Apple IchatAV is storming HP Procurve 2524 (& 2324)

[Terry_71]

Hello and HNY 2004 !!!

... got a big problem on our LAN here with Apple new ICHATAV videoconferencing software and our stacked HP PROCURVE 2524 & 2324 :

At the very moment someone on is Mac OS X 3.2 starts IchatAV (even patched with latest version), our switches go crazy with apparently a broadcast storm, and lights of every port of the switches stays bloqued ON, ... and no more internet access and so on ....
We have to stop IchatAV and reset the HP 2524 and 2324 to get back to normal operation of the LAN.

Is there a config solution at this moment on the HP 2524 and 2324 to avoid this -I think?- broadcast problem due to this videoconferencing software (or others of same type) ?

PS : we have firmware F.05.17 on the HP 2524 and cannot do VLAN's if it was a solution in this case because all NICS aren't 802.1q compliant here.

Thank you
Terry

[Ralph Bean_2]

Hello Terry -

It appears that your multicast traffic may simply be getting forwarded throughout your LAN, which is likely correct switch behavior.

Do you have IGMP enabled or disabled in the 2524? If enabled, did you configure data-driven mode or leave that setting at its default value?

Regards,
Ralph

[Terry_71]

Hello Ralph

Thanks for taking time to respond !

Well I hadn't activated IGMP, but if I do so, as I understand by your response I should do so to avoid multicast traffic on all my switches ports, then
what should I set in my case : driven-mode or default value ? ... because on my HP procurve 2524 there is no "driven-mode", there is only for IGMP 3 settings for each port : AUTO (default) BLOCKED (drop all IGMP) and FORWARD (all IGMP & IP multicast is forwarded by the switch on the given port)

Have a nice WE
Terry

[Ralph Bean_2]

Terry -

Most switches (by any manufacturer) will forward all multicast traffic out all ports unless IGMP is enabled.

I suggest that you start out using IGMP in its default mode.

The data-driven mode in the 2524 does not seem to be well documented. It works the same as in Switch models 1600M, 2424M, 4000M, and 8000M as described on page 49 of ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/networking/software/59692375-e3.pdf. You turn it on through SNMP, not the menu or CLI, although I don't have details handy regarding how to do enable it.

Ralph

[Ralph Bean_2 · Accepted solution]

Terry -

The Switch 2524 documentation on the data-driven mode of IGMP is on page 212 of the document ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/networking/software/59903102-E2.pdf.

Ralph

[Terry_71]

Ok Ralph, I just enabled IGMP,
I think this should help a lot as you sayed and as read in the 59903102-E2.pdf document, I'll make tests with IchatAV to confirm next week.

Thanks a lot again for your help and time !!

Terry