xStack DES-3800 Series Layer 3 Stackable Fast Ethernet Managed Switch CLI Manual
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R
OUTE
P
REFERENCE
C
OMMANDS
Route Preference is a way for routers to select the best path when there are two or more different routes to the same destination from
two different routing protocols. The majority of routing protocols are not compatible when used in conjunction with each other. This
Switch supports and may be configured for many routing protocols, as a stand alone switch or more importantly, in utilizing the
stacking function and Single IP Management of the Switch. Therefore the ability to exchange route information and select the best
path is essential to optimal use of the Switch and its capabilities.
The first decision the Switch will make in selecting the best path is to consult the Route Preference Settings table of the Switch. This
table can be viewed using the
show route preference
command, and it holds the list of possible routing protocols currently
implemented in the Switch, along with a reliability value which determines which routing protocol will be the most dependable to
route packets. Below is a list of the default route preferences set on the Switch.
Route Type
Validity Range
Default Value
Local
0 – Permanently set on the Switch and unconfigurable. 0
Static
1 – 999
60
OSPF Intra
1 – 999
80
OSPF Inter
1 – 999
90
RIP
1 – 999
100
OSPF ExtT1
1 – 999
110
OSPF ExtT2
1 – 999
115
As shown above,
Local
will always be the first choice for routing purposes and the next most reliable path is
Static
due to the fact that
its has the next lowest value. To set a higher reliability for a route, change its value to a number less than the value of a route
preference that has a greater reliability value using the
config route preference
command. For example, if the user wishes to make
RIP the most reliable route, the user can change its value to one that is less than the lowest value (Static - 60) or the user could change
the other route values to more than 100.
The user should be aware of three points before configuring the route preference.
1.
No two route preference values can be the same. Entering the same route preference may cause the Switch to crash
due to indecision by the Switch.
2.
If the user is not fully aware of all the features and functions of the routing protocols on the Switch, a change in the
default route preference value may cause routing loops or black holes.
3.
After changing the route preference value for a specific routing protocol, that protocol needs to be restarted because
the previously learned routes have been dropped from the Switch. The Switch must learn the routes again before the
new settings can take affect.
The Route Preference commands in the Command Line Interface (CLI) are listed (along with the appropriate parameters) in the
following table.
Command Parameters
config route preference
[static | rip | ospfIntra | ospfInter | ospfExt1 | ospfExt2] <value>
show route preference
{[static | rip | ospfIntra | ospfInter | ospfExt1 | ospfExt2]}
Each command is listed, in detail, in the following sections.