IPX Redundant routing

[dehghan]

Hi

Does any one know if there is a system like HSRP for IPX routing. We have a Lan with 2 Cat 6000 switches connected via direct links. We have enabled IP HSRP for redundancy but for IPX all that we have done is made them capable of IPX routing. We need to find a way to better manage IPX interfaces on these switches.

Thanks

Mahdi

[dgahm]

The default on IPX LAN interfaces is for periodic(60 sec)SAP broadcasts to be sent. If you have 2 routers, both will send out SAP updates which provides redundancy for hosts on the IPX network.

[dehghan]

Hi

What I am worried about is the traffic generated by these two routers because of these broadcasts. Does this have any effect on the network?. Is there a way to minimize the impact?

Thanks

[dgahm]

Those broadcasts on the LAN are an essential part of how IPX works. Lots of broadcasts are not desirable, but will be fine on most LANS. If you have a very large layer 2 domain, or are bridging across the WAN it may be a problem. The best solution to the limitations of IPX is to not use it, and convert everything to IP. We shut off the last IPX in our network about 3 years ago, and it has made life a lot easier.

On the WAN side if you are running EIGRP the default is IPX SAP incremental, which means only changes are sent to the peer router.

[Richard Burts]

I would like to approach this discussion from a slightly different perspective. First to the question of something like HSRP for IPX. It is not needed. HSRP is needed for IP because of the behavior of most IP end stations which configure an address for their default gateway and have problems if that gateway address becomes unavailable. HSRP is a good solution to that issue in IP. But IPX end stations do not do that. They listen for SAP advertisements of where servers are and if the router they have been using to forward to the server becomes unavailable the end station will learn of another router from the advertisement and use the other router. So there is no need for anything like HSRP in IPX.

In the larger question about IPX networking and the number of broadcasts etc, as long as you are using IPX you are going to face that issue. It is the way that Novell designed and implemented IPX. It is the reason why Novell eventually went from IPX networking to support its Services to IP networking to support its Services.

There are some things that you can do to try to optimize the network such as SAP filtering between various parts of the network, and using EIGRP for IPX over the WAN links. But the architecture of IPX does present some challenges. If you really want to look at optimizing the network then I agree with David that the best solution is to look at a conversion from IPX to IP - and depending on your situation that may be a bigger task than your management wants to undertake.

HTH

Rick

[dehghan]

Sorry didnt see your message

I see what you mean. What we have here is 2 msfc cards on our redundant lan. what these routers do is ( correct me if I am wrong) duplicate the ipx and sap broadcasts they recieve from the server farm vlan and sending it to other vlans. What I was hoping of was thinking of some way to minimize the impacy, thats why i mentioned some thing like HSRP that would introduce some kind of redundancy and control to this wild beast (IPX).

Thanks

Mahdi

[dehghan]

Thanks for the reply

it seems there is no way around this, we have some apps in our lan which are very difficult to impliment via IP and thats why at least for the some time we have been forced to use IPX.

Thanks again.

[Richard Burts]

In that case you just need to keep running IPX.

Your original question was looking for ways to better manage the interfaces for IPX. And I think that the answer to that question is that there are not many ways to better manage interfaces for IPX.

HTH

Rick

[dehghan]

WOW - QUICK RESPONSE

posted another one just above to your reply

tahnks a lot

mahdi