Unicast Routing - Edge-Core ECS4620-28T Quick Start Manual

19

Unicast Routing

This chapter describes how to configure the following unicast routing protocols:
RIP – Configures Routing Information Protocol.
OSPFv2 – Configures Open Shortest Path First (Version 2) for IPv4.
Overview
This switch can route unicast traffic to different subnetworks using the Routing
Information Protocol (RIP) or Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) protocol. It supports
RIP, RIP-2 and OSPFv2 dynamic routing in the web management interface. These
protocols exchange routing information, calculate routing tables, and can respond
to changes in the status or loading of the network. For information on configuring
OSPFv3 or BGPv4, refer to the CLI Reference Guide.
RIP and RIP-2 Dynamic Routing Protocols
The RIP protocol is the most widely used routing protocol. RIP uses a distance-
vector-based approach to routing. Routes are determined on the basis of
minimizing the distance vector, or hop count, which serves as a rough estimate of
transmission cost. Each router broadcasts its advertisement every 30 seconds,
together with any updates to its routing table. This allows all routers on the
network to learn consistent tables of next hop links which lead to relevant subnets.
OSPFv2 Dynamic Routing Protocols
OSPF overcomes all the problems of RIP. It uses a link state routing protocol to
generate a shortest-path tree, then builds up its routing table based on this tree.
OSPF produces a more stable network because the participating routers act on
network changes predictably and simultaneously, converging on the best route
more quickly than RIP. Moreover, when several equal-cost routes to a destination
exist, traffic can be distributed equally among them.
Non-IP Protocol Routing
The switch supports IP routing only. Non-IP protocols such as IPX and Appletalk
cannot be routed by this switch, and will be confined within their local VLAN group
unless bridged by an external router.
To coexist with a network built on multilayer switches, the subnetworks for non-IP
protocols must follow the same logical boundary as that of the IP subnetworks. A
separate multi-protocol router can then be used to link the subnetworks by
connecting to one port from each available VLAN on the network.
– 697 –