Configuring AppleTalk

Additionally, this feature helps eliminate unauthorized access to devices within restricted zones. As new devices are added to secured zones, information on those devices is protected automatically.

Network Filtering

You also can filter on a network basis by enabling the Routing Table Maintenance Protocol (RTMP) filtering capability of zone filtering. When this filter is enabled on an interface, the denied network numbers are removed from the RTMP packet before it is transmitted out of the interface.

You can define deny or permit zone and network filters for AppleTalk on an interface basis. You can define up to 32 filters for routing switches operating with 32MB of memory. For those systems with 8MB of memory installed, you can define up to 16 filters.

Seed and Non-Seed Routers

An AppleTalk router must be configured as either a seed or a non-seed router.

When you configure an AppleTalk router as a seed router, you must define the cable-range, address, and zone names for the router. When you configure a non-seed router, the router will learn its parameters from a seed AppleTalk router on the same segment.

AppleTalk Components Supported on the HP 9304M, HP 9308M, and HP 6308M-SX Routing Switches

The following sections describe the AppleTalk protocol components supported by the HP 9304M, HP 9308M, and HP 6308M-SX routing switches.

Session Layer Support

The Zone Information Protocol (ZIP) maintains the mapping between defined network numbers and zone names within an AppleTalk network. This information is stored on a router in the zone information table.

ZIP also uses information from the RTMP routing table to stay current on the network topology.

Transport Layer Support

Routing Table Maintenance Protocol (RTMP)

RTMP establishes and maintains the AppleTalk routing table. AppleTalk routers use RTMP to exchange routing information at regular intervals to ensure that each router has the latest routing information.

The periodic updates are sent out every 10 seconds by default.

AppleTalk Echo Protocol (AEP)

AppleTalk routers use AEP to check connectivity to other devices on the network.

AppleTalk Transaction Protocol (ATP)

ATP facilitates transaction-based applications. ATP supports a client/server design in which clients request information and servers reply with a response to that request. The protocol assigns a transaction ID to each request/response pair and allows only one instance of that specific transaction.

A sub-set of ATP is implemented to support ZIP on the HP 9304M, HP 9308M, and HP 6308M-SX routing switches.

Name Binding Protocol (NBP)

NBP maps AppleTalk names used on a network with addresses. For example, a printer for the marketing group may be named MKTG with an address of 100.5. This association is mapped together by the NBP.

NBP is dynamically initiated when the node is started. NBP also addresses registration, deletion, confirmation, and search of names.

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