A VLAN Management Policy Server (VMPS) is a
network switch
A network switch (also called switching hub, bridging hub, and, by the IEEE, MAC bridge) is networking hardware that connects devices on a computer network by using packet switching to receive and forward data to the destination device.
A netw ...
that contains a mapping of device information to
VLAN
A virtual local area network (VLAN) is any broadcast domain that is partitioned and isolated in a computer network at the data link layer (OSI layer 2).IEEE 802.1Q-2011, ''1.4 VLAN aims and benefits'' In this context, virtual, refers to a physi ...
.
The primary goal of VMPS is VLAN assignment for general network management purposes, but can also be used for providing security through segregating clients with an unknown
MAC address
A media access control address (MAC address) is a unique identifier assigned to a network interface controller (NIC) for use as a network address in communications within a network segment. This use is common in most IEEE 802 networking techno ...
, or through further extension of the protocol to provide login for Cisco ACLs. This last functionality is now deprecated by Cisco, in favour of
802.1X
IEEE 802.1X is an IEEE Standard for port-based Network Access Control (PNAC). It is part of the IEEE 802.1 group of networking protocols. It provides an authentication mechanism to devices wishing to attach to a Local area network, LAN or Wireless ...
, and as the VMPS technology is Cisco proprietary, the VLAN assignment can now be carried out in the 802.1X framework.
Client switches query the VMPS server using the VLAN Query Protocol, or
VQP. Only Cisco produces hardware with VMPS client functionality, and is currently fully supported across their IOS switching lines. Cisco officially only supports the use of Catalyst 4000, 5000 and 6500 switch platforms (with appropriate firmware) as VMPS servers, but these have limited functionality, and only support a static text file transferred into them using tftp.
vmps helps with the dynamic allocation of vlan across the network.
Third party servers
To enhance functionality, which can talk to SQL or use external programs to decide on network access for a given request. The first publicly available of these was
OpenVMPS, by Dori Seliskar and others, with
FreeRADIUS
FreeRADIUS is a modular, high performance free RADIUS suite developed and distributed under the GNU General Public License, version 2, and is free for download and use. The FreeRADIUS Suite includes a RADIUS server, a BSD-licensed RADIUS client l ...
and Icarus VMPSd available and including additional management tools to help manage hundreds or thousands of clients and MAC addresses and their VMPS support.
External links
Cisco document on VMPSOpenVMPS on SourceforgeIcarus VMPSd on SourceforgeOpenNAC on SourceforgeNetSheperd; commercial VLAN administration suite
Cisco protocols