Entire VTP Domain on transparent mode

[Inaki Kortazar]

Hi all,

We have a 26 2960 switch network with a couple C3750 stacks as CORE ,they are currently running a VTP v2 client/server enviroment,3750 are the servers.
Pruning is enable.

We want to stop working with VTP because of a new device instalation that needs it,but it looks that is not possible to get rid of VTP,so we think that the best way to get thi is to set all devices of the VTP domain on transparent mode.

I have done some testings on Packet Tracer and everything went fine,but real life is real life,specially on production environments.

My idea is the following one:

1- Disable vtp pruning on servers
Switch(config)#no vtp pruning

2 - Set all clients on transparent mode,one by one
Switch(config)#vtp mode transparent
After that I will check vlan situation with show vlan brief and test connectivity.

3 -Finally set VTP servers on transparent mode

I will do it during a maintenance window.

Has anyone experience on something similar?
Is it going to have any impact on traffic?
Is it going to affect STP?
What is the best way to check If everything is fine?

Any thoughts, ideas or recommendations are greatly appreciated.

Thank you very much for the help,
IIB

[paul driver]

Hello

You shouldnt incur no outage just by tuning off vtp.
on the 2960/.3750 -
vtp mode off

[Inaki Kortazar]

Hi Paul,
Thank you for your reply,
It looks easier to implement vtp mode off

The devices are a WS-C3750X-48 and they run in 12.2(55)SE5 version.
C2960 run between 12.2(50)SE5, 15.0(1)SE3, 15.0(2)EX5 versions.

I tried in Packet Tracer but the command does not work,
I checked the option on a production switch and It does, so I can try during the maintenance window.

What is the difference between VTP mode off and VTP mode transparent?

Thank you very much for your help

[matt_turso · Accepted solution]

Hello Inaki,

I would keep the VTP if possible but according to your post you have to remove it?

With so few switches the first thing I would do is make sure the VTP Domain and Password are proper on all switches.

Then I would make sure  my Primary VTP server is the first switch off the router; most likely your Spanning Tree root switch as well.

Then starting with the switches with the greatest hops from the Server start moving them to Transparent Mode.

Remember once you move to Transparent Mode your VLAN information is now present in the running config.

I have moved hundreds of switches in and out of VTP modes and never had an issue. (well once...lol)

Very important, make sure your VLAN names stay consistent from transparent switch to transparent switch...something you did not need to worry about with VTP.

Then starting with the last switch (most hops away) start changing to Transparent and test.

Most problems I have seen with VTP  have been:

1. old switch taken off a shelf and overwriting database (I have never done this personally but is a common problem)

2. Improper VTP Domain Name

3. Improper VTP password

4. different VLAN names for same VLAN within Transparent deployment.  (some may say it doesn't matter but I have seen problems with this)

[Inaki Kortazar]

Hello Matt,

Thanks for your time, I guess that we can keep our VTP domain.

We are going to instal a NAC which is going to commit network authorizations via RADIUS (VLAN / ACL assignment)

that´s why we need to get rid of vlana management via VTP.

My first idea is to go to the farthest switch from Server and start moving to Transparent Mode,then one by one do the same thing until arriving to the server and confiure it on transparent mode also.

Making always sure that no switch loses thir VLAN configs.