Cabletron Systems SmartSwitch Router, User'S Reference Manual

Page: 245 / 338

SmartSwitch Router User Reference Manual 245
Chapter 16
IPX Routing
Configuration
Guide
IPX Routing Overview
The Internetwork Packet Exchange (IPX) is a datagram connectionless protocol for the
Novell NetWare environment. You can configure the SSR 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.
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,