Mff Working Mechanism; Protocols And Standards; Configuration Procedure; Enabling Mff - HPE FlexNetwork 10500 Series Security Configuration Manual

MFF working mechanism

An MFF-enabled device implements Layer 3 communication between hosts by intercepting ARP
requests from the hosts and replies with the MAC address of a gateway. This mechanism helps
reduce the number of broadcast messages.
The MFF device processes ARP packets as follows:
•
After receiving an ARP request from a host, the MFF device sends the MAC address of the
corresponding gateway to the host. In this way, hosts in the network have to communicate at
Layer 3 through a gateway.
•
After receiving an ARP request from a gateway, the MFF device sends the requested host's
MAC address to the gateway if the corresponding entry is available. If the entry is not available,
the MFF device forwards the ARP request.
•
The MFF device forwards ARP replies between hosts and gateways.
•
If the source MAC addresses of ARP requests from gateways are different from those recorded,
the MFF device updates and broadcasts the IP and MAC addresses of the gateways.

Protocols and standards

RFC 4562, MAC-Forced Forwarding

Configuration procedure

Enabling MFF

For MFF to take effect in manual mode, make sure ARP snooping is enabled on the device.
To enable MFF:
Step
1. Enter system view.
2. Enter VLAN view.
3. Enable MFF.

Configuring a network port

Step
1. Enter system view.
2. Enter Layer 2 Ethernet
interface view or Layer 2
aggregate interface view.
3. Configure the port as a
network port.
Command
system-view
vlan vlan-id
mac-forced-forwarding
default-gateway gateway-ip
Command
system-view
•
Enter Layer 2 Ethernet interface
view:
interface interface-type
interface-number
•
Enter Layer 2 aggregate
interface view:
interface bridge-aggregation
interface-number
mac-forced-forwarding
network-port
552
Remarks
N/A
N/A
By default, MFF is disabled.
Remarks
N/A
N/A
By default, the port is a user
port.