Multiple Registration Protocol (MRP), which replaced Generic Attribute Registration Protocol (GARP), is a generic registration framework defined by the IEEE 802.1ak amendment to the IEEE 802.1Q standard. MRP allows bridges, switches or other similar devices to register and de-register attribute values, such as VLAN identifiers and multicast group membership across a large local area network. MRP operates at the data link layer. History GARP was defined by the IEEE 802.1 working group to provide a generic framework allowing bridges (or other devices like switches) to register and de-register attribute values such as VLAN identifiers and multicast group membership. GARP defines the architecture, rules of operation, state machines and variables for the registration and de-registration of attribute values. GARP was used by two applications: GARP VLAN Registration Protocol (GVRP) for registering VLAN trunking between multilayer switches, and by the GARP Multicast Registration Protocol (GMRP). The latter two were both mostly enhancements for VLAN-aware switches per definition in IEEE 802.1Q. Multiple Registration Protocol (MRP) was introduced in order to replace GARP, with the IEEE 802.1ak amendment in 2007. The two GARP applications were also modified in order to use MRP. GMRP was replaced by Multiple MAC Registration Protocol (MMRP) and GVRP was replaced by Multiple VLAN Registration Protocol (MVRP). This change essentially moved the definitions of GARP, GVRP, and GMRP into an 802.1Q based environment, implying they were already VLAN aware. This also allowed for significant streamlining of the underlying protocol without much change to the interface of the applications themselves. The new protocol and applications fixed a problem with the old GARP-based GVRP-based system, where a simple registration or a failover could take an extremely long time to converge on a large network, incurring a significant bandwidth degradation. It is expected GARP will be removed from IEEE 802.1D at some point in the future. Multiple MAC Registration Protocol Multiple MAC Registration Protocol is a data link layer (layer 2) protocol to register group MAC addresses (i.e. multicast) on multiple switches. It is an MRP application, originally defined in IEEE 802.1ak-2007 and subsequently included in 802.1Q. It replaced the 802.1D based GMRP. The purpose of MMRP is to allow multicast traffic in bridged LANs to be confined to areas of the network where it is required. Multiple VLAN Registration Protocol MVRP, which replaced GVRP, is a standards-based Layer 2 network protocol, for automatic configuration of VLAN information on switches. It was defined