HP ProCurve 1600M User manual

reviewer’s guide
HP ProCurve Switch Routing Switch 9304M
HP ProCurve Switch Routing Switch 9308M
Date 4/1/1999
Version 4.0
HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9308M
HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9304M

HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9308M / 9304M Reviewer’s Guide
Table of Contents
1. BACKGROUND................................................................................................................ 4
1.1 HP’s Proactive Networking ......................................................................................................................................4
1.2 What is a Routing Switch?........................................................................................................................................4
1.3 Hewlett-Packard Switch Products ...........................................................................................................................4
1.3.1 HP ProCurve Routing Switches Covered in this Guide....................................................................................4
1.3.2 Other Switches Available From HP..................................................................................................................5
1.4 HP Switch Positioning...............................................................................................................................................7
1.4.1 Positioning for the HP ProCurve Routing Switch9304M................................................................................7
1.4.2 Positioning for the HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9308M................................................................................7
2. EVALUATION FEATURES AND BENEFITS ................................................................... 8
2.1 Feature Set Summary................................................................................................................................................8
2.2 Architecture ...............................................................................................................................................................9
2.2.1 Hardware Architecture Summary .....................................................................................................................9
2.2.2 Packet Processor...............................................................................................................................................9
2.2.3 Shared Memory.................................................................................................................................................9
2.2.4 Forwarding Engine............................................................................................................................................9
2.2.5 Priority Queues ...............................................................................................................................................10
2.2.6 SystemManagement Interface........................................................................................................................10
2.2.7 Backplane Design ...........................................................................................................................................10
2.3 Layer 3 Services.......................................................................................................................................................10
2.3.1 IP.....................................................................................................................................................................11
2.3.2 IPX..................................................................................................................................................................11
2.3.3 AppleTalk .......................................................................................................................................................11
2.4 QoS............................................................................................................................................................................12
2.4.1 IEEE 802.3x Flow Control .............................................................................................................................12
2.4.2 IEEE 802.1p Priority Support.........................................................................................................................12
2.4.3 Multicast Support............................................................................................................................................12
2.4.3.1 DVMRP......................................................................................................................................................12
2.4.3.2 PIM (Dense)................................................................................................................................................12
2.4.3.3 IGMP ..........................................................................................................................................................13
2.4.3.4 IP Tunneling................................................................................................................................................13
2.4.4 Layer 4 Features..............................................................................................................................................13
2.4.4.1 Priority Queues ...........................................................................................................................................13
2.4.4.2 Layer 4 Filtering .........................................................................................................................................13
2.5 VLANs......................................................................................................................................................................13
2.5.1 IEEE 802.1Q VLAN Support .........................................................................................................................14
2.5.2 IEEE 802.1D Spanning Tree Protocol............................................................................................................14
2.6 Port Trunking (Link Aggregation) ........................................................................................................................14
2.7 Filtering....................................................................................................................................................................15
2.7.1 Layer 2 Filtering .............................................................................................................................................15
2.7.2 Layer 3 and Layer 4 Filtering .........................................................................................................................16
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HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9308M / 9304M Reviewer’s Guide
2.8 Flexibility..................................................................................................................................................................16
2.9 Reliability .................................................................................................................................................................16
2.9.1 Lifetime Software Updates (Best in the Industry) ..........................................................................................17
2.9.2 Warranty - One Year.......................................................................................................................................17
2.9.3 Availability .....................................................................................................................................................17
2.9.4 Service and Support........................................................................................................................................17
2.9.5 Year 2000 Compliance ...................................................................................................................................18
2.10 Network Management..........................................................................................................................................18
2.10.1 MIB Support...................................................................................................................................................18
2.10.2 RMON Support...............................................................................................................................................19
2.10.3 Network Monitoring Port................................................................................................................................19
2.10.4 Console Support..............................................................................................................................................19
2.11 Some 9304M / 9308M Routing Switch Maximums............................................................................................20
3. PERFORMANCE TESTING............................................................................................ 21
3.1 Throughput/Packet Loss Rate................................................................................................................................21
3.2 Congestion Control..................................................................................................................................................22
3.2.1 Head-of-line-blocking.....................................................................................................................................22
3.2.2 Bi-directional Congestion Testing (X-Stream)...............................................................................................22
3.3 Latency .....................................................................................................................................................................22
4. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION........................................................................................ 24
4.1 ProCurve Networking Web Site.............................................................................................................................24
4.2 Reseller Plaza...........................................................................................................................................................24
4.3 White papers............................................................................................................................................................24
5. PRICING ......................................................................................................................... 25
6. APPENDIX A: PERFORMANCE FIGURES ................................................................... 26
6.1 HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9308M....................................................................................................................26
6.1.1 IP Routing Throughput Test – Packets Within Modules ................................................................................26
6.1.1.1 Gigabit-SX ports.........................................................................................................................................26
6.1.1.2 100BT .........................................................................................................................................................26
6.1.2 IP Routing Throughput Test – All Packets Across the Backplane..................................................................26
6.1.2.1 Gigabit-SX ports.........................................................................................................................................26
6.1.2.2 100BT .........................................................................................................................................................26
6.1.3 Latency Test - Unicast Traffic – Packets Within the Modules .......................................................................27
6.1.3.1 Gigabit-SX ports.........................................................................................................................................27
6.1.3.2 100Mbps .....................................................................................................................................................27
6.1.4 Latency Test – Unicast Traffic – Packets AcrossBackplane..........................................................................27
6.1.4.1 Gigabit-SX ports.........................................................................................................................................27
6.1.4.2 100Mbps5....................................................................................................................................................27
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HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9308M / 9304M Reviewer’s Guide
1. Background
This Routing Switch Reviewer’s Guide will help network testing engineers atcomputer trade
publications, resellers and end-user sites evaluate the merits of the HP ProCurve routing switches.
1.1 HP’s Proactive Networking
HP proactive networking is an extensible line of products working together to provide the control
network administrators need todeliver the network uptime and performance that their organizations
require. Thisguide describes one part ofHP proactive networking: the HP ProCurve Routing
Switch 9308M and HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9304Mproducts.
1.2 What is a Routing Switch?
A routing switch combinesthe speed and low costof a Layer 2 switch, with the ability to route at
Layer 3. Unlike traditional routers which are processor based, a routing switch does its routing in
hardware ator near wire speed for IP. Some routing switches, such as the HP ProCurve routing
switches, also route IPX in hardware. In addition, HP ProCurve routing switchesprovide processor-
based AppleTalk routing. Each port on the routing switch can berouted, or combinations ofports can
be switched, with the port groups tied to virtual router interfaces inside the routing switch.
It is this combination ofhigh speed, flexibility, and low cost that make routing switchesvery attractive
for local LAN environments.
1.3 Hewlett-PackardSwitch Products
1.3.1 HP ProCurveRouting Switches Covered in this Guide
Thisguide covers the following Hewlett-Packard routing switch products:
HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9308M
A feature-rich, modular, 8 slotchassis-based routing switch delivering 96 million pps performance
with up to 64 Gigabit Ethernet ports or up to 188 10/100 Mbps autosensing ports. Routes IP, IPX
and AppleTalk. This productis ideal for large networksand provides high performance as a
collapsed backbone. Modules available are:
• HP ProCurve 9300 10/100 Module(24 port)
• HP ProCurve 9300 10/100 ManagementModule (16 port)
• HP ProCurve 9300 100Base-FX Module (24 port, MT-RJ connectors)
• HP ProCurve 9300 Gigabit SX Module (8 port, SC connectors)
• HP ProCurve 9300 Gigabit SX Management Module (8 port, SC connectors)
• HP ProCurve 9300 Gigabit SX/LX Module(4 ports SX, 4 portsLX, SC connectors)
• HP ProCurve 9300 Gigabit SX/LX Management Module (4 portsSX, 4 ports LX, SC
connectors)
HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9304M
A feature-rich, modular, 4 slotchassis-based routing switch delivering 48 million pps performance
with up to 32 Gigabit Ethernet ports or up to 88 10/100 autosensing ports. Thisproduct is ideal for
medium-to-large networks and provides high performance in collapsed backbones, datacenters,
and server farms. Has the same architecture design and uses the same modules as the 9308M.
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HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9308M / 9304M Reviewer’s Guide
Pricing for each ofthese switchesand modules isgiven insection 5.
1.3.2 Other Switches Available From HP
Below is a complete list of switches available fromHP. Separate Reviewer’s Guides are available for
the HP ProCurve Switch 8000M / 1600M, HP ProCurve Switch 4000M / 2424M, and the HP
AdvanceStack Switch 2000 / 800T switches.
All managed HP switches include embedded Web-based management and the HP TopTools for Hubs &
Switches network managementapplication.
HP ProCurve Switch 8000M
A modular 10 slot mini-chassis backbone Layer 2 switch thatprovides high 10/100 autosensing port
density (up to 80), and also provides multiple Gigabit and 100Base-FX fiber-optic port connectivity.
Advanced software features include Switch Meshing and Cisco Fast EtherChannel1support.
Excellent as a smallbackbone switch. Modules available are:
• HP ProCurve Switch 10/100Base-T module - (8) autosensing 10/100 Ethernet UTP ports
• HP ProCurve Switch Gigabit-SX module - (1) 1000Mbps multi-mode fiber optic port
• HP Switch Gigabit-LX module provides (1) 1000Mbps multi-mode or single-mode fiber-optic
port. Fully adheres to the IEEE 802.3z specification.
• HP ProCurve Switch 100Base-FX module - (4) 100Mbps multi-mode fiber optic ports
• HP ProCurve Switch 10Base-FL module - (4) 10Mbps multi-mode fiber optic ports
HP ProCurve Switch1600M
A fixed port switch with sixteen fixed 10/100Mbps autosensing ports and one expansion slot,
primarily for Gigabit connectivity, butwill accept any of the modules listed with the HP ProCurve
Switch 8000M above. Same software feature set as the Switch 8000M. Ideal for server farm
connectivity.
HP ProCurve Switch 4000M
The HP ProCurve Switch 4000M is a modular switch thatcomes standard with (40)10/100 Base-T
UTP autosensing ports, with five open slots for additional modules. The HP ProCurve Switch can
support up to (80) 10/100 autosensing 10/100Base-T ports, uses the same modules asthe
Switch 8000M, and is ideal for scaleable/expandable low-cost migration to 10/100 desktop
switching for smaller groups of users.
HP ProCurve Switch 2424M
The HP ProCurve Switch 2424M provides 24 fixed 10/100 Base-T autosensing portsand one
expansion slotthataccepts any of the 8000M/1600M/4000M modules. There is also a HP ProCurve
Switch 2424M Stacking Module available that provides two full-duplex transceiver-based Gigabit
ports. Transceivers available are GigabitSX and LX and a Stacking Kit thatprovides a low cost
stacking connection between HP ProCurve Switch 2424Ms. The HP ProCurve Switch 2424M is ideal
for low cost migration 10/100 desktop switching for smaller groups ofusers.
HP ProCurve Switch 2224
Fixed configuration unmanaged desktop switch with (24) autosensing 10/100 Mbpsports,one of
the UTP ports can be used as a 100Base-FX port with the addition of an optional transceiver.
HP ProCurve Switch 212M
Fixed configuration top-of-stack switch with (12) 10MbpsEthernet ports and (2) 100Base-T ports
(one fixed TX and one transceiver-based port)
1EtherChannel®is a registered trademark of Cisco Systems,Inc.
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HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9308M / 9304M Reviewer’s Guide
HP ProCurve Switch 224M
Fixed configuration desktop switch with (24) 10Mbps Ethernet ports and (2) 100Base-T ports (one
fixed TX and one transceiver-based port)
HP AdvanceStack Switch 800T
Eight fixed autosensing half/full duplex 10/100Mbps Ethernetports, all transceiver-based for top-of-
stack applications.
HP AdvanceStack Switch 2000
A flexible six slot high speed backplane switch for connectivity into legacy LAN environments.
Modules available include:
• Two port 100Base-T module (transceiver-based),
• Two port 100VG module (transceiver-based),
• Four port 10Base-T module,
• Four port 10Base-FL module
• One port DAS FDDI module, and
• 1 port OC-3 ATM module (co-developed with FORE Systems).
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HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9308M / 9304M Reviewer’s Guide
1.4 HP Switch Positioning
HP identifies three different classifications for switches: node/desktop, top-of-stack and backbone
switches. The routing switches are targeted at the medium to large backbone. Requirements in this
area are high bandwidth, Layer 3routing services, VLAN services, quality of service (QoS) controls,
flexible filtering, and fault tolerance. The HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9304M and HP ProCurve
Routing Switch 9308M meet all these needs, providing a stable, resilient,non-blocking backbone.
The HP ProCurve routing switches are well complemented by the Layer 2 HP ProCurve switchesthat
do the wiring closet, server farm, and desktop aggregation, uplinking tothe routing switch through
either Gigabit Ethernet or 100 Mbps links or trunks.
9304M/9308M
10/100/Gigabit
Routing Switches
4000M/2424M
10/100Mbps
Switches
with optional
Gigabit uplink
HP ProCurve Product Line
Increasing Performance
8000M/1600M
10/100/Gigabit
Switches
10Mbps Hubs
10Mbps Switch
with 100Mbps uplinks
10/100Mbps
Hubs
Wirin
g
Closet Backbone
HP Network Desi
g
n Center
(factory-based, full-service)
1.4.1 Positioning for the HP ProCurveRouting Switch 9304M
The HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9304M is a feature-rich, modular, chassis-based Layer 3 routing
switch that delivers 48 million packets per second performance for up to 32 Gigabit ports or
88 10/100 Mbpsports. Layer 4 controls are also available, allowing tuning of packet streams based on
Layer 4 information without needing the cooperation of the end nodes. Port flexibility is provided
through the modular design, with modules available for 10/100 UTP autosensing connections, Gigabit
SX and LX connections, and 100Base-FX connections. Designed for medium-to-large networks, the
HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9304M provides non-blocking high performance Layer 3 routing in
collapsed backbones, data centers and server farms.
1.4.2 Positioning for the HP ProCurveRouting Switch 9308M
The HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9308M is a feature-rich, modular, chassis-based Layer 3 routing
switch that delivers 96 million packets per second performance on up to 64 Gigabit ports or
188 10/100 Mbps ports. Layer 4 controls are also available, allowing tuningof packet streams based on
Layer 4 information without needing the cooperation of the end nodes. Port flexibility is provided
through the modular design, with modules available for 10/100 UTP autosensing connections, Gigabit
SX and LX connections, and 100Base-FX connections. Designed for large networks, the HP ProCurve
Routing Switch 9308M provides non-blocking high performance Layer 3 routing at the coreof the
network.
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HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9308M / 9304M Reviewer’s Guide
2. Evaluation Features and Benefits
2.1 Feature Set Summary
The HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9304M and HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9308M are store-and-
forward Layer 3 routing switchesthatfeature:
• A non-blocking Layer 3 architecture consisting of shared memory on each card, all
interconnected via the backplane cross point matrixswitch fabric. 9308M: 96 Million pps,
9304M: 48 Million pps.
• Hardware wire speed routing for IP and IPX. Processor-based 300,000 pps routing for
AppleTalk.
• IP Functionality supported:
� Routing services: RIP (v1,v1 compatible v2, and v2), OSPF (RFC 1583 and RFC 2178
compliant).
� DNS Resolver - converts names to DNS server addresses
� UDP Helper - supports packet relay of UDP packets for certain services
• IPX RIP/SAP routing supported
• AppleTalk Routing Table Maintenance Protocol(RTMP) routing
• Multicast support: IGMP, PIM(dense) and DVMRP
• Link Aggregation (Port Trunks) – Switch-to-switch and switch-to-serveraggregated links allow
scalable bandwidth communication. Can be used in many cases to trunk to non-HP devices.
Compatible with Cisco Fast EtherChannel(PAgP turned off).
• Up to (4096) 802.1Q compliant port-based, Layer 2 and Layer 3 VLANs for segmentation oflocal
LANs
• Extensive filtering capabilities based on Layer 2addresses and Layer 3 routes or addresses. For
IP, Layer 4 port number filtering is supported. AppleTalk zone filtering is available. Filtering
(except AppleTalk) is performed at wire-speed.
• Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) – Provides hot standby router services. A second
9300 can be in active stand-by on the network in case of failureof the primary router. VRRP is a
proposed standard of the IETF, RFC 2338.
• One year warranty, support services are available for additionalyears.
• Free lifetime software updates (best in the industry)
• Free end-user telephone support available worldwide during the warranty period.
• Extensive net management capabilitiesincluding:
� Web-based managementfor anytime, anywhereconfiguration access
� HP TopTools for Hubs & Switches (standalone), seamless integration with
HP OpenView/NT
� Integrationinto HP OpenView/UX with option HP Hub & Switch Managementfor
HP OpenView/UX.
� SNMP/MIB II/RMON supporton all ports for monitoring and control
� Ability to configure a network monitoringport for use with external probes or analyzers
• Spanning Tree Protocol (802.1D) support -one instance per VLAN.
• Year 2000 compliant
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HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9308M / 9304M Reviewer’s Guide
2.2 Architecture
2.2.1 Hardware Architecture Summary
The HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9304M has 4 identical slots,while the HP ProCurve Routing
Switch 9308M has eight. Any of the modulescan be put in any of the slots. The only rule is that there
must be one, and only one, card with the managementfunction installed in the chassis.While there are
managed versions ofeach of the different modules available (except for the 100Base-FX module), it is
best to have managementon a Gigabit card as there is no loss of actual ports. The managed version of
the 10/100 card, on the other hand, has only 16 ports on itcompared to the 24 ports on the unmanaged
card.
Each of the modules, which is based on a shared memory structure, is interconnected through a
backplane using a crosspoint matrix interconnect. The crosspoint matrix in the HP ProCurve Routing
Switch 9308M is twice as large as the HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9304M to handle up to double the
number ofpackets expectedfrom the eight slots versus the four slots in the 9304M.
The HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9304M has two slots for the load-sharing power supplies. One supply
ships with the 9304M and can power a fully loaded chassis. The HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9308M
has four power supply slots available; a minimum of two supplies (supplied) are needed to run a fully
loaded chassis. A third and/or fourth power supply can be installed for redundancy and longer
expected overall power supply life.
Overall, the hardware is designed to provide a non-blocking architecture, so that the HP ProCurve
routing switches can easily sit in the middle of a medium-to-large enterprise campus providing the
traffic-forwarding performance needed.
The HP ProCurve routing switches allow 64,000 MAC addresses. Boot time froma cold start is
<10 seconds.
2.2.2 Packet Processor
Each port on a module has a packetprocessor associated with it. The packet processor is responsible
for reading into the packet headers so that forwarding decisions can be made based on the Layer 2,
Layer 3, Layer 4 and filtering requirements. The packetprocessor then generates a forwarding
identifier (FID) that defines destination port, port mirroring requirements, packettype, VLAN
affiliation, prioritization and other parameters. Ifprocessor based functions are needed, such as
AppleTalk routing, that is also determined. The packet processor also modifies the bits in the packetas
required for routing, such as time-to-live (TTL), MAC addresses and checksums. IfLayer 4 information
is to be processed, thatis also determined atthis point, with the FID modified as necessary.
Once the FID has been determined for a packet, it is stored in a cache area that is managed by the
managementboard. Actualmovement ofthe packet through the routing switch data pathways is
specified bythe FID, resulting in the packet making it’s way to the proper output port(s) ofthe routing
switch.
2.2.3 Shared Memory
Modules are based on a shared memory architecture. Packets are buffered on the module in this shared
memory area. The pipeline to/from the packetprocessorsto the shared memory has a 64 Gbps
throughput. The actualdata rate through this switch fabric is 32 Gbps, since in shared memory designs
the packethas to travel the fabric twice, once inbound and once outbound. The 32 Gbps is ample, as
the maximum data ratethe shared memory will see is 16 Gbps, 8 Gbps from the ports, and 8 Gbps from
the backplane. The packet is managed in shared memorythrough a shared memory identifier (SMID).
Thisshared memory area size on the module is 2 to 8 MB, depending on the module type.
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HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9308M / 9304M Reviewer’s Guide
2.2.4 Forwarding Engine
The forwarding engine, a custom ASIC present on each module, uses the information in the FID to
actually move the packets to and from eitherexternalports or the backplane switch fabric via the
shared memory. The forwarding engine alsodetermines the priority queue (described in the next
section) designation for outbound packets. The forwarding engine has its own separatedatapath to
the packetprocessors to makepacketprocessing time as short as possible.
2.2.5 Priority Queues
Priority queues formpart of the QoS implementation in the routing switch. Each external port on a
module has 4 priorityqueues that define the order outbound packets will be sent to that port. There are
also 4 priorityqueueson the module for each of the other modules installed in the chassis. These are
used for packets destined to travel the backplane to another module. The priority queues themselves
only contain the SMIDs as pointers to the actualpackets in shared memory.
These priority queues map into the priority designation of 802.1p. Since 802.1p has 8 levels of priority
possible, 802.1p priority levels 0 and 1 map to the module priority of0 (lowest), 802.1p levels 2 and 3 to
module priority 1, and so on. Packets without any 802.1p tagging are normally assigned module
priority 0,unless the port priority factors have been modified through user configuration. The priority
queues are managed through a fair-weighted queuing algorithm that prevents any priority queue from
getting starved due to high traffic levels in other queues.
Through userconfiguration, priority of packets can be changed based on the packet’s MAC address,
VLAN affiliation, port the packetcame in on, IP address, or IP port number.
2.2.6 System Management Interface
The System ManagementInterface, present on the managementcard, stores and maintains the port and
system-level master configuration tables, routing tables, Layer 2, Layer 3, and Layer 4 address tables,
and all FID registers. Packetfunctions requiring processor attention, such asAppleTalk routing or
broadcast packethandling are also handled through this interface.
Communication from the individualmodule packet processors to the System Management Interface is
done through the management bus, a control path distinct from the packet data path. Any modification
of the FID for those packets requiring additionalcentral processor attention are also handled through
the management bus. The central processor runsat 240 MHz.
The System ManagementInterface has 32 MB of DRAMmemoryavailable. This memory is used for
switch tables, such as routing tables, ARP cache and MIB tables. Atfactory default, many of the table
sizes are lessthan their maximum in order to conserve memory. Tablescan beresized through user
configuration, if necessary. Default and maximum values are given in this guide for some tables.
2.2.7 Backplane Design
The modules are interconnected through a backplane crosspoint
switch matrix, allowing packets a directpath to their destination
module. Each module in the chassishas an 8 Gbpspath in both
directions to this matrix.
The advantage of a crosspoint matrix is that all modules can send
packets to every other module simultaneously. The crosspoint
matrix can handle about 22 Mpps in the 9304Mand 44 Mpps in the
9308M.
Slot 1
Slot 2 Slot 3
Slot 4
8 Gbps fdx
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HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9308M / 9304M Reviewer’s Guide
2.3 Layer 3 Services
Routing for both IP and IPX is done in ASIChardware at wire speed. AppleTalk routing is done by the
processor at a rate up to 300,000 pps. Routing servicescan be applied two different ways:
• The router is directly assigned to specific ports – these ports look like traditionalrouter ports,
where each port is in its own IP subnet orIPX network
• A group of ports are assigned to a VLAN and tied to a virtual router interface inside the routing
switch – externally these ports are switched together(since they are in the sameVLAN) and are all
in the same IP subnet or IPX network. Internal to the routing switch they are tied to the routing
service through the virtualrouter port without the loss of an externalport.Groups of these VLANs
can communicate with each other through their virtual internal routerinterfaces. Sixty virtual
router interfaces are allowed in the 9304M, 180 in the 9308M.
The use of router virtual interfaces providesa high degree of flexibility with the routing switch and
is called Integrated Switch Routing (ISR).
2.3.1 IP
Since there is no performance degradation, IP routing is, bydefault, enabled on the HP ProCurve
routing switches. Some of the IP services available are:
• Routing Services
• RIP (version 1, version 1 compatible version 2, andversion 2)
• Split Horizon and Poison Reverse supported
• Redistribution (importing of OSPFor static routes into the RIProute table)
• OSPF (RFC 1583 and2178 compliant)
• Load sharing ofequal cost paths
• Redistribution (importing of RIPor static routes into the OSPFroute tables)
• OSPF traps (RFC 1850)
• Static IP routes (64maximum per chassis)
• IRDP (ICMP Router Discovery Protocol)
• Proxy ARP and RARP
• Bootp Relay Service
• UDP broadcast forwarding (UDP Helper)
• Encapsulation type: Ethernet II (default) or SNAP
• DNS Resolver (allows users to use host name rather than IP address forservices such as Telnet, ping or trace
route.)
• Extensive IP-based filtering available (see the Filtering section)
2.3.2 IPX
• Routing services: RIP/SAP
• Four encapsulation types: Ethernet SNAP, Ethernet 802.2, Ethernet 802.3 and Ethernet II
• NetBIOS broadcast routing support
• IPX filters (see the Filtering section)
2.3.3 AppleTalk
The HP ProCurve routing switches supportAppleTalk Phase II. AppleTalk is processor-based in the
9304M and 9308M. Performance isup to 300,000 packets per second. If multiple ports are being
switched together and then routedfor AppleTalk through a virtual interface tothese switched ports,
the 300,000 pps rate is for traffic through the virtual interfaces into the router. Traffic across the
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HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9308M / 9304M Reviewer’s Guide
switched ports is at wire speed, since it is looked at as Layer 2 traffic that just happens to be AppleTalk
at Layer 3.
• Routing Services
• Routing Table Maintenance Protocol (RTMP)
• AppleTalk Echo Protocol (AEP)
• Name Binding Protocol (NBP)
• Datagram Delivery Protocol (DDP)
• AppleTalk Address Resolution Protocol (AARP)
• Zone Information Protocol (ZIP)
• AppleTalk-based filters (see the Filter section below)
2.4 QoS
2.4.1 IEEE 802.3x FlowControl
BothHP ProCurve routing switchesadhere to the IEEE 802.3x Flow Control specification. This
provides industrystandard support for managing heavy port traffic and helps the routing switch avoid
memory buffer overflows. Flow control is enabled on a port-by-portbasis. By default, all ports have
flow control enabled on the HP ProCurve routing switches.
2.4.2 IEEE 802.1p PrioritySupport
IEEE 802.1p packet tagging supports both designation of VLAN membership (see the VLAN section
below)and packet priority (up to 8 levels). The architectureof the HP ProCurve routing switches
support four levels of priority through multiple priority queueseach module keeps. See the priority
queue discussion in the previous section for more details on the handling and mapping of the priority
queues. These priority queues allow the 9304M /9308M to be responsive to time-sensitive applications
that use the priority field in packet tagging.
Priority of packets can be given specific values based on their inbound port, VLAN affiliation or MAC
address. This allowsthe network manager tobetter managethe traffic through the switch, giving
priority to packets that contain time-sensitive data without involvement of the end nodes.
The 9300 routing switches can work inconcert with the other HP managed switchesto provide an end-
to-end QoS solution. The HP desktop and local backbone switches with firmware code C.07.012or later
can use the IP address, VLAN affiliation, or IP/TOS (type ofservice) field of the packet to set a value
for the 802.1q priority bits. As noted above, the 9300 routing switches can read these bits and prioritize
the packets appropriately through the routing switch. Through the combination of the HP desktop and
local backbone switches, and the 9300 routing switches, packet priorities can be established end-to-end
in the localLAN environment withoutany end node interaction.
2.4.3 Multicast Support
The routing switchessupport three areas of multicast packet management,DVMRP, PIMand IGMP.
DVMRP and PIMare routing protocols used to set up the route trees through the network for multicast
groups when multiple routes exist. IGMP isused where there are not multiple paths,such asat Layer 2
or in a single or dual router environment,and can work in conjunction with either DVMRP or PIM,
since these protocols will establish a single path for any one multicast stream. DVMRP and PIM, each
tied to different ports, can run concurrently in the same routing switch.
2.4.3.1 DVMRP
DistanceVector Multicast Routing Protocol (DVMRP) is a protocol similar to RIP in that builds its own
multicast routing table in conjunction with other routers in the network. DVMRP uses this table to
2Available June 1, 1999. Available for download at no cost to present switch owners.
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generate multicast path trees through the network so thata particular multicast stream is only sent on
links thatultimately reach a receiverof that stream. Thisprevents multicast streams frombeing sentto
parts ofthe network where it isn't needed. DVMRP builds and maintains a separate multicast treefor
each of the offered multicast streams.
2.4.3.2 PIM (Dense)
Protocol-IndependentMulticast (PIM) is very similar to DVMRP except that it uses the IP routing table
of the switch rather than build its own table. Since itdoesn'tbuild a table directly, it doesn't need to
send out routing protocol packets to the other routers in the network like DVMRP does, hence the
protocol-independentname. The HP ProCurve routing switches support the dense form of PIM, the
version useful in LAN applicationswhere there may bea high concentration ofreceiving nodes.
PIM generates multicast path trees to transmit a multicast stream only on those links leavingthe
routing switch that havea receiver for that multicast streamsomewhere downstream.
2.4.3.3 IGMP
Internet Group MulticastProtocol (IGMP) is another multicastcontrol protocol that builds delivery
trees, but does not keep or use any routing information in this process, making it useful for Layer 2
environments. IGMP, handling the Layer 2 environment, is used in conjunction with either DVMRP or
PIM, which handle the Layer 3 environment. Both routing switches support Version 2 ofIGMP and can
act as an IGMP querier to determine who belongs to the multicast groups, as do all of HP's managed
switches. The routing switch can then directa specific multicast stream to only those segments that
have nodes that have joined the multicast group associated with that stream.
The HP ProCurve routing switches support 256 IGMP groups atdefault, 1024 with a userconfigurator
change.
2.4.3.4 IP Tunneling
Not all routers supportDVMRP or PIM. If there are a series of non-supporting routers in-between the
HP ProCurve routing switches, IP tunneling can be used for multicast traffic. This will prevent the
multicast traffic from being treated as broadcast traffic on the non-supporting routers. (It will also
prevent the any potential multicast clients connected tothese intervening routers fromseeing the
multicast streams.) This will allow the DVMRP routing functions to work correctly, since logically the
two routing switches will appearto beneighbors, even though physically they may be separated by a
number of intervening routers.
2.4.4 Layer 4 Features
2.4.4.1 Priority Queues
As mentioned in section 2.2.5, each port on the 9300 routing switches has fourpriority queues. While
these priority queuesare automatically used for packets having an 802.1q priority field, the 9300
routing switches can also be configured by the user to specify the use of a particular priority queue
based on the packet’s IPaddress or IP portnumber.
This capability provides QoS for a packetbased on its Layer 4 information. Applications using
particular portnumbers can be given priority treatment through the switch without the end node
clients having to be aware of QoS, particularly valuable since clientoperating systems and the
applications themselves are generally not QoS aware atthe moment.
Layer 4 controlof priority isa very powerful feature for applications that use isochronous (time-
sensitive) data streams, such asVoice-over-IP or conferencing. This feature can also be used to give
high priority to multicast applications.
Other applications can be prioritized as appropriate. For example, http traffic could be prioritized
lower through the switch, or data involved in backups prioritized higher.
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2.4.4.2 Layer 4 Filtering
The 9300 routing switches can filter based on IP addresses, IP port number and IPX network number.
More details are given later in the Filtering section. These filters can be used in permit or deny
situations, allowing fine tuning of traffic based on Layer 4 information.
2.5 VLANs
A VirtualLAN is a logical collection of ports or nodes that belong toa singlebroadcast/multicast
domain. VLANs were originally devised as a solution to limit the size of any one broadcast domain to
allow scaling of switched environments. With the advent ofrouting switch solutions, however, use of
VLANs inend userenvironmentsis now largely done for network policy orsecurityreasons. VLANs are
also used in the HP ProCurve routing switches to establish groups ofports that are switched, linked to
the router through a router virtual interface. See the Layer 3 services above for a more detailed
explanation.
The HP ProCurve routing switches support up to 4096 VLANs (8default), although normal VLAN usage
is usually less than twenty VLANs. VLAN membership can be designated through any one of the
following:
� A particular port (port-based) � A802.Q tag � IP protocol � IP subnet � NetBIOS
� IPX network number � AppleTalk � Decnet � Other
VLANs can overlap on a single port. For example, it may be advantageousto have a serverconnected
through a single port to be a member of two different VLANs such that two different groups of PCs can
access the same server, but the two groups of PCs cannot talk directly with each other.
Port-based VLANs can be further subdivided by using protocolVLANs. ProtocolVLANs establish
packet membership based on the packet’s IP subnet number, IPX network number, etc. Since a packet
could be part ofseveral VLANs simultaneouslythere isa hierarchy ofVLAN ownership. Port-based
VLANs are the lowest level. Layer 3 protocol-based VLANs, IP, IPX, AppleTalk, DECnet and NetBIOS
are in the middle. IP sub-net and IPX network number VLANs are atthe top.
VLANs can alsobe assignedto the virtual interfaces ofthe routerin the routing switch. This provides a
means ofcommunication between two VLANs. VLANs defined only on switchedports within the
routing switch cannot talk to each other without going through the router.
2.5.1 IEEE 802.1Q VLAN Support
The HP ProCurve routing switches support the IEEE 802.1Q VLAN tagging standard. The routing
switchescan havemultipleVLAN traffic share a single physical link. 802.1Q also allows interoperability
at this levelbetween different vendors in a standards-based way.
Ports with only a single VLAN designation can be designated as untagged ports. Packets leaving these
ports will not be 802.1Q tagged.
2.5.2 IEEE 802.1D Spanning Tree Protocol
The HP ProCurve routing switches support multiple instancespanning tree protocol. Each VLAN can
have an instance of spanning tree running. This is useful in multiple VLAN environments where loops
exist for redundancy purposes atthe Layer 2 level.
Note thatother HP switches support a single instanceof spanning tree per box, per the 802.1D spec. If
an HP Layer 2 switch is connected to a HP ProCurve routing switch and both are running spanning
tree, the 9300 port connected to the HP switch needs to be an untagged port for the spanning tree
protocols to be recognized, so that within the routing switch VLAN a port will be behave correctly
according to Spanning Tree.
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2.6 Port Trunking (Link Aggregation)
Link Aggregation is the industry term for the ability to combine multiple coterminous links (links that
begin atthe same pointand end at the same point)as one logical link.
Link aggregation allows two HP ProCurve routing switchesto beinterconnected by 2-to-4 of the same
type of links, with all links acting asone higher-speed link. Since the number of links ina trunk is
configurable, the bandwidthis scaleableto the needs of a particular network. For example,
(4) 100Mbps links can betrunked to provide the equivalent of a 400 Mbps (800 Mbpsfull-duplex) link
between two switchesor 4 Gigabit links can be trunked for the equivalent of a 4 Gigabit (8 Gigabit full-
duplex) link. Fiber-optic links can be trunked to interconnect switchesacross large campuses. Port
trunking also provides redundancy on links between the two switchesor switch and server. If one of
the links fails, the traffic is moved to another link in the trunk in under one second.
The 9304M / 9308M have two forms of trunking, switch and server. Switch trunking balances traffic
across the linksbased on destination address, server trunking uses the source addresses for load
balancing. The MAC address is used if the trunked portson the routing switch are switched, IP or IPX
addresses are used for routed ports. Use the switch form of trunking to interconnect switchesand the
server version of trunking to interconnect the routing switch with a server.
The HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9304M and HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9308M have been certified
for use with HP-UX server trunked ports.
Up to4 links can be used in a trunk. All links ina particular trunk must be on the same module,
contiguous, start with a port on a MOD4 boundary (1,5,9,13, 17, or 21) and havethe same
characteristics, i.e. duplex, QoS, etc. Based on these requirements, the 9304M can have a maximum of
22 trunk groups, the 9308M can have46 trunk groups.
Trunks on the routing switches are compatible with the HP Trunks on other HP ProCurve switches;
use the DA (destination address) setting. These trunks are also compatible with Cisco Fast
EtherChannel trunks; use the server form of the trunk on the 9304M / 9308M and turn PAgP off onthe
FEC side.
2.7 Filtering
Both the HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9304M and HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9308M support a
variety ofLayer 2 and Layer 3 filters. With the exception ofAppleTalk and broadcast packets, filtering
is done in hardware so there is no performance penalty for using filters. With filter hierarchy defined
by the user, filtering is very flexible.
All filters can be specified for individual ports, groups of ports, or globally. This flexibility allows
definition of very specific rules for howa packet should be handled.
Filter maximums: 1024 per chassis, 128 on any one port.
2.7.1 Layer 2 Filtering
Filters at Layer 2 are:
� Inbound and/oroutbound MAC addresses
� Frame types
The frame type field can be used to filter on Layer 3 protocol types without having the router
functionality of the routing switch involved.
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2.7.2 Layer 3 and Layer 4 Filtering
At Layer 3 and Layer 4, these filters available are:
IP Filters IPXFilters
� Inbound and/oroutbound IP addresses � Inbound and/oroutbound IPX addresses
� Protocol types (UDP, TCP, etc.)
� Inbound and outbound forward filters
� Port numbers or ranges of numbers (ftp, http, etc.) (Allows a remote IPX client access to a restricted-
� Specific RIProutes inbound access server)
� Specific advertised RIProutes outbound � Specific RIProutes inbound
� RIPredistribution (conversion of OSPFroutes to
� Specific advertised RIProutes outbound
RIP)
� OSPFredistribution (conversionof RIProutes to
OSPF)
� Specific advertised SAP routes (128 filters max
per chassis)
AppleTalkFilters
� Zone filters - ability to filter resource access from other zones
� Network filters - Specific advertised zones inthe routing packets
2.8 Flexibility
The HP ProCurve routing switches have been designed with flexibility and high port density in mind.
Any module type can be plugged into any of the module slots. The only requirement isthatone, and
only one, module with management must be installed. The modules are hot swappable. Available
module types are:
• HP ProCurve 9300 10/100 Module(24 port)
• HP ProCurve 9300 10/100 ManagementModule (16 port)
• HP ProCurve 9300 100Base-FX Module (24 port, MT-RJ connectors)MT-RJ is a new connectortype
that allows full duplex 100Base-FX connections in the same space as a RJ-45 connection. Adapter
cables for SC to MT-RJ conversion are available from 3rd party sources.
• HP ProCurve 9300 Gigabit SX Module (8 port, SC connectors)
• HP ProCurve 9300 Gigabit SX Management Module (8 port, SC connectors) Works with 62.5/125
multi-mode fiber cable at up to 220M, or 50/125 multi-mode fiber cable atup to500m.
• HP ProCurve 9300 Gigabit SX/LX Module(4 ports SX, 4 portsLX, SC connectors)SX connections
work with 62.5/125 multi-mode fiber cable atup to 220M, or 50/125 multi-mode fiber cable atup to
500m connections. LX connections work with single-mode fiber cable up to 5km, or with either
62.5/125 or 50/125 multi-mode fiber cable up to550m (a mode-conditioning cable may be required
for multi-mode use on some older fiber-optic cables per IEEE 802.3z).
• HP ProCurve 9300 Gigabit SX/LX Management Module (4 portsSX, 4 ports LX, SC connectors)
Same commentsas for the card above.
A fully loaded HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9304M can have (88) 10/100Mbps ports or (32) Gigabit
ports in a box only 22.8cm (9") inheight and 13.8kg (30.8lbs).
A fully loaded HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9308M can have (188) 10/100Mbps ports or (64) Gigabit
ports in a box only 52.7cm (20.75") in height and 26kg (57.3lbs).
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2.9 Reliability
Overall reliability of a productis determined notonly by how much time between product failures, but
also how fast a failed unit can be repaired orreplaced. HP offers a one year warranty, free basic-level
phone supportduring this time, and lifetime free software updates. Some details are provided in this
section.
2.9.1 Lifetime Software Updates (Best in the Industry)
Both the HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9304M and HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9308M come with
lifetime software updates. For as long as software updates are available for these routing switches they
can be downloaded from the HP web site for free. This includes not only bug fixes, but new software
capabilities as well. This is an industry-leading product feature.
2.9.2 Warranty -One Year
Warranties, and the ease ofobtaining warranty service for the end user, is a product benefit that is
easily overlooked in a technicalevaluation, butranks high as a concern ofend users as they getready
to actually make a purchase decision. The HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9304M and HP ProCurve
Routing Switch 9308M have a one year warranty. Ifany part of the switch fails, including the power
supply orfans, it will be replaced. In most parts of the world, the replacement unit is sent for next
business day delivery in advance of the failing unit being returned to HP. Advancereplacement gets the
unit to the end useras fast as possible and minimizes down time by allowing the impaired unit to
continue to be used ifpossible until the replacement unit arrives. This alsoallows for easy scheduling
for when the actual unit swap occurson the network.
The 9304m / 9308M one year warranty for a routing switch is industry-leading, with mostother vendors
offering 90days.
Hewlett-Packard has support programsavailable to provide fee-based warranty-like service once the
routing switch is out of warranty. See the Supportand Service section for more details.
2.9.3 Availability
Availability is the measure of the ability for the switch to remain running over a period of time with
minimal impact to the network environment.
Both the 9304M / 9308M allow hot-swapping of the port modules while the switch is still running
without affecting the other port modules. Thisallows a defective port module to be replaced without
affecting the rest of the network.
Optionalredundantpower supplies (identical to the primary supply(s)) can be installed. The 9304M
allows one extra power supply. The 9308M allows up to four supplies to be installed, with at least two
supplies at a minimum required. All power supplies load-share, allowing both supplies to run cooler,
extendingtheir Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) values. Ifany ofthe supplies in a chassis with
extra supplies (2 in the 9304M, 3 or 4 in the 9308M) does fail, the others continue to run preventing
switch interruption. Power supplies can be hot-swapped (unplug it first!) during switch operation when
extra supplies are present.Each supply has its own power cord.
The chassis fans are also hot-swappable.
2.9.4 Service and Support
HP provides free pre-sales and in-warranty post-sales installation and basic configuration telephone
support during normal business hours to end users and HP resellers through the HP Customer Care
Centers located world-wide.
In addition to free support services such as the warranty and telephone support, HP offers an extensive
range of fee-based supportservices to meet more specialized needs. With the likelihood of the routing
switchesbeing installed at the coreof the network, an on-site service upgrade is highlyrecommended.
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On-site upgrades to either business-day four hour supportor 24X7 four hour supportcan be purchased
through HP.
Other fee-based services available that are highly recommended are hardware supportcontracts to
cover the routing switches when they are no longer in warranty, and extensions to the basic phone
support to cover network troubleshooting either during regular business hours or24X7.
Hewlett-Packard can also provide site surveys, installationservices, and actual management of the
network, depending on customer needs.
More information can be found at http://www.hp.com/rnd/support/support.htmor by contacting the
local HP sales office.
2.9.5 Year 2000 Compliance
The HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9304M and HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9308M are both Year 2000
compliant3. Refer to http://www.hp.com/year2000/compliance.htmlfor HP’s Year 2000 compliance
definitions.
2.10 NetworkManagement
Network management is an important part ofa network solution. There are three levels of net
managementavailable for the HP ProCurveRouting Switch 9304M and HP ProCurve Routing
Switch 9308M:
• Web-based management- Configuration ofindividual routing switches can be done anytime,
anywhere through the web server available in each routing switch, accessible via a standard
web browser.
• HP TopTools for Hubs & Switches - Management of a network ofHP hubs, switches and routing
switchescan be done through the included HP TopTools for Hubs & Switches application, part
of the HP TopTools suite of management products. HP TopTools for Hubs & Switchesprovides
a network map and device configuration inan web-based format for the routing switches.
HP TopTools for Hubs & Switches can manage up to 1500 nodes as shipped. The extra-cost
HP TopTools Value Pak can beadded that increases the number of monitored nodes to 5000.
• HP OpenView platforms - If managementof a generic IP network is needed (i.e. management of
HP and other vendors’ devices):
NT platform- bridge software to HP OpenView/NT is available so that TopTools can run
under HP OpenView/NT. For more details see the TopTools web site at
http://www.hp.com/toptools.
UX platform - Management of the HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9304M and 9308M under
HP OpenView/UX is available via the separately purchased J3250M HP Hub & Switch
Management For HP OpenView-UX product.
TopTools will also run under Tivoli Enterprise and Tivoli NetView, as well as Unicenter TNG using the
proper bridges to these environments. See the TopTools web site at http://www.hp.com/toptoolsfor
more details.
SNMPversion 2 is supported.
3HP has made every effort to ensure the accuracy ofour product testing. However, becauseeach customer's environment is
different from HP's laboratory test environment, it is the customer's responsibility to validate the Year 2000 readiness of
these products in their own environment. Therefore, information about the Year 2000 status of HPproducts is provided
"as is" without warranties of any kind and is subject to change without notice. HPmakes no representation or warranty
respecting the accuracy orreliability of information about non-HP products. Such information,if any, was provided by
the manufacturers of those productsand customers are urged tocontact the manufacturerdirectly to verify Year 2000
readiness. The information provided here constitutes a Year 2000 ReadinessDisclosure for purposes of the Year 2000
InformationandReadiness Disclosure Act.
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HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9308M / 9304M Reviewer’s Guide
2.10.1 MIB Support
The HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9304M/ 9308M supports the following standard MIBs:
• MIB-II (RFC 1213)
• Ether-like MIB (RFC 1398)
• Bridge MIB (RFC 1493)
• Ethernet-like MIB (RFC 1643)
• RMON MIB (RFC 1757)
Groups: (1) Ethernet statistics, (2) Ethernethistory,(3) Alarm, (9) Event,
In addition, a number ofenterprise-specific MIBs are also supported for such things as VLANs, and
multiple bridge groups.
2.10.2 RMON Support
For those customers that use RMON applications, the HP ProCurveRouting Switch 9304M / 9308M
support RMON groups 1 (Ethernetstatistics), 2 (Ethernet history), 3 (Alarm), and 9 (Event). These four
groups are available for all ports.
The Ethernet statistics group provides counters for packetcounts, broadcast/multicast packets, packet
length counts, missed packets and erred packets. Eventand Alarmgroups allow threshold setting and
alarm generation based on the counters in the Ethernet group. History accumulates two records for
each port,one a sampling of Ethernet statistics taken every 30 seconds and the other a sampling of
statisticstaken every 30 minutes.
2.10.3 Network Monitoring Port
If more RMON groups (such as packetcapture) are desired, a RMON probe can be attached toone of
the HP ProCurve Routing Switch 9304M / 9308M portsand Port Monitoring can be configured into the
routing switch. Port Monitoring allows the end user tocopy all traffic (inbound, outbound or both)
from any number ofports (even those on different router ports) to a singledestination port. This
allows the probe to see all traffic on the selected ports to provide the probe with the proper global
perspective.
LAN analyzers can also use this feature when doing specific monitoring or troubleshooting ofnetwork
segments.
2.10.4 Console Support
Out-of-band management of HP routing switchescan be done through the RS-232 console port via a
directly connected terminalemulator. The console interface provides a command line interface to all
configuration parameters.
The console interface is also available in-band through the telnetservice.
The RS-232 cable necessary to connect with the 9304M / 9308M isa “straight-through”typeand is
supplied with the routing switch. It is a different cable than that used with other HP switches.
The RS-232 port is not speed-sensing. Default configuration is set at9600 baud.
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2.11 Some 9304M / 9308MRouting Switch Maximums
Parameter Maximum Value Default Value
MAC addresses 32,000 16,000
Port VLANs 4096 8
All filters System:1024
Interface: 128
Layer 3 VLANs 1,024 32
Layer 4 sessions 4096 512
Virtual router interfaces 9304M: 60
9308M: 180
ARP entries 16,000 4,000
IP cachesize 64,000 16,000
IP routes 220,000 OSFP: 16,000
RIP: 40,000
IP route filters System:1,024
Interface: 128
System: 64
Interface: 32
Static routes 256 16
IGMP groups 1,024 255
DVMRP routes 64,000 2,048
PIM routes 64,000 16,000
IPX/SAP entries 8,192 4,096
IPX/RIP entries 8,192 2,048
IPX/SAP filters 128 32
IPX/RIP filters 128 32
IPX forwardfilters 128 32
AppleTalkroutes 3,072 512
AppleTalkzones System:1024
Interface: 255
System: 256
Interface: 64
Number of Trunks 9304M: 22
9308M: 46
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