CHAPTER
20-1
Catalyst 2950 Desktop Switch Software Configuration Guide
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20

Configuring CDP

This c hapt er d escrib es how to configure Cisc o Discovery Pro toco l ( CDP ) on your swi tch .
Note For comple te syntax and us age inform ation for the co mmands used in this chapter, refer to th e command
refere nce fo r thi s r ele ase and the Cisco IOS Configuration Fundamentals Command Reference for
Release 12.1.
This chapter consists of these sections:
Understa ndin g C DP, page 20- 1
Configuring CD P, page 2 0-2
Monitoring and Maintaining CDP, page 20-5

Understandin g CDP

CDP is a device discovery protocol that runs over Layer 2 (the data link layer) on all Cisco-manufactured
devices (routers, bridges, access servers, and switches) and allows network management applications to
discover Cisco devices that are nei ghbors of already known devices. With CDP, networ k manage ment
applica ti ons ca n learn t he d evice typ e and th e Si mple Ne twork Ma nag eme nt Pr otoc ol ( SNM P) a ge nt
address of nei ghb oring d evices runni n g lower-layer, transpare nt p roto co ls. Thi s feat ur e e nabl es
applica tions to send SNMP queri es to neighbo ring devices.
CDP runs on all medi a tha t su ppo rt Su bnet work A cce ss Prot ocol (SNAP). Becaus e CD P runs over the
data-lin k layer only, two systems that supp ort different network -layer prot ocols can l earn about each
other.
Each CDP- configured device sends periodic me ssages to a multic ast addre ss, advertising at least one
address at which it can receive SNMP messages. The advertisements also contain time-to-live, or
holdtim e info rm ati on, w h ich is t he l eng th of t ime a re ceiving device hold s CDP infor ma tion be for e
discardi ng it. Ea ch device al so lis tens to the messa ge s sent by o ther devices to lea rn about nei ghb orin g
devices.
On the switc h, CDP enab les the Cluste r Manage ment Suit e to display a graphi cal view of the network.
The switch uses CDP to find cluster candidates and maintain information about cluster members and
other devices up to thr ee clus ter-enable d device s away from the comma nd switch by default .
The switch supp orts CDP versio n 2.