A management VLAN is any VLAN configured to access the management capabilities of a switch. VLAN 1 is the management VLAN by default. To create the management VLAN, the switch virtual interface (SVI) of that VLAN is assigned an IP address and subnet mask, allowing the switch to be managed via HTTP, Telnet, SSH, or SNMP.
NOTE
Because the out-of-the-box configuration of a Cisco switch has VLAN 1 as the default VLAN, VLAN 1 would be a bad choice for the management VLAN.
In the past, the management VLAN for a 2960 switch was the only active SVI. On 15.x versions of the Cisco IOS for Catalyst 2960 Series switches, it is possible to have more than one active SVI. With Cisco IOS 15.x, the particular active SVI assigned for remote management must be documented. Although theoretically a switch can have more than one management VLAN, having more than one increases exposure to network attacks.
NOTE
If the native VLAN is the same as the management VLAN, a security risk exists. The native VLAN, when used, and the management VLAN should always be a VLAN number distinct from any other VLANs.