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MSTP includes the following features:
• MSTP supports mapping VLANs to MST instances (MSTIs) by means of a VLAN-to-instance
mapping table. MSTP can reduce communication overheads and resource usage by mapping
multiple VLANs to one MSTI.
• MSTP divides a switched network into multiple regions, each containing multiple spanning trees
that are independent of one another.
• MSTP prunes a loop network into a loop-free tree, avoiding proliferation and endless cycling of
packets in a loop network. In addition, it provides multiple redundant paths for data forwarding,
supporting load balancing of VLAN data.
• MSTP is compatible with STP and RSTP.
MSTP basic concepts
Figure 314 Basic concepts in MSTP
Assume that all devices in Fi g u r e 314 are running MSTP. This section explains some basic concepts of
MSTP.
MST region
A multiple spanning tree region (MST region) consists of multiple devices in a switched network and the
network segments among them. These devices have the following characteristics:
• All are MSTP-enabled.