Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Practice Exam

Rapid-PVST, which stands for Rapid Per VLAN Spanning Tree, introduces a new port state called "Discarding." This state is part of the enhancements introduced with Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol and helps to expedite the process of transition through the various roles and states of ports within the spanning tree. In the Discarding state, which is a combination of the traditional Blocking and Listening states, the port does not forward frames, helping to prevent loops in the network. If a port is in this state, it is essentially not participating in frame forwarding, allowing for quicker transition to the appropriate forwarding state when network topology changes occur. This rapid transition capability is crucial, especially in VLAN environments, as it allows for faster convergence times than previous spanning tree protocols, thereby improving overall network efficiency and performance.