Enterasys Networks CSX6000 - Manual (Page 360)

USER’S GUIDE
360 CyberSWITCH
A PPLE T ALK N ETWORK R ANGE /N UMBER
The AppleTalk network range (for Extended network) or the AppleTalk network number (for
NonExtended network) of the LAN segment that the port is connected to. Specifying 0.0 (for
Extended) or 0 (for NonExtended) places the port in discovery mode (a.k.a., non-seed router), in
which the system learns its configuration information from the seed router. Note that there must
be at least one seed router on the network. Discovery mode is not supported for WAN ports, and
therefore a valid network range/number needs to be specified.
S UGGESTED A PPLE T ALK A DDRESS /N ODE I D
If the system is acting as a seed router on this port, then this parameter specifies the suggested
AppleTalk address (Extended) or Node Id (NonExtended), which is used as initial value for the
AppleTalk address for the port. The default is no suggested address.
Note: An AppleTalk address consists of the network number followed by a node Id. For example,
if the network number is 1234, and the node’s Id is 56, the node’s AppleTalk address would
be 1234.56.
Z ONE N AME ( S )
The AppleTalk zone name(s) for the network that the port is connected to. For ports that are of the
Extended network type, you must enter a default zone name, then you may enter any additional
zones names. For ports that are of the NonExtended network type, you must configure one zone
name, with no option to configure additional zone names.
A PPLE T ALK P ORTS B ACKGROUND I NFORMATION
T HE A PPLE T ALK N ETWORK T YPE
An AppleTalk network consists of four basic pieces, the nodes, networks, network numbers, and
routers. All these pieces together form an AppleTalk internet. Initial implementation of AppleTalk
Phase 1 provided support for up to 254 nodes. Initially the need to have more than 254 nodes on an
individual internet was not a concern, and the initial implementation worked fine.
As time passed, a need developed for more than 254 nodes on a network. As an answer to that need,
AppleTalk Phase 2 was developed. Phase 2 introduced the fifth component to the AppleTalk
internet, network-number ranges. An AppleTalk network that would continue to use a single
network number would now be identified by a range of network numbers. Each of the network
numbers in the range could support up to 253 nodes.
The Extended network type takes advantage of the network-number ranges produced by Phase 2,
whereas the NonExtended network type does not use a range of network numbers.
D YNAMIC N ODE A DDRESS A SSIGNMENT
Dynamic node address assignment is an addressing scheme that dynamically assigns node
addresses rather than permanently associating an address with each node. This can save
configuration time (for a LAN port, you are not required to enter an AppleTalk address/node Id),
and also allows a node to move between networks without having to worry about addressing
conflicts.
When a node joins the network, it assigns itself a node Id. It will send out a probe, to ensure that no
other node on the network has the same Id. If you have configured a “suggested” AppleTalk
address/node Id, that is the address/node Id the node includes in its probe.