Performance Evaluation using Spanning Tree Protocol, Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol, Per-VLAN Spanning Tree, and Multiple Spanning Tree

Abstract

This paper examines the concepts and practical applications of the spanning tree protocol (STP). It also covers per-VLAN spanning tree (PVST), multiple spanning tree (MST), and rapid STP (RSTP). Moreover, practical scenarios are presented to help the reader understand the concepts and implementations of these protocols. This study analyzes protocols using seven metrics. All protocols have been evaluated using these metrics in both small and big topology scenarios to obtain the best results. In addition, all metrics are mentioned in the introduction chapter, and the way used to apply tests on the metrics is described in the methodology chapter. Based on the experiments, different STPs performance are compared, including STP, RSTP, PVST, and MST. In summary, findings show that STP is easy to use and performs well overall, but it consistently has high latency issues. RSTP is suitable for small networks and has quick convergence, but it cannot handle as much load as STP. PVST performed the best in the experiments, as it demonstrated high scalability and the ability to handle a lot of pressure, although it requires strong hardware. However, MST did not perform as well as expected, as it struggled with delay problems and high jitter. In conclusion, it is recommended to use RSTP for simple networks that require fast convergence with dependable delay and capacity, or STP for networks that require good scaling and bandwidth. PVST is an excellent option for those who can afford high-performance hardware, while MST is suitable for simple networks or those with outdated hardware.