Definition - What does Variable Length Subnet Mask (VLSM) mean?
A Variable Length Subnet Mask (VLSM) is a numerical masking sequence, or IP address subset, based on overall network requirements. A VLSM allows a network administrator to use long masks for networks with few hosts and short masks for networks with multiple hosts. A VLSM is used with a VLSM router and must have routing protocol support.
A VLSM is also known as a classless Internet Protocol (IP) address.