Riverstone Networks WICT1-12 - Manual (Page 521)

Riverstone Networks RS Switch Router User Guide Release 8.0 23-1
23 IPX ROUTING CONFIGURATION
The Internetwork Packet Exchange (IPX) is a datagram connectionless protocol for the Novell NetWare
environment. You can configure the RS for IPX routing and SAP. Routers interconnect different network segments
and by definitions are network layer devices. Thus routers receive their instructions for forwarding a packet from
one segment to another from a network layer protocol. IPX, with the help of RIP and SAP, perform these Network
Layer Task. These tasks include addressing, routing, and switching information packets from one location to
another on the internetwork.
IPX defines internetwork and intranode addressing schemes. IPX internetwork addressing is based on network
numbers assigned to each network segment on a Novell NetWare internetwork. The IPX intranode address comes
in the form of socket numbers. Because several processes are normally operating within a node, socket numbers
provide a way for each process to distinguish itself.
The IPX packet consists of two parts: a 30-byte header and a data portion. The network node and socket addresses
for both the destination and source are held within the IPX header.
23.1 RIP (ROUTING INFORMATION PROTOCOL)
IPX routers use RIP to create and dynamically maintain a database of internetwork routing information. RIP
allows a router to exchange routing information with a neighboring router. As a router becomes aware of any
change in the internetwork layout, this information is immediately broadcast to any neighboring routers. Routers
also send periodic RIP broadcast packets containing all routing information known to the router.
The RS uses IPX RIP to create and maintain a database of internetwork routing information. The RS'
implementation of RIP allows the following exchanges of information:
• Workstations locate the fastest route to a network number by broadcasting a route request.
• Routers request routing information from other routers to update their own internal tables by
broadcasting a route request.
• Routers respond to route requests from workstations and other routers.
• Routers perform periodic broadcasts to make sure that all other routers are aware of the
internetwork configuration.
• Routers perform broadcasting whenever they detect a change in the internetwork
configurations.
The RIP implementation on the RS follows the guidelines in Novell's IPX RIP and SAP Router Specification
Version 1.30 document.