Cisco VTP question

[natimewad28]

I'm studying for the CCNA, and went over the VTP introduction. This protocol (and the Cisco defaults for it) sound like a nightmare. Wendell Odom's writing on it is phrased like it's not a great idea, too. Is VTP used normally in an enterprise, or is it usually set to transparent mode?

[Joseph W. Doherty]

Much depends on the opinions of those that determine network standards.

Indeed, some consider VTP a nightmare (more so for versions 1 and 2 rather than version 3), while some consider it a useful tool.  Those in the former camp tend to insure it's disabled (using either transparent mode, or in later IOS versions, the off mode) while those in the latter camp use it.

As L3 switches have become more common, as also where pushing routing to the edge has too, VTP isn't as useful as it once was.  So, I would say it's becoming more uncommon.  Additionally, I've seen more companies using mixed vendor equipment (to allow better bargaining), so proprietary features are now sometimes avoided.

[balaji.bandi]

Some of them (Lazy) still using - But anyone setup later 2010 onwards may not like it - until they have a requirement.

if not most of the move to transparent. But good to understand the concept - Like TCP/IP stack introduced Long back, nothing changed but lot of addition added.

for CCNA

VTP

STP

TRUNK

Layer2

Layer3 concept comes as basic to start with.

[cmarva]

in addition to the other comments, if you forsee any situation where you would want to use extended range vlans, then vtp transparent is required. 

[paul driver]

Hello
I dont think ive ever not come across a large cisco LAN that doesnt have vtp, So in your studies I would defiantly recommend you get to know this protocol as VTP is still very relevant as of today ,I personally like VTP it has helped me out a lot on large lans where I had have multiple switches needed to be add/remove vlans.

It does have its pitfalls and if your not aware of them you can mess up a netrwork very easily by over writing the vtp database especially when your runnng vtp versions 1 or 2 - Version 3 less so as only a vtp server that is running as a primary server can overwrite the vtp domain irrelevant of another other switch running as a vtp server or client being introduced to the network.

[Georg Pauwen]

Hello,

the biggest 'fear' network admins used to have when it comes to VTP was that somebody would inadvertently add a switch to the network that had a higher revision number than all other switches, and that would subsequently wipe out the entire Vlan database on all switches, and bring down a network.

I think VTPv3 took care of that, as only a specific device in a domain, a primary server, is allowed to update other devices.

[paul driver]

Hello @Georg Pauwen 

i would say vtp is still extremely relevant today it’s still out there in vast numbers of l2 extended vlan networks and mostly running version 1 or 2 with ver 3 in rare circumstances even though it backward compatible unlike versions1/2 which not with each other.