STP Advanced STP

Question 1

What is Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP)?

Accepted Answer

IEEE 802.1w, an evolution of STP providing faster convergence (1-2 seconds)

Answer

RSTP dramatically reduces convergence time from 30-50 seconds to 1-2 seconds through improved state transitions.

Question 2

What are the RSTP port roles?

Accepted Answer

Root, Designated, Alternate, Backup, Disabled

Answer

RSTP defines five port roles that determine each ports function in the spanning tree topology.

Question 3

What is an alternate port in RSTP?

Accepted Answer

A backup to the root port that can immediately take over if the root port fails

Answer

The alternate port provides a pre-calculated backup path to the root bridge, enabling rapid failover.

Question 4

What is MSTP (Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol)?

Accepted Answer

IEEE 802.1s, which maps multiple VLANs to a reduced number of spanning tree instances

Answer

MSTP reduces resource usage by mapping multiple VLANs to fewer spanning tree instances while still providing per-VLAN path optimization.

Question 5

What is the proposal/agreement mechanism in RSTP?

Accepted Answer

A handshake between switches that allows rapid transition to forwarding state without timer delays

Answer

The proposal/agreement mechanism allows RSTP to bypass the listening and learning states, enabling sub-second convergence.

(STP) Spanning Tree Protocol Practice Test