VTP v3 cannot add vlan on server

[PACC]

Hey all,

I have 6 switches using vtp v3 in transparent mode.  switch01 is the primary.

If I run show vtp status on any of the switches, they show switch01 as the primary.

If I attempt to add a vlan to switch01,I get the message: VTP VLAN configuration not allowed when device is not the primary server for vlan database

If it is the primary according to all the switches, why can't I add a vlan?

thanks

j

[David Ruess]

If all your switches are in transparent mode, then none of them are a server and therefore aren't a primary server. Not sure what youre seeing in the output you describe. 

Can you change one of them to server mode for VTPv3 and also configure it as the primary server. See if you can add a VLAN after that. If not, can you show us the output of the command of show vtp status.

-David

[PACC]

Thanks for the reply @David Ruess 

I may have been confused about the operating mode.  It does say Server under Feature VLAN, but transparent under Feature MST.

From primary (cosp-sw-01):

VTP Version capable : 1 to 3
VTP version running : 3
VTP Domain Name : cosp
VTP Pruning Mode : Disabled
VTP Traps Generation : Disabled
Device ID : 381c.1a7b.2380

Feature VLAN:
--------------
VTP Operating Mode : Server
Number of existing VLANs : 25
Number of existing extended VLANs : 1
Maximum VLANs supported locally : 1005
Configuration Revision : 2
Primary ID : 381c.1a7b.2380
Primary Description : cosp-sw-01
MD5 digest :

Feature MST:
--------------
VTP Operating Mode : Transparent

Feature UNKNOWN:
--------------
VTP Operating Mode : Transparent

From one of the other switches (cosp-sw-05):

VTP Version capable : 1 to 3
VTP version running : 3
VTP Domain Name : cosp
VTP Pruning Mode : Disabled
VTP Traps Generation : Disabled
Device ID : a0ec.f984.2880

Feature VLAN:
--------------
VTP Operating Mode : Server
Number of existing VLANs : 25
Number of existing extended VLANs : 1
Maximum VLANs supported locally : 255
Configuration Revision : 2
Primary ID : 381c.1a7b.2380
Primary Description : cosp-sw-01
MD5 digest :

Feature MST:
--------------
VTP Operating Mode : Transparent

Feature UNKNOWN:
--------------
VTP Operating Mode : Transparent

[Flavio Miranda]

Hi

 You need to meet two requirements: Switch to be a Server and Switch to be  primary.

[David Ruess · Accepted solution]

AH ok. I see.  In Privileged Exec mode configure the Primary Server capability shown below:

cosp-sw-01#vtp primary vlan

Let us know if that works.

-David

[PACC]

Ha!  That did it.  I can see that the operating mode has changed to Primary Server.  I kind of assumed that since all the switches saw sw01 as the primary then it was the primary.

After some searching I see that this primary status doesn't survive a reload.  We did have an extended power outage a couple of months ago (longer than the UPS's could handle) where all the switches powered off.

[David Ruess]

Glad it was a quick fix. I've not heard that it doesn't survive a reload...it should as long as you save your config. Doesn't make sense to implement something like that for this feature but I'd test it if and when you can just to be sure.