)
• Configuring the Root Switch, page 1-18 (optional)
• Configuring a Secondary Root Switch, page 1-19 (optional)
• Configuring Port Priority, page 1-20 (optional)
• Configuring Path Cost, page 1-21 (optional)
• Configuring the Switch Priority, page 1-22 (optional)
• Configuring the Hello Time, page 1-23 (optional)
• Configuring the Forwarding-Delay Time, page 1-24 (optional)
• Configuring the Maximum-Aging Time, page 1-24 (optional)
• Configuring the Maximum-Hop Count, page 1-25 (optional)
• Specifying the Link Type to Ensure Rapid Transitions, page 1-25 (optional)
• Designating the Neighbor Type, page 1-26 (optional)
• Restarting the Protocol Migration Process, page 1-26 (optional)

Default MSTP Configuration

Table 1-4 shows the default MSTP configuration.

Table 1-4 Default MSTP Configuration

Feature Default Setting

Spanning-tree mode PVST+ (Rapid PVST+ and MSTP are disabled).
Switch priority (configurable on a per-CIST port basis) 32768.

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Table 1-4 Default MSTP Configuration (continued)

Feature Default Setting

Spanning-tree port priority (configurable on a per-CIST port basis) 128.
Spanning-tree port cost (configurable on a per-CIST port basis) 1000 Mb/s: 4.
100 Mb/s: 19.
10 Mb/s: 100.
Hello time 2 seconds.
Forward-delay time 15 seconds.
Maximum-aging time 20 seconds.
Maximum hop count 20 hops.

For information about the supported number of spanning-tree instances, see the “Supported
Spanning-Tree Instances” section on page 1-10.

MSTP Configuration Guidelines

These are the configuration guidelines for MSTP:
• When you enable MST by using the spanning-tree mode mst global configuration command, RSTP
is automatically enabled.
• For two or more Catalyst 3560-X switches to be in the same MST region, they must have the same
VLAN-to-instance map, the same configuration revision number, and the same name.
• For two or more stacked Catalyst 3750-X switches to be in the same MST region, they must have
the same VLAN-to-instance map, the same configuration revision number, and the same name.
• The Catalyst 3560-X switch supports up to 65 MST instances. The number of VLANs that can be
mapped to a particular MST instance is unlimited.
• The Catalyst 3750-X switch stack supports up to 65 MST instances. The number of VLANs that can
be mapped to a particular MST instance is unlimited.
• PVST+, rapid PVST+, and MSTP are supported, but only one version can be active at any time. (For
example, all VLANs run PVST+, all VLANs run rapid PVST+, or all VLANs run MSTP.) For more
information, see the “Spanning-Tree Interoperability and Backward Compatibility” section on
page 1-10. For information on the recommended trunk port configuration, see the “Interaction with
Other Features” section on page 1-18.
• All stack members run the same version of spanning tree (all PVST+, rapid PVST+, or MSTP). For
more information, see the “Spanning-Tree Interoperability and Backward Compatibility” section on
page 1-10.
• VTP propagation of the MST configuration is not supported. However, you can manually configure
the MST configuration (region name, revision number, and VLAN-to-instance mapping) on each
switch within the MST region by using the command-line interface (CLI) or through the SNMP
support.
• For load-balancing across redundant paths in the network to work, all VLAN-to-instance mapping
assignments must match; otherwise, all traffic flows on a single link. You can achieve
load-balancing across a switch stack by manually configuring the path cost.

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• All MST boundary ports must be forwarding for load-balancing between a PVST+ and an MST
cloud or between a rapid-PVST+ and an MST cloud. For this to occur, the IST master of the MST
cloud should also be the root of the CST. If the MST cloud consists of multiple MST regions, one
of the MST regions must contain the CST root, and all of the other MST regions must have a better
path to the root contained within the MST cloud than a path through the PVST+ or rapid-PVST+
cloud. You might have to manually configure the switches in the clouds.
• Partitioning the network into a large number of regions is not recommended. However, if this
situation is unavoidable, we recommend that you partition the switched LAN into smaller LANs
interconnected by routers or non-Layer 2 devices.
• For configuration guidelines about UplinkFast, BackboneFast, and cross-stack UplinkFast, see the
“Optional Spanning-Tree Configuration Guidelines” section on page 1-12.
• When the switch is in MST mode, it uses the long path-cost calculation method (32 bits) to compute
the path cost values. With the long path-cost calculation method, these path cost values are
supported:

Speed Path Cost Value

10 Mb/s 2,000,000
100 Mb/s 200,000
1 Gb/s 20,000
10 Gb/s 2,000
100 Gb/s 200

Specifying the MST Region Configuration and Enabling MSTP

For two or more switches to be in the same MST region, they must have the same VLAN-to-instance
mapping, the same configuration revision number, and the same name.
A region can have one member or multiple members with the same MST configuration; each member
must be capable of processing RSTP BPDUs. There is no limit to the number of MST regions in a
network, but each region can only support up to 65 spanning-tree instances. You can assign a VLAN to
only one spanning-tree instance at a time.
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to specify the MST region configuration and
enable MSTP. This procedure is required.

Command Purpose
Step 1 configure terminal Enter global configuration mode.
Step 2 spanning-tree mst configuration Enter MST configuration mode.

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Command Purpose
Step 3 instance instance-id vlan vlan-range Map VLANs to an MST instance.
• For instance-id, the range is 0 to 4094.
• For vlan vlan-range, the range is 1 to 4094.
When you map VLANs to an MST instance, the mapping is
incremental, and the VLANs specified in the command are added to
or removed from the VLANs that were previously mapped.
To specify a VLAN range, use a hyphen; for example, instance 1 vlan
1-63 maps VLANs 1 through 63 to MST instance 1.
To specify a VLAN series, use a comma; for example, instance 1 vlan 10,
20, 30 maps VLANs 10, 20, and 30 to MST instance 1.
Step 4 name name Specify the configuration name. The name string has a maximum length
of 32 characters and is case sensitive.
Step 5 revision version Specify the configuration revision number. The range is 0 to 65535.
Step 6 show pending Verify your configuration by displaying the pending configuration.
Step 7 exit Apply all changes, and return to global configuration mode.
Step 8 spanning-tree mode mst Enable MSTP. RSTP is also enabled.

Caution Changing spanning-tree modes can disrupt traffic because all

spanning-tree instances are stopped for the previous mode and
restarted in the new mode.

You cannot run both MSTP and PVST+ or both MSTP and rapid PVST+
at the same time.
Step 9 end Return to privileged EXEC mode.
Step 10 show running-config Verify your entries.
Step 11 copy running-config startup-config (Optional) Save your entries in the configuration file.

To return to the default MST region configuration, use the no spanning-tree mst configuration global
configuration command. To return to the default VLAN-to-instance map, use the no instance instance-id
[vlan vlan-range] MST configuration command. To return to the default name, use the no name MST
configuration command. To return to the default revision number, use the no revision MST configuration
command. To re-enable PVST+, use the no spanning-tree mode or the spanning-tree mode pvst global
configuration command.
This example shows how to enter MST configuration mode, map VLANs 10 to 20 to MST instance 1,
name the region region1, set the configuration revision to 1, display the pending configuration, apply the
changes, and return to global configuration mode:
Switch(config)# spanning-tree mst configuration
Switch(config-mst)# instance 1 vlan 10-20
Switch(config-mst)# name region1
Switch(config-mst)# revision 1
Switch(config-mst)# show pending
Pending MST configuration
Name [region1]
Revision 1

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Instance Vlans Mapped

-------- ---------------------
0 1-9,21-4094
1 10-20
-------------------------------

Switch(config-mst)# exit
Switch(config)#

Configuring the Root Switch

The switch maintains a spanning-tree instance for the group of VLANs mapped to it. A switch ID,
consisting of the switch priority and the switch MAC address, is associated with each instance. For a
group of VLANs, the switch with the lowest switch ID becomes the root switch.
To configure a switch to become the root, use the spanning-tree mst instance-id root global
configuration command to modify the switch priority from the default value (32768) to a significantly
lower value so that the switch becomes the root switch for the specified spanning-tree instance. When
you enter this command, the switch checks the switch priorities of the root switches. Because of the
extended system ID support, the switch sets its own priority for the specified instance to 24576 if this
value will cause this switch to become the root for the specified spanning-tree instance.
If any root switch for the specified instance has a switch priority lower than 24576, the switch sets its
own priority to 4096 less than the lowest switch priority. (4096 is the value of the least-significant bit of
a 4-bit switch priority value as shown in Table 1-1 on page 1-5.)
If your network consists of switches that both do and do not support the extended system ID, it is unlikely
that the switch with the extended system ID support will become the root switch. The extended system
ID increases the switch priority value every time the VLAN number is greater than the priority of the
connected switches running older software.
The root switch for each spanning-tree instance should be a backbone or distribution switch. Do not
configure an access switch as the spanning-tree primary root.
Use the diameter keyword, which is available only for MST instance 0, to specify the Layer 2 network
diameter (that is, the maximum number of switch hops between any two end stations in the Layer 2
network). When you specify the network diameter, the switch automatically sets an optimal hello time,
forward-delay time, and maximum-age time for a network of that diameter, which can significantly
reduce the convergence time. You can use the hello keyword to override the automatically calculated
hello time.

Note After configuring the switch as the root switch, we recommend that you avoid manually configuring the
hello time, forward-delay time, and maximum-age time through the spanning-tree mst hello-time,
spanning-tree mst forward-time, and the spanning-tree mst max-age global configuration
commands.

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Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to configure a switch as the root switch. This
procedure is optional.

Command Purpose
Step 1 configure terminal Enter global configuration mode.
Step 2 spanning-tree mst instance-id root primary Configure a switch as the root switch.
[diameter net-diameter [hello-time seconds]]
• For instance-id, you can specify a single instance, a range
of instances separated by a hyphen, or a series of instances
separated by a comma. The range is 0 to 4094.
• (Optional) For diameter net-diameter, specify the
maximum number of switches between any two end
stations. The range is 2 to 7. This keyword is available
only for MST instance 0.
• (Optional) For hello-time seconds, specify the interval in
seconds between the generation of configuration messages
by the root switch. The range is 1 to 10 seconds; the
default is 2 seconds.
Step 3 end Return to privileged EXEC mode.
Step 4 show spanning-tree mst instance-id Verify your entries.
Step 5 copy running-config startup-config (Optional) Save your entries in the configuration file.

To return the switch to its default setting, use the no spanning-tree mst instance-id root global
configuration command.

Configuring a Secondary Root Switch

When you configure a switch with the extended system ID support as the secondary root, the switch
priority is modified from the default value (32768) to 28672. The switch is then likely to become the root
switch for the specified instance if the primary root switch fails. This is assuming that the other network
switches use the default switch priority of 32768 and therefore are unlikely to become the root switch.
You can execute this command on more than one switch to configure multiple backup root switches. Use
the same network diameter and hello-time values that you used when you configured the primary root
switch with the spanning-tree mst instance-id root primary global configuration command.

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Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to configure a switch as the secondary root
switch. This procedure is optional.

Command Purpose
Step 1 configure terminal Enter global configuration mode.
Step 2 spanning-tree mst instance-id root Configure a switch as the secondary root switch.
secondary [diameter net-diameter
• For instance-id, you can specify a single instance, a range of
[hello-time seconds]]
instances separated by a hyphen, or a series of instances
separated by a comma. The range is 0 to 4094.
• (Optional) For diameter net-diameter, specify the maximum
number of switches between any two end stations. The range is 2
to 7. This keyword is available only for MST instance 0.
• (Optional) For hello-time seconds, specify the interval in
seconds between the generation of configuration messages by
the root switch. The range is 1 to 10 seconds; the default
is 2 seconds.
Use the same network diameter and hello-time values that you used
when configuring the primary root switch. See the “Configuring the
Root Switch” section on page 1-18.
Step 3 end Return to privileged EXEC mode.
Step 4 show spanning-tree mst instance-id Verify your entries.
Step 5 copy running-config startup-config (Optional) Save your entries in the configuration file.

To return the switch to its default setting, use the no spanning-tree mst instance-id root global
configuration command.

Configuring Port Priority

If a loop occurs, the MSTP uses the port priority when selecting an interface to put into the forwarding
state. You can assign higher priority values (lower numerical values) to interfaces that you want selected
first and lower priority values (higher numerical values) that you want selected last. If all interfaces have
the same priority value, the MSTP puts the interface with the lowest interface number in the forwarding
state and blocks the other interfaces.

Note If your Catalyst 3750-X switch is a member of a switch stack, you must use the spanning-tree mst
[instance-id] cost cost interface configuration command instead of the spanning-tree mst [instance-id]
port-priority priority interface configuration command to select a port to put in the forwarding state.
Assign lower cost values to ports that you want selected first and higher cost values to ports that you
want selected last. For more information, see the “Configuring Path Cost” section on page 1-21.

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Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to configure the MSTP port priority of an
interface. This procedure is optional.

Command Purpose
Step 1 configure terminal Enter global configuration mode.
Step 2 interface interface-id Specify an interface to configure, and enter interface
configuration mode.
Valid interfaces include physical ports and port-channel
logical interfaces. The port-channel range is 1 to 48.
Step 3 spanning-tree mst instance-id port-priority priority Configure the port priority.
• For instance-id, you can specify a single instance, a
range of instances separated by a hyphen, or a series of
instances separated by a comma. The range is 0 to
4094.
• For priority, the range is 0 to 240 in increments of 16.
The default is 128. The lower the number, the higher
the priority.
The priority values are 0, 16, 32, 48, 64, 80, 96, 112,
128, 144, 160, 176, 192, 208, 224, and 240. All other
values are rejected.
Step 4 end Return to privileged EXEC mode.
Step 5 show spanning-tree mst interface interface-id Verify your entries.
or
show spanning-tree mst instance-id
Step 6 copy running-config startup-config (Optional) Save your entries in the configuration file.

Note The show spanning-tree mst interface interface-id privileged EXEC command displays information
only if the port is in a link-up operative state. Otherwise, you can use the show running-config interface
privileged EXEC command to confirm the configuration.

To return the interface to its default setting, use the no spanning-tree mst instance-id port-priority
interface configuration command.

Configuring Path Cost

The MSTP path cost default value is derived from the media speed of an interface. If a loop occurs, the
MSTP uses cost when selecting an interface to put in the forwarding state. You can assign lower cost
values to interfaces that you want selected first and higher cost values that you want selected last. If all
interfaces have the same cost value, the MSTP puts the interface with the lowest interface number in the
forwarding state and blocks the other interfaces.

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Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to configure the MSTP cost of an interface. This
procedure is optional.

Command Purpose
Step 1 configure terminal Enter global configuration mode.
Step 2 interface interface-id Specify an interface to configure, and enter interface
configuration mode. Valid interfaces include physical ports and
port-channel logical interfaces. The port-channel range is 1 to 48.
Step 3 spanning-tree mst instance-id cost cost Configure the cost.
If a loop occurs, the MSTP uses the path cost when selecting an
interface to place into the forwarding state. A lower path cost
represents higher-speed transmission.
• For instance-id, you can specify a single instance, a range of
instances separated by a hyphen, or a series of instances
separated by a comma. The range is 0 to 4094.
• For cost, the range is 1 to 200000000; the default value is
derived from the media speed of the interface.
Step 4 end Return to privileged EXEC mode.
Step 5 show spanning-tree mst interface interface-id Verify your entries.
or
show spanning-tree mst instance-id
Step 6 copy running-config startup-config (Optional) Save your entries in the configuration file.

Note The show spanning-tree mst interface interface-id privileged EXEC command displays information
only for ports that are in a link-up operative state. Otherwise, you can use the show running-config
privileged EXEC command to confirm the configuration.

To return the interface to its default setting, use the no spanning-tree mst instance-id cost interface
configuration command.

Configuring the Switch Priority

You can configure the switch priority and make it more likely that a standalone switch or a switch in the
stack will be chosen as the root switch.

Note Exercise care when using this command. For most situations, we recommend that you use the
spanning-tree mst instance-id root primary and the spanning-tree mst instance-id root secondary
global configuration commands to modify the switch priority.

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Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to configure the switch priority. This procedure
is optional.

Command Purpose
Step 1 configure terminal Enter global configuration mode.
Step 2 spanning-tree mst instance-id priority priority Configure the switch priority.
• For instance-id, you can specify a single instance, a
range of instances separated by a hyphen, or a series of
instances separated by a comma. The range is 0 to 4094.
• For priority, the range is 0 to 61440 in increments of
4096; the default is 32768. The lower the number, the
more likely the switch will be chosen as the root switch.
Priority values are 0, 4096, 8192, 12288, 16384, 20480,
24576, 28672, 32768, 36864, 40960, 45056, 49152,
53248, 57344, and 61440. All other values are rejected.
Step 3 end Return to privileged EXEC mode.
Step 4 show spanning-tree mst instance-id Verify your entries.
Step 5 copy running-config startup-config (Optional) Save your entries in the configuration file.

To return the switch to its default setting, use the no spanning-tree mst instance-id priority global
configuration command.

Configuring the Hello Time

You can configure the interval between the generation of configuration messages by the root switch by
changing the hello time.
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to configure the hello time for all MST
instances. This procedure is optional.

Command Purpose
Step 1 configure terminal Enter global configuration mode.
Step 2 spanning-tree mst hello-time seconds Configure the hello time for all MST instances. The hello time
is the interval between the generation of configuration
messages by the root switch. These messages mean that the
switch is alive.
For seconds, the range is 1 to 10; the default is 2.
Step 3 end Return to privileged EXEC mode.
Step 4 show spanning-tree mst Verify your entries.
Step 5 copy running-config startup-config (Optional) Save your entries in the configuration file.

To return the switch to its default setting, use the no spanning-tree mst hello-time global configuration
command.

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Configuring the Forwarding-Delay Time

Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to configure the forwarding-delay time for all
MST instances. This procedure is optional.

Command Purpose
Step 1 configure terminal Enter global configuration mode.
Step 2 spanning-tree mst forward-time seconds Configure the forward time for all MST instances. The forward
delay is the number of seconds a port waits before changing from
its spanning-tree learning and listening states to the forwarding
state.
For seconds, the range is 4 to 30; the default is 15.
Step 3 end Return to privileged EXEC mode.
Step 4 show spanning-tree mst Verify your entries.
Step 5 copy running-config startup-config (Optional) Save your entries in the configuration file.

To return the switch to its default setting, use the no spanning-tree mst forward-time global
configuration command.

Configuring the Maximum-Aging Time

Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to configure the maximum-aging time for all
MST instances. This procedure is optional.

Command Purpose
Step 1 configure terminal Enter global configuration mode.
Step 2 spanning-tree mst max-age seconds Configure the maximum-aging time for all MST instances. The
maximum-aging time is the number of seconds a switch waits
without receiving spanning-tree configuration messages before
attempting a reconfiguration.
For seconds, the range is 6 to 40; the default is 20.
Step 3 end Return to privileged EXEC mode.
Step 4 show spanning-tree mst Verify your entries.
Step 5 copy running-config startup-config (Optional) Save your entries in the configuration file.

To return the switch to its default setting, use the no spanning-tree mst max-age global configuration
command.

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Configuring the Maximum-Hop Count

Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to configure the maximum-hop count for all
MST instances. This procedure is optional.

Command Purpose
Step 1 configure terminal Enter global configuration mode.
Step 2 spanning-tree mst max-hops hop-count Specify the number of hops in a region before the BPDU is
discarded, and the information held for a port is aged.
For hop-count, the range is 1 to 255; the default is 20.
Step 3 end Return to privileged EXEC mode.
Step 4 show spanning-tree mst Verify your entries.
Step 5 copy running-config startup-config (Optional) Save your entries in the configuration file.

To return the switch to its default setting, use the no spanning-tree mst max-hops global configuration
command.

Specifying the Link Type to Ensure Rapid Transitions

If you connect a port to another port through a point-to-point link and the local port becomes a
designated port, the RSTP negotiates a rapid transition with the other port by using the
proposal-agreement handshake to ensure a loop-free topology as described in the “Rapid Convergence”
section on page 1-10.
By default, the link type is controlled from the duplex mode of the interface: a full-duplex port is
considered to have a point-to-point connection; a half-duplex port is considered to have a shared
connection. If you have a half-duplex link physically connected point-to-point to a single port on a
remote switch running MSTP, you can override the default setting of the link type and enable rapid
transitions to the forwarding state.
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to override the default link-type setting. This
procedure is optional.

Command Purpose
Step 1 configure terminal Enter global configuration mode.
Step 2 interface interface-id Specify an interface to configure, and enter interface
configuration mode. Valid interfaces include physical ports,
VLANs, and port-channel logical interfaces. The VLAN ID
range is 1 to 4094. The port-channel range is 1 to 48.
Step 3 spanning-tree link-type point-to-point Specify that the link type of a port is point-to-point.
Step 4 end Return to privileged EXEC mode.
Step 5 show spanning-tree mst interface interface-id Verify your entries.
Step 6 copy running-config startup-config (Optional) Save your entries in the configuration file.

To return the port to its default setting, use the no spanning-tree link-type interface configuration
command.

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Configuring MSTP Features

Designating the Neighbor Type

A topology could contain both prestandard and IEEE 802.1s standard compliant devices. By default,
ports can automatically detect prestandard devices, but they can still receive both standard and
prestandard BPDUs. When there is a mismatch between a device and its neighbor, only the CIST runs
on the interface.
You can choose to set a port to send only prestandard BPDUs. The prestandard flag appears in all the
show commands, even if the port is in STP compatibility mode.
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to override the default link-type setting. This
procedure is optional.

Command Purpose
Step 1 configure terminal Enter global configuration mode.
Step 2 interface interface-id Specify an interface to configure, and enter interface
configuration mode. Valid interfaces include physical ports.
Step 3 spanning-tree mst pre-standard Specify that the port can send only prestandard BPDUs.
Step 4 end Return to privileged EXEC mode.
Step 5 show spanning-tree mst interface interface-id Verify your entries.
Step 6 copy running-config startup-config (Optional) Save your entries in the configuration file.

To return the port to its default setting, use the no spanning-tree mst prestandard interface
configuration command.

Restarting the Protocol Migration Process

A switch running MSTP supports a built-in protocol migration mechanism that enables it to interoperate
with legacy IEEE 802.1D switches. If this switch receives a legacy IEEE 802.1D configuration BPDU
(a BPDU with the protocol version set to 0), it sends only IEEE 802.1D BPDUs on that port. An MSTP
switch also can detect that a port is at the boundary of a region when it receives a legacy BPDU, an MST
BPDU (Version 3) associated with a different region, or an RST BPDU (Version 2).
However, the switch does not automatically revert to the MSTP mode if it no longer receives
IEEE 802.1D BPDUs because it cannot detect whether the legacy switch has been removed from the link
unless the legacy switch is the designated switch. A switch also might continue to assign a boundary role
to a port when the switch to which it is connected has joined the region.
To restart the protocol migration process (force the renegotiation with neighboring switches) on the
switch, use the clear spanning-tree detected-protocols privileged EXEC command.
To restart the protocol migration process on a specific interface, use the clear spanning-tree
detected-protocols interface interface-id privileged EXEC command.

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Displaying the MST Configuration and Status

Displaying the MST Configuration and Status

To display the spanning-tree status, use one or more of the privileged EXEC commands in Table 1-5:

Table 1-5 Commands for Displaying MST Status

Command Purpose
show spanning-tree mst configuration Displays the MST region configuration.
show spanning-tree mst configuration digest Displays the MD5 digest included in the current MSTCI.
show spanning-tree mst instance-id Displays MST information for the specified instance.
show spanning-tree mst interface interface-id Displays MST information for the specified interface.

For information about other keywords for the show spanning-tree privileged EXEC command, see the
command reference for this release.

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Displaying the MST Configuration and Status

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