Overview
Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol (MSTP), standardized as IEEE 802.1s, solves the scalability issues of having a separate STP instance for every VLAN (PVST+) or a single instance for all VLANs.
Benefits
- Resource Efficiency: Reduces CPU and memory usage on switches by grouping VLANs into instances.
- Load Balancing: Allows different instances to use different root bridges, enabling traffic from different VLANs to take different physical paths.