User`s guide

Introduction
1-7
Processing Engine.
The ATX offers features which allow you to easily manage and
maintain your network, such as:
• Protection against multicast storms.
• Data flow control based on packet filters that you define.
• Compilation of statistics for traffic generated by each user
device connected to an ATX segment.
• Ping and Trace Route provide the ATX with the ability to execute
(through LCM) ping and trace route commands which show
router hops, IP interfaces each packet must traverse and how
much time elapsed between transmit and response of a ping
command. For additional information on Ping commands, see
section 3.13, Ping Commands. For additional information on
Trace Route, see section 3.14, Trace Route Commands.
• Power supplies and input/output modules that can be swapped
without disrupting operation of the ATX.
• Configuration and management using the Simple Network
Management Protocol (SNMP) with either an in-band or out-of-
band connection.
The ATX includes many functions presently available only in
bridges or routers. It offers much greater throughput to users, since
each module is an independent network and the traffic from a
module or network is not repeated to the others as is done in many
hubs.
As a bridge, the ATX provides high throughput for each network
connected to its ports, translates user-selected packets, and
implements the IEEE and IBM Spanning Tree protocol.
As a router, the ATX implements a suite of IP routing protocols,
including IP, ARP, Reverse ARP, Proxy ARP, RIP, and IP multicasts.
The ATX also implements IPX routing using RIP and SAP.
Additionally it implements AppleTalk Phase II routing.