IP Routing Features 
Configuring Static IP Routes 
■  Default network route – This is a specific static route that the routing 
switch uses if other routes to the destination are not available. Refer to 
“Configuring the Default Route” in the chapter titled “IP Routing Features” 
in the Management and Configuration Guide for your switch. 
Static Route Types 
You can configure the following types of static IP routes: 
■  Standard – the static route consists of the destination network address 
and network mask, and the IP address of the next-hop gateway. 
■  Null (reject) – the static route consists of the destination network 
address and network mask, and the reject parameter. Typically, the null 
route is configured as a backup route for discarding traffic if the primary 
route is unavailable. By default, when IP routing is enabled, a route for 
the 127.0.0.0/8 network is created to the null interface. Traffic to this 
interface is rejected (dropped). This route is for all traffic to the “loop-
back” network, with the single exception of traffic to the host address of 
the switch’s loopback interface (127.0.0.1/32). Figure Figure 7-8. on page 
<zBlue>21 illustrates the default Null route entry in the switch’s routing 
table. 
Static IP Route Parameters 
When you configure a static IP route, you must specify the following param-
eters: 
■  The IP address and network mask for the route’s destination network. 
■  The route’s path, which can be one of the following: 
•   The IP address of a next-hop gateway 
•   A “null” interface. In this case the routing switch invokes a “reject” 
parameter on a static route entry, which results in the switch dropping 
traffic forwarded to the null interface. 
The switch automatically assigns a metric of “1” to an IP static route. 
Static Route States Follow VLAN (Interface) States 
IP static routes remain in the IP route table only so long as the VLAN interface 
used by the route is available. If the VLAN becomes unavailable (that is, if all 
ports in the VLAN are offline), the software removes the static route from the 
IP route table. If the VLAN later becomes available again, the software adds 
the route back to the route table. 
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