3Com 4210 PWR Configuration Manual page 150

148 C 14: MSTP C
HAPTER
Basic MSTP
Terminologies
ONFIGURATION
MSTP supports mapping VLANs to MST instances by means of a
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VLAN-to-instance mapping table. MSTP introduces "instance" (integrates
multiple VLANs into a set) and can bind multiple VLANs to an instance, thus
saving communication overhead and improving resource utilization.
MSTP divides a switched network into multiple regions, each containing
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multiple spanning trees that are independent of one another.
MSTP prunes a ring network into a network with tree topology, preventing
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packets from being duplicated and forwarded in a network endlessly.
Furthermore, it offers multiple redundant paths for forwarding data, and thus
achieves load balancing for forwarding VLAN data.
MSTP is compatible with STP and RSTP.
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Figure 49 illustrates basic MSTP terms (assuming that MSTP is enabled on each
switch in this figure).
Figure 49 Basic MSTP terminologies
MST region
A multiple spanning tree region (MST region) comprises multiple
physically-interconnected MSTP-enabled switches and the corresponding network
segments connected to these switches. These switches have the same region
name, the same VLAN-to-MSTI mapping configuration and the same MSTP
revision level.