Ip_forwarding

[Michael O'brien_1]

Hi,

I was wondering how and what protocol is used when you have ip_forwarding enabled. I understand on Solaris uses rip/routed when ip_forwarding is enabled. Does HPUX also use routed? I can see in Solaris that routed is running as a daemon, but not on the HPUX box.

Can anyone clarify how ip_forwarding works on HPUX

Many Thanks
Michael

[David Navarro]

Hi, see at gated command man pages.

Best luck

[Ron Kinner]

As David pointed out HP has replaced routed with gated which runs quite a few different dynamic routing protocols. However, your question was what does it use if you have ip_forwarding turned on. The answer is nothing. It's on by default (in 10.20 anyway) and is controlled by nettune or ndd but if you want GATED on you have to configure it on in /etc/rc.config.d/netconf and set the parameters in /etc/gated.conf.

Turning on ip_forwarding just says that if a packet is sent to the HP and the HP knows its final destination then it will send it on. You don't need a routing protocol running for this to happen.

Ron

[rick jones · Accepted solution]

no protocol is run when ip_forwarding is set to 1. all ip_forwarding does is control whether or not the box will _attempt_ to forward IP datagrams for other destinations. the IP code will consult the routing table.

now, where a "routing protocol" _would_ come-it would be when you wanted that routing protocol to manager the routing table that IP would use when making forwarding decisions.

whether or not you need to run a routing protocol depends on how complicated and/or dynamic your network topology might happen to be. if it is simple or verystatic, you might just setup the routes by hand and configure them in the netconf file. such a situation might include a host that is only on two networks and routing between the two

[Michael O'brien_1]

Thanks for your reply's re ip_forwarding. You answer all my questions.