This amendment specifies a set of protocols that replaces the GARP, GMRP, and GVRP protocols specified in earlier versions of IEEE Std 802.1Q.

This standard specifies protocols, procedures, and managed objects to support the Multiple Registration Protocol (MRP). MRP allows participants in a MRP Application to register attributes with other participants in a Bridged Local Area Network. Two Applications are defined, to register VLANs (MVRP) and Group MAC addresses (MMRP). MVRP will furthermore provide for the rapid healing of network failures without interrupting services to unaffected VLANs.

The use of bridges by Ethernet Service Providers has greatly increased the number of VLANs and Group MAC Addresses in Provider Bridged Networks. The time and bandwidth required by the existing GVRP and GMRP protocols to register this information has become a dominant factor in the fault recovery time of a Provider Bridged Network. In a large network, localized topology changes can affect the service over a much larger portion of the network. This standard replaces GARP with MRP, greatly improving both situations.