When router redundancy is configured, a virtual router is created. The IP
address of the virtual router will be configured as the default gateway for the
workstations on a specific IP segment. When frames are to be sent from the
workstation to the default gateway, the workstation will use ARP to resolve the
MAC address associated with the IP address of the default gateway. The ARP
resolution will return the MAC address of the virtual router. Frames sent to
the MAC address of the virtual router can then be physically processed by any
active or standby router that is part of that virtual router group.
A
protocol is used to identify two or more routers as the devices responsible for
processing frames sent to the Mac or IP address of a single virtual router.
Host devices send traffic to the address of the virtual router. The physical
router that handles forwarding this traffic is transparent to the end stations.
The redundancy protocol provides the mechanism for determining which router
should take the active role in forwarding traffic, and for determining when
that role must be taken over by a standby router. The transition from one
forwarding router to another is transparent to the end devices.